“A Fiery Tail” is my BFA Thesis Capstone that premiered in a gallery in March 2025. It also received the Monnier Family Foundation Outstanding Artist Award at the exhibition!

Artist Statement

“A Fiery Tail” is a stop motion short film that explores how superheroes employ humor. The main character, ColdSnap, jokes around aggravating his foe and showcasing how a hero’s humorous banter can be used to help defeat evil. The narrative of the animation revolves around the relationship between ColdSnap, his dog, and the disgruntled villain Brickster. ColdSnap tries to thwart Brickster’s scheme, but fails to keep his dog, Glacier, a safe distance from harm. When Glacier gets caught in the crossfire of battle, ColdSnap rushes to save him, allowing Brickster to escape. Unbeknownst to Coldsnap, when Glacier is hit, he acquires superpowers. Eventually Coldsnap encounters Brickster again, but Glacier unexpectedly shows up and saves the day with his newly obtained abilities. The absurdity of the superhero’s banter and the pet shenanigans are balanced to create the comedic tone of the film. 

The concept of superhero humor is examined in my Honors College capstone project titled “The Diegetic Purpose of Humor in Superhero Media.” This research project investigates the psychology of humor and analyzes comic books, movies, and cartoons to understand how superheroes utilize humor in different ways. Humor can be aggressive or affiliative. Aggressive humor can include sarcasm and insulting jokes while affiliative humor can be uplifting and used as a coping mechanism in difficult circumstances. The dialogue in “A Fiery Tail” is carefully crafted to integrate both types of humor. 

Stop motion can bring physical objects to life with whimsical results, and using LEGO bricks is a beloved style to implement. LEGO animations often parody pop culture. For instance, there are many LEGO cartoons that retell the Star Wars story with a comedic twist. Superhero stories are no exception. “A Fiery Tail” is a LEGO stop motion satire of a stereotypical superhero story but emphasizes humor to convey its importance in a hero’s fight against the forces of evil. 

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