Tom Goes to the Mayor

I don't like Tom Goes to the Mayor. I keep trying to like it, because the commercials Adult Swim shows for it look as if it will be funny. But then, I tune in, and turn off. The animation makes me seasick, and I can't stomach the characters. Executive Producer Bob Odenkirk, and writers and producers Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, get points for trying something new. But that's about all.

In Tom Goes to the Mayor, Tom, a local small businessman, visits The Mayor and tells him about problems he has noticed or is experiencing. He and The Mayor concocts wild schemes to investigate the problems, leading to mayhem.

Admittedly, when I begin watching an episode, I'm drawn in. The problem Tom introduces usually piques my interest, such as in "Undercover" when the kids in town have high starch levels. But from there, they lose me.

The plots are too outlandish for me to follow, and here's why: the cartoon characters aren't cartoony enough.

The animation employs a different process. Creators Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim take still photographs of actors as they perform. Then they push them through a computer filter, making them animated. The result is that the animation isn't continually moving; their performances are more like a slideshow of expressions set against cartoon backdrops.

Because they use real people, off-the-wall plots just aren't as believable as they would be in a cartoon like South Park. The juxtaposition of humans and crazy stories is too jarring for me, and sometimes disturbing.

For instance, in "Undercover," Tom goes undercover as a high school student. In order to look cool in one scene, he starts punching the crap out of his step-son. It was a bit too disturbing for me, watching a real-life adult (filtered or not) pounding a kid.

I can theoretically see how Tom Goes to the Mayor is supposed to be funny. But I just can't laugh along with it.