Rolled Lola

In 1974, artist Fred Burns released “Roll ‘Em Lola,” a hand-drawn, hand-painted animated film created for his senior thesis in college.

Working from his dorm room, Burns painstakingly drew over 2,000 images. Each frame was inked, painted, and photographed by hand, resulting in this mesmerizing work of pop art psychedelia.

Burns described the film as a tribute to the animations of Max and Dave Fleischer, whose 1930s cartoons featuring Betty Boop shaped his visual approach.

Like the Fleischers, Burns wanted every part of the frame to feel alive, creating a fluid visual surface inspired by the Vienesse School paintings of Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele.

The film’s soundtrack was composed by George Winston, and a recent restoration by Casey Herbert has introduced Burns’ remarkable student film to a new generation.

More than fifty years after its creation, “Roll ‘Em Lola” remains a hell of a trip.

Source: Fred Burns, Casey Herbert, George Winston.