BILLY'S BALLOON - student film by DON HERTZFELDT

Never forget that this Grand Jury Award-Winning short was given a “B” grade when Don submitted it as his class project.

I think I've found that special video I send to people on their birthday.

This is honestly one of those terrifying things that happened to you as a child that no one believed and even you have almost completely forgotten about now.

So what you're telling me is that the movie UP could have been a hell of a lot darker

The sound recording for this cartoon had to have been so much fun.

I love how everyone is trying to find a deeper meaning when we all know he probably just intended it to be a balloon beating the shit out of a kid because why not

Could be a film about mental disabilities, or could just be a video about balloons beating the shit out of kids. You can never tell with Mr. Hertzfeldt. You really never can.

Don Hertzfeldt, Junji Ito, and Drifloon were all just trying to tell us what we should already know: balloons are monsters

I thought this was about kids and balloons switching roles, because we kick around balloons a lot and punch them and drop them to see how slowly they will fall and try to make them float, now what if the balloons did that to us? This.

I saw this in an animation fest in the late 90s (I think--or early 200s) and I laughed my ass offf--it was sooo cool and funny and different--Don H is the man!!

Balloons always did have an inflated sense of entitlement. So full of themselves.

Sometimes you break the balloon, sometimes the balloon breaks you.

That looks like it Hertz...I even Feldt it from here.

Somebody filled these balloons with.... HELLium!

This was the first Hertzfeldt film I saw. Happened to turn on to a cable channel, and there it was. I had never seen anything like it. Now I couldn't imagine a world without Bitter Films. It really was one of those life changing moments you never forget. Thank you Don, your work has always met and exceeded my enthusiastic expectations!

All the unemployed balloons from the movie UP.

I remember watching this on public access tv's dark comedy hour. I'm glad I found it again. Thanks Don for making my childhood that much better :)

I saw this in 2010 when I was a freshman in high school. It was my first taste of your animation, and I had to see the rest of your work. I was so inspired by all of them I very nearly went to college for animation, but then didn't feel like I had the patience or confidence to persue it. I did know for certain I wanted to make art, so I went for my BFA. I did take two elective courses in animation while I was at it and I enjoy it enough to want to do some more, but for fun. I am still constantly inspired by your work and style even while working in a different medium. And all from a short about a child being abused by a balloon.

i remember this was terrifying the first time i watched it. my chorus teacher showed me it in sixth grade

I love Don's animations. They may look painful, but they always make me laugh. Love you, Don.