As the legend goes, Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation was originally shown as an opening act for rock concerts when it began roughly a quarter of a century ago. Despite knowing this bit of trivia, though, I'd hardly consider myself an expert in the subject (or even a casual fan, for that matter). My first exposure to Spike and Mike was, incidentally, one of the very first reviews I assembled for this very site over two years ago---but to put it mildly, I wasn't overly impressed with what the dynamic duo had to offer.

First things first: I'm not a staunch opponent of vulgar or disgusting animation, having long admired South Park and the earlier seasons of Ren and Stimpy, to name a few. These are, in my humble opinion, shining examples of "the good kind of gross": they pull no punches, yet don't always rely on disgusting visuals to keep the audience blankly entertained. On the other hand, there's an ample supply of "the bad kind of gross" out there as well, including---but certainly not limited to---the final seasons of Ren and Stimpy, including the awful post-2000 resurrection series. This latter beast is well aware that people will react to its high level of grossness, but the creators don't bother to back up the visuals with an engaging story to serve as the foundation.

Unfortunately, the collection I reviewed two years ago ("Unprotected", the third DVD compilation in the series) fell mostly into the latter category---and as much as I hate to admit it, the newest DVD compilation ("Contagious") doesn't seem much different. Based on what I've seen so far from Sir Spike and Mike, I can only assume that the bulk of their back catalogue is in the same vein as both of these guilty parties. If this kind of animation is squarely up your alley, you're in for a treat. If it's not, these 80-odd minute anthologies will make for a very uneven and unsettling viewing experience. That's not to say that there aren't a few shining rays of light to be found during the bulk of "Contagious"---but it's a fairly tough pill to swallow in one sitting, that's for sure.

From start to finish, "Contagious" offers us roughly three dozen shorts in a variety of media: there's claymation, basic CGI, traditional hand-drawn animation and more, ensuring that at least the content varies visually. Some of the art is terrific; some isn't. Some shorts are highly complex; some are one-trick ponies. Some stretch on for a few minutes; some are here and gone almost before the opening title sequences are finished. Again, if this installment of Spike and Mike's offers one true highlight, it's that it tries pretty hard to offer a variety of stuff. Here's what's included:

Rating each short—or even providing a complete description---would be an exercise in futility, as many of these are easily explained by their titles alone. Bill Plympton's work is usually a solid bet, and most of his shorts here are no exception (especially #16, though the satire is a bit dated at this point). Others are fairly strong the whole way through, including #3, #7, and #33, to name a few. A few others come close, including #21, though it falls into disgusting lows in the closing moments. Even so, the large majority of these shorts are barely worth watching once; in some cases, they're too short to even bother with (#6, for example), while others drag on far too long for their own good (#10, #13 and #23). All things considered, it's a fairly lackluster lineup and the large majority of these won't exactly improve with repeat viewings. Consider yourselves warned.

A more complete and detailed DVD presentation may have put "Contagious" in a better light, allowing creator input and art-related extras to enhance the experience a bit. Sadly, this detail is nowhere to be found---and to make matters worse, the technical presentation isn't anything to write home about either. Overall, this DVD compilation by Shout Factory isn't their best work by far, which places it squarely on par with "Unprotected". Even so, followers of the festival may want to check out this collection: after all, if you enjoyed earlier volumes, this might be your cup of pee as well.

The audio displays similar problems, giving it the same "mixed bag" feel as the video presentation. Generally, most of the dialogue and sound effects come through clearly---though it's worth noting that some don't even feature dialogue---but the low-budget recording quality is highly evident in most shorts. Even so, it's hard to fault this presentation on the source material alone, so Contagious earns a slightly higher audio rating. Unfortunately, no subtitles have been included.

Menu Design, Presentation & Packaging:

Seen above, the menu designs aren't fancy but at least provide easy navigation. Each short is given its own chapter (as well as the intro and conclusion), while no layer change was detected during playback. In typical Shout Factory fashion, the advance screener packaging consists of a plain black keepcase and printed cover---so what the final draft will look like is anyone's guess.

It's tough to recommend a very rough compilation as a blind buy…so I won't. Even so, Contagious isn't without a few highlights along the rocky road, so there might be a little something for certain fans of the crass and vulgar side of animation. The DVD can't really impress in the technical department, while the lack of bonus features also hurts this collection---so even at less than $15, this latest installment of Spike and Mike isn't exactly a safe bet for most viewers. Rent It.