Get a Job 1985

Bob Dog, Al Simmons walks into town with a simple goal: land a job. He meets three singers and each attempt to prove his worth ends in a swift, comic rejection. Disheartened, he heads back to his apartment, flicks on the television, and stumbles upon a program about a couple about to divorce. The news becomes a lullaby, lulling him into sleep as the day’s disappointment lingers.

In the world of dreams, the struggle for work takes on surreal, musical tones. Bob encounters a parade of singers who pitch him various chances at employment, culminating in a trio of singing female pigs who join the chorus of opportunities. He grabs his resume and strides into the city, weaving between speeding cars and ducking through crowded streets as he reaches a building lined with interview rooms. Inside, a room full of tense, angry faces stares him down while an attendant calls his name. Nervously, he steps forward, only to be escorted out before he can begin.

The dream pivots with a brighter, more absurd omen: the singing pigs return, offering a second chance. This time, Bob’s frustration boils over and he grows in size and power, turning into a muscular figure who charges into a boss’s office. He wrestles with the room’s defenses, hurling the boss against a wall in a moment of chaotic bravura. But even this displays of force don’t win him a job; the enraged boss grabs him, ejects him, and even a nearby elevator crash becomes part of the mishap-laden audition process. The pigs circle back for a final reboot, and the next boss simply shouts “Next!” Bob enters with a bizarre outfit—an assortment of attached instruments—only to trigger a trap door that swallows the scene into sudden darkness.

Cast out onto the streets, Bob lands in a trash can and is taunted by a gang of street cats who mock his failed quest for employment. The taunts cut through the dream’s haze as Bob’s emotions spiral, and he lets out a scream that echoes through the street. Then, abruptly, he wakes: the TV is still blinking, the room is quiet, and the phone rings. A call from his father brings unexpected good news—he’s got the job—and the cartoon closes on a note of relief and renewed possibility, a quiet reminder that sometimes reality offers a brighter ending than dreams.

This short, playful journey blends slapstick misfortune with a touch of dream logic, following Bob Dog’s stubborn optimism as it bangs against a stubborn job market. Throughout, the voice work helps give the world its quirky heartbeat, while the dream sequences push the humor in wild, visual directions, only to land back in the comforting, practical triumph of real life.