by Alex Billington
April 27, 2026
Source: YouTube
“Avenge my death! Continue the bloodline! Yeah yeah!” A very creative, clever new animated short film to enjoy featured in Adult Swims’ “Smalls” series of short film creations. Wilem is a 10 minute short made by Blink Industries in the UK. The story follows a very “sensitive prince” named Wilem who lives in a brutal world with his extra tough family. He just wants to play video games all day and not go out and slay their enemies, but his dad has other plans. Animation Mag explains: “Wilem is the brainchild of London-based director James Papper, who first imagined this world a few years ago as a rough pencil sketch animatic that follows a bratty barbarian calling his dad after slaying a village.” It evolved into this final version at Blink Industries and is out via Adult Swim to watch now. Director Bárbara Oliveira adds: “I’m delighted to share with the world this sneak peek into Wilem’s chaotic family and kingdom. I hope you all enjoy watching it, even half as much as we enjoyed making it.” It’s always worth watching entirely original animation like this.
Thanks to Vimeo Staff Picks for the tip on this short. Here’s the original intro via Vimeo: “Wilem is the story of a sensitive prince, living in a brutal world. With the help of his friend he attempts to escape not only his royal duties, but also, his crazy family.” Wilem is an animated short film created & written by London-based director James Papper – view more of his work on his official site or follow him on IG @jamespapper. It’s co-directed by animation filmmakers James Papper and Bárbara Oliveira. Produced by Roxanne Sibilski & Molly Turner for Blink Industries (visit the official site). Featuring a sound mix by Charlie Pelling. Created within Adult Swim’s “Smalls” program – short form animated releases by up-and-coming creators around the world. Papper explains: “My ultimate aspiration is to develop this world into something I can build and share with friends so that going to work just feels like playtime.” Oliveira adds: “I’m delighted to share with the world this sneak peek into Wilem’s chaotic family and kingdom.” For more info on the film, visit James’ site or head to Vimeo. To discover more shorts (including animation), click here. Want to hang with Wilem?
