# animate! › Films › Cowboys by Phil Mulloy › all › synopses › direction & collaboration › full production credits › film stills › tools & processes › format & distribution › background material Canonical: https://animate.org.uk/films/cowboys/all Discovery terms: 1990s animation, hand-drawn animation, brush and ink, conformity, violence, social values, satire, western, filmmaker, animator The following is the archived page text; discovery terms above are separately sourced metadata. Archive status: restored in 2026; historical calls, deadlines and services are closed. --- **Cowboys** a film by Phil Mulloy 1991, 18 min [watch this film ›](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA29BF36AB6DE76B7) ![Cowboys, still: *That’s Nothin’*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys23.jpg) *That’s Nothin’* ### animate! synopsis Grotesque Wild West goes vaudeville. Prairie tales in stark, dark ink to outrage and illuminate. Six 3-minute episodes: **Slim Pickin’s** – poor ole’ Josh finds he’s the victim of false promises. **That’s Nothin’** – a few of the boys get together in the saloon. **Murder!** – an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The silent majority get their way. **High Noon** – Clint and Chuck face each other out in the final showdown. **The Conformist** – “If you want to fit in around here, you best do what’s expected of yer.” **Outrage** – The whole of Joseville is disgusted by the behaviour of their young folk. ### long synopsis A series of six, three-minute films which comment on contemporary values through a reinterpretation of the myths of the old Wild West. Mulloy’s witty and acerbic fables, drawn in brush and ink, contain scenes calculated to outrage horses. Six 3-minute episodes: **Slim Pickin’s** – poor ole’ Josh finds he’s the victim of false promises. **That’s Nothin’** – a few of the boys get together in the saloon. **Murder!** – an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The silent majority get their way. **High Noon** – Clint and Chuck face each other out in the final showdown. **The Conformist** – “If you want to fit in around here, you best do what’s expected of yer.” **Outrage** – The whole of Joseville is disgusted by the behaviour of their young folk. ### key credits **director** Phil Mulloy **music** Alex Balanescu Keith Tippett ### Phil Mulloy #### company name Spectre Films ### animate! films by this artist [Cowboys](https://animate.org.uk/films/cowboys/) [Season's Greetings](https://animate.org.uk/films/seasonsgreetings/) #### artist’s website [Phil Mulloy](https://web.archive.org/web/20070104153656/http://www.philmulloy.com/) Phil’s website ### a film by Phil Mulloy ### direction **director** Phil Mulloy ### sound personnel **music** Alex Balanescu Keith Tippett © Phil Mulloy 1991 [![Cowboys, still: *Slim Pickin’s*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys01.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys01.jpg) **Slim Pickin’s** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *Slim Pickin’s*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys02.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys02.jpg) **Slim Pickin’s** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *Slim Pickin’s*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys03.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys03.jpg) **Slim Pickin’s** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *Slim Pickin’s*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys04.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys04.jpg) **Slim Pickin’s** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *Slim Pickin’s*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys05.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys05.jpg) **Slim Pickin’s** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *Slim Pickin’s*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys06.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys06.jpg) **Slim Pickin’s** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *Slim Pickin’s*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys07.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys07.jpg) **Slim Pickin’s** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *That’s Nothin’*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys08.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys08.jpg) **That’s Nothin’** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *That’s Nothin’*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys09.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys09.jpg) **That’s Nothin’** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *That’s Nothin’*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys10.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys10.jpg) **That’s Nothin’** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *That’s Nothin’*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys11.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys11.jpg) **That’s Nothin’** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *That’s Nothin’*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys12.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys12.jpg) **That’s Nothin’** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *That’s Nothin’*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys13.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys13.jpg) **That’s Nothin’** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *That’s Nothin’*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys14.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys14.jpg) **That’s Nothin’** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *That’s Nothin’*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys15.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys15.jpg) **That’s Nothin’** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *That’s Nothin’*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys16.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys16.jpg) **That’s Nothin’** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *That’s Nothin’*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys17.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys17.jpg) **That’s Nothin’** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *That’s Nothin’*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys18.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys18.jpg) **That’s Nothin’** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *That’s Nothin’*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys19.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys19.jpg) **That’s Nothin’** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *That’s Nothin’*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys20.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys20.jpg) **That’s Nothin’** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *That’s Nothin’*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys21.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys21.jpg) **That’s Nothin’** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *That’s Nothin’*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys22.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys22.jpg) **That’s Nothin’** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *That’s Nothin’*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys23.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys23.jpg) **That’s Nothin’** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys24.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys24.jpg) **Murder!** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys25.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys25.jpg) **Murder!** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys26.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys26.jpg) **Murder!** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys27.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys27.jpg) **Murder!** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys28.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys28.jpg) **Murder!** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys29.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys29.jpg) **Murder!** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys30.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys30.jpg) **Murder!** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys31.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys31.jpg) **Murder!** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys32.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys32.jpg) **Murder!** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys33.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys33.jpg) **Murder!** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys34.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys34.jpg) **Murder!** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys35.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys35.jpg) **Murder!** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys36.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys36.jpg) **Murder!** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys37.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys37.jpg) **Murder!** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys38.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys38.jpg) **Murder!** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *High Noon*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys39.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys39.jpg) **High Noon** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *High Noon*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys40.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys40.jpg) **High Noon** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *High Noon*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys41.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys41.jpg) **High Noon** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still: *The Conformist*](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys42.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys42.jpg) **The Conformist** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys43.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys43.jpg) **Outrage** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys44.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys44.jpg) **Outrage** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys45.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys45.jpg) **Outrage** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys46.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys46.jpg) **Outrage** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys47.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys47.jpg) **Outrage** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys48.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys48.jpg) **Outrage** - *click on image for full size still* [![Cowboys, still](https://animate.org.uk/stillslarge/cowboys49.jpg)](https://animate.org.uk/stillsfull/cowboys49.jpg) **Outrage** - *click on image for full size still* ### master copy format **format** 35mm **colour or black & white** colour ### video distribution format **video format** BetaSP **screen aspect ratio** 4:3 **video standard** PAL **sound type** stereo ### film distribution format **film format** 35mm **screen aspect ratio** 1:1.33 ### distributor LUX [info@lux.org.uk](mailto:info@lux.org.uk) +44 (0)20 7503 3980 [www.lux.org.uk](http://www.lux.org.uk/) **Cowboys** film, stills and other materials © Phil Mulloy 1991