The answer to 'What came first--Koko or the egg?'

Ko-Ko Gets Egg-Cited (aka "Koko's Barnyard") (1926)
Starring: Max Fleischer
Director: Dave Fleischer
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

Ko-Ko tries to start an chicken farm that bridges the animated and physical world.

"Ko-Ko Gets Egg-Cited" is one of the most fascinating "Out of the Inkwell" installments, and it turns what passes for reality in this world where the cartoon characters cross back and forth easily between their two-dimension existence and our three-dimensional one completely on its head: Usually, it's the Animator (played by Max Fleischer) who brings Ko-Ko and his environment into existence, but here it's Ko-Ko who uses the ink pen to create the Animator (as well as the incubator which become the center of some stop-motion animation sequences in the film's second half).

The antics of Ko-Ko and his pet dog in the animated world are funny, but fairly standard for the series, but the scene where Ko-Ko woos a chicken to get her to lay eggs, and what eventually comes out of those eggs, is equal parts hilarious and horrifying. It's one of the many touches that makes this a must-see, as well as one of the most creative and wildest entries in the entire series. (I didn't think they'd be able to top destroying the world, but they did so with this one!)

Take a few minutes of your day to watch reality break down completely in this masterfully executed short film that mixes traditional animation with stop-motion animation and live-action footage.