Art does one of a few things for me. It either puts me to sleep, excites my senses, or stimulates my mind. Generally, I’m hoping for the latter, yet few pieces of art really make me think. James Jean’s illustrations consistently set my imagination afire. ‘XOXO Hugs and Kisses’ from Chronicle Books is a tight postcard collection of his works which you can thumb through in a matter of minutes or get happily lost in for hours. If you’re inclined to share your art, you can even tear out the pages and mail them, exposing your friends and loved ones to a truly rare talent.

So many stories could be written from these illustrations. The forms are both realistic and fantastical, with colors brimming with bold life and deathly pallor, and elements screaming inspiration into all who take it in with an open mind. The price of admission to this visual feast: insanely affordable.

I think I must go draw.

Tekkon Kinkreet is possibly the deepest movie I’ve seen in years. Certainly, it is endowed with the most depth of any recent animated movie. You might think that I watch only Seth Rogan movies from those statements, but nothing could be further from reality. Tekkon Kinkreet simply transcends the depth of other shallow plot, fantasy movies while striding on equal footing with the best emotionally charged personal discovery movies in recent years. And it’s packed with action to boot.

The film asks the viewer to embrace their closest human relationships, deepest desires, nightmares and dreams, then look inside, and allow themselves to feel in ways that modern society teaches us to cover up, tuck away and never talk about.

The two main characters, Black and White, represent nearly every aspect of the human condition. White possesses an incredible strength in his innocence. He is joyful, hopeful, weak, needful, principled, and bursting with love and artistic expression, all of which make him beautiful. His naivety conceals a wisdom beyond his years. Black is protective, strong, aware, skilled, loving, and battling his inner demons to find himself as well as his and White’s place in the world. Black’s will to survive is greater than White’s because it has to be. There is a balance between them is as ironic as it is realistic.

The story is perhaps slightly fragmented in places, but not in a negative way. We can easily leap with it and move to the next scene without missing a beat. The dreamy, illustrative segues give pause for reflection before diving into the next scene. The soundtrack is simply astounding.

The animation is unique and surprising, much in the same manner as “The Triplets of Belleville.” I found myself thinking at the start, ‘These characters are so simplistic, how will I ever get into them?’ By the end, I just loved them. The background of the scenes is amazingly detailed, a feast for the eyes.

Watch with an open heart and look for the deeper meaning, and you can’t go wrong.