Inside Bitsville: Dale Crosby-Close’s eccentric new comedy world

A year on from first making waves with his surreal, deadpan shorts, the Sheffield animator is back with a new series that expands his eccentric universe into full 10-minute episodes. We explore how he’s building a comedy empire, one bizarre character and tangent-filled conversation at a time.

It’s just over a year since we first met the Sheffield-based animator Dale Crosby-Close. Back then, he was transitioning from freelance illustration and animation work to become a YouTube / Instagram content creator with his short films, which are driven by surreal characters and dialogue, mixed with a charming simplicity.

Now, he’s released Bitsville – a series of longer animations, infused with the same humour, which is already expanding his fan base. “It’s the animated series I’ve been working on, taking the short bits that I’ve been making the last year or so, and turning them into a living, breathing world, 10-minute episodes set in the newly born town of Bitsville,” explains animator Dale Crosby-Close. “There’s a vague narrative structure, but currently it’s supposed to be a sort of snapshot of what’s been going on in the town, though who knows what episode seven might look like?”

The naïve, minimalist, handmade style of Dale’s drawings belies its entertainment potential. For instance, while the characters may lack detail, their odd expressions – or sometimes lack of expressions – put the focus on the clever wordplay, lending to the deadpan delivery. Often, only the mouths move, though the conversations skip from tangent to tangent, leaving you constantly amused and bemused.

So, the world of Dean Dean, son of Dean and the Skool of Naughty Legends crew, is expanding. At the time of writing, two episodes have been released on YouTube, with Dale eager to introduce new characters as Bitsville progresses.

“There’s going to be a fortune teller called Looky Here who rarely hits the nail on the head, The Impressionable Language Boys who are constantly picking up new phrases and things to say, the construction workers that talk of bunny rabbits and business conglomerates, all sorts really,” says Dale.

The foundations for the show lie in Dale’s extensive catalogue of shorts, which are typically just a minute or two long, if that. In many cases, these are woven together to create Bitsville’s longer 10-minute episodes. Existing fans will see their favourite bizarre exchanges repeated, but in a world that Dale hopes will be more cohesive and connected. Subplots, hidden jokes, and references will unfold, maintaining continuity with what has already been established.

This is also a more collaborative effort. Dale has reached out to like-minded creatives via Instagram, who’ve pitched in – for example, assisting with storyboards and organisation. Not to mention encouragement. “Down the line, it would be cool to get cameos from celebs and other people who may want to get involved – Keanu Reeves, if you’re watching, please email me right now – as well as episodes focused on certain characters, holiday episodes, there’s a lot to explore,” says Dale.

The animations are developed in Adobe Animate, using a marker-like pen tool to draw vector lines that are put in motion frame by frame. The audio is handled in Ableton with an sE Electronics 4400 mic, and the final edits brought together in Adobe Premiere.

What’s changed since Dale first started creating Dale’s bits? “I’d say I’m a lot more confident in knowing what I want to do and say. If last year was about finding myself, this year is about growth, taking those same ideas and turning them into something more, seeing what is possible, refining and using what I’ve learnt to push myself creatively to create bigger, cooler stuff, the stuff I’ve always wanted to make.”

Having given up freelance illustration and animation, Dale has thrown himself at the mercy of his audience. He believes that for a content creator to find success, they must go all-in and create what they love, rather than trying to follow what might be popular. That passion seems to be paying off for him. He has a merchandise range and is hoping to connect with brands that appreciate the humour.

“Maybe they want a character eating one of their freshly caught yoghurts, maybe a quick humorous billboard showing their new shoes in a transition, a balloon with their brand name on it, or maybe they want a shop within the town that a character visits, who knows?” says Dale.

“I think it can be done in a fun way that isn’t subtle, and pokes a bit of fun at product placement, whilst also being product placement, if you know what I mean?”