Web Animation / Tales of Zale

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Tales of Zale is a web animation series created by Sif Savery in collaboration with Nørlum ApS, currently comprising of four shorts and a television series pilot in the works, supported by a successful Kickstarter campaign in March 2026. In its released form it broadly depicts the exploits of the brave, adventurous fox Zale and his more timid owl companion Alba (or her introverted, but sassy counterpart Elva in the Webseries) in a post-apocalyptic Earth setting where humans are long gone but their infrastructural relics remain, reclaimed by vegetation and acting as a playground for the characters to explore.

Additional prominent characters include Sesam, Elva/Alba's younger brother, and Morpheus, the antagonistic cat who rules the urban ruins with his horde.

The first short can only be found at its original Newgrounds link, the remaining ones are all available on Sif Savery's personal Youtube channel. The most recent short Flickering Lights, released in 2022, won Best Children's Film at the Frederikstad Animation Festival that year.

Trope with me and see:

• Adaptation Personality Change: This has happened for a few characters:
  • Elva is more Sassy and Introverted in the Webseries, whilst her Reboot Counterpart Alba is more Shy and Timid. Interestingly this has led the two to have quite different relationships with other characters around them. As Elva has been shown to be quite ballsy if her friends are endangered, seemingly challenging Morpheus to a fight near the end of Flickering Lights. Whilst Alba has been bullied by a gang of Magpies.
  • Sesam is less of an Annoying Brat like he is in the Webseries, and is closer to an innocent Cloudcuckoolander
• All-Loving Hero: Zale greets pretty much everyone he meets with a cheerful, welcoming demeanor, even the antagonistic cat Morpheus.
• Alternate Continuity: There generally seem to be 3 continuities for Tales of Zale:
  • The original Pilot, which is on newgrounds. And has concept art for characters who never appeared in animation form such as Snowdrop the Arctic Fox and Ace the Swallow.
  • The Webseries, which ended officially with the Flickering Lights Short Film.
  • The Reboot/TV Show, which is the current version of the series.
• Annoying Younger Sibling: Sesam is Alba/Elva's younger brother, and acts quite bratty towards her.
• Award-Bait Song: "Lose Her" plays in the final scenes of Flickering Lights and into the credits.
• Cats Are Mean: Morpheus and his servants are the only cats seen so far, and are portrayed as creepy and antagonistic.
• Cosy Catastrophe: Humans are gone but their abandoned buildings and cars remain, and it's all rife for fooling around with for our heroes.
• Desolation Shot: Episode 1 of the web series opens with Zale coming to in a burned-out forest and the "camera" panning over the remains.
• Dramatic Thunder: The climax of Flickering Lights occurs in a severe thunderstorm, which even starts a forest fire in the distance for extra intensity.
• Evil Sounds Deep: Morpheus is the only clear antagonist as of now, and he has a deep, menacing voice to fit.
• Friendship Moment: Flickering Lights - In Zale's moment of existential despair in the middle of a thunderstorm, Elva holds her wing over him like an umbrella and insists to him that he is not alone. Zale proceeds to collapse into her chest, and they share a prolonged embrace.
• Ghostly Animals: There is a White Rabbit which is seemingly working alongside Morpheus within the Webseries continuity, and a Ghostly Fox that later signals the Bison known as Bruhn to follow it as the traffic light he's waiting at turns green.
  • ​interestingly, Bruhn also becomes one of these Ghostly Animals too. As he joins a herd of Ghostly Bison as he's passing on
• Hidden Depths: Although Zale typically puts on the air of unbridled positivity, the Flickering Lights short indicates he is also deeply lonely and missing the presence of a guiding figure in his life.
• Humanity's Wake: The setting is described as having been "left behind by humans", and every character seen so far is a talking animal, with the main characters having no idea what creatures made the buildings seen.
• Innocent Blue Eyes: Zale's eyes are bright blue, fitting his cheerful, fun-loving personality.
• Montage Out: With Zale and Elva's arcs concluded, Flickering Lights ends with a montage of Morpheus, Sesam, and Bruhn's whereabouts as the song "Lose Her" plays.
• Off-into-the-Distance Ending: Flickering Lights - Bruhn (The Bison) waits for a derelict human traffic light to turn from red to green. It eventually does, signaling he can pass on to an ambiguous new realm. At that point the traffic light shuts off completely.
• Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: Zale is a fearless adventurer using the persona to cover for deep loneliness, Alba is his naggy tagalong covering for her insecurities in being a role model to her parents and brother, Sesam is her hotheaded brother covering for frustration with his physical limitations.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Zale is the Red Oni, being an energetic and adventurous fox who gets into trouble, while Alba/Elva is the Blue Oni, often trying to get Zale to think about his reckless behavior.
• Running Gag: In Flickering Lights and new series promo, Sesam develops a habit of violently hitting Alba and Zale in the head in his ill-fated attempts to fly.
• Ship Tease: The canonical consensus leans towards interpreting Zale and Alba/Elva as Platonic Shipping, though the ending of Flickering Lights with their prolonged embrace and subtle flirting can be read more intimately, along with creator-endorsed merchandising motifs like this one.
• You Are Not Alone: Said verbatim by Elva to Zale near the end of Flickering Lights, which consequently results in the Friendship Moment stated above.