King Rat (song)

During a boat trip with family and friends while on a visit to his native Australia in January 2007, actor Heath Ledger outlined a music video idea for the then unreleased song to frontman Isaac Brock and other band members.[2][3] Modest Mouse, who had befriended Ledger through their tour manager,[1] had been touring Australia at the time.[4]

The animated video which was "fully conceived down to the last detail but unfinished"[3] when Ledger died in January 2008, it was completed by members of Los Angeles art collective/production company The Masses, made up of Daniel Auber (co-director and illustrator), Norris Houk (lead animator), Jade Taglioli (animator) and Sara Cline (producer). Ledger, who had also been part of The Masses, received a director's credit. Earlier media reports[1][2][5] claiming that Terry Gilliam would handle the animation work did not prove to be true.[6][7]

The video debuted on 4 August 2009—the same day the EP No One's First and You're Next was released—on MySpace[8] and The Masses' website.[9]

Ledger, who was opposing "the illegal commercial whale hunts taking place off the coast of Australia each year," intended the video—which depicts whales poaching humans to make pet food - "to raise awareness on modern whaling practices."[3] Furthermore, proceeds from iTunes purchases of the song, in its first month on iTunes, were donated to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, who actively intervene with whale hunting.[10]

Side A: "King Rat" – 5:27
Side B: "Fire It Up" – 4:35