The Toyes – Animated Music Video & Website Illustrations for “Smoke Two Joints”

I had the pleasure of collaborating with legendary reggae-rock band The Toyes to bring their cult classic “Smoke Two Joints” to life through a fully animated music video and a suite of original illustrations for their official website.

View behind the scenes in Adobe Flash Animation software where Ian David Marsden is animating his character designs for the Toyes "Smoke Two Joints" music video. — The image shows a digital animation software interface displaying a cartoon scene of anthropomorphic trees smoking. In the background, a forest is visible, and above the trees, there is an alien in a UFO. Various tool panels and a timeline are present in the software interface.

More Animation and Motion Graphics here

About the Song: A Cult Anthem with Counterculture Roots

“Smoke Two Joints” was originally written and recorded in 1983 by The Toyes, a reggae group formed in Waikiki, Hawaii. The song became a counterculture anthem and was later popularized even further when covered by Sublime in the 1990s. With its laid-back beat and humorous yet pointed lyrics about cannabis use, it remains a staple of stoner rock and reggae playlists to this day.

Watch the Animation & Behind-the-Scenes

Here’s a short video showing highlights from the animated music video as well as a peek behind the scenes of the animation process inside Flash:

Character Design & Cartoon Illustrations of the Band

Flash animation software showing character rigging and cartoon illustrations of The Toyes band members, animated by Ian David Marsden

Although often misattributed to Bob Marley or Sublime, it was in fact The Toyes’ original creation — making this animation project all the more meaningful as a tribute to the authentic source of the song.

Website screenshot for band "The Toyes," featuring music, tour info, and colorful illustrations and graphics designed by Ian David Marsden — The image is a screenshot of a website for the band “The Toyes.” The page features colorful graphics with peace and nature motifs. It includes sections labeled Home, Blog, Tour, Band, Photos, Videos, Music, Smoke 2 Joints, and Store. The main content is titled “My Green Doctor,” promoting an upcoming album. There are additional elements like an advertisement for “Anchovy Picnic” available on iTunes, social media links, mailing list subscription, and illustrations of characters.

I designed illustrated cartoon likenesses of each of the band members, capturing their unique personalities with a playful and colorful style that reflects the band’s offbeat, satirical tone. These characters served as the core cast of the animated video, performing on stage, traveling through surreal landscapes, and interacting with an array of animated creatures.

Aliens, UFOs & Dancing Trees – World-Building in Animation

In addition to the main band characters, I developed a full ensemble of secondary figures — including dancing cannabis trees, extraterrestrials in flying saucers, and other visual gags that match the song’s whimsical tone. Every element was designed, illustrated, and animated by hand using Adobe Flash (now Adobe Animate).

This kind of visual storytelling — blending traditional cartooning with Flash animation — allowed for a vibrant, high-energy video that complements the song’s irreverent spirit.

Website Illustrations for The Toyes

Alongside the music video, I also created a full suite of illustrations for the official Toyes website. Each song on their album was paired with a unique illustrated scene or character. These visuals enhanced the user experience and offered fans a richer connection to the band’s universe.

Project Credits

Client: The Toyes
Project: “Smoke Two Joints” Animated Music Video & Website Art
Services: Character Design, Illustration, 2D Animation, Website Illustration
Software: Adobe Flash (Animate), Photoshop
Art Direction, Animation, and Illustration: Ian David Marsden

For more examples of my animation and character design work, visit Logo & Character Design or Creative Direction & Animation.

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