The history of the cartoon universe: Bimbo's Initiation (1931)

Not really Kafkaesque, even if the long shot at 1:15 prefigures Welles's version of The Trial. In The Trial, the world is against Josef K. because that's just how the world is; here, the world is against Bimbo because it's fun to scare the crap out of that poor dog, and to smack his ass over and over again. Or maybe it's the knowing that's the pleasure: the same cognisance of undistributed information that lets secret societies and dramatic ironists giggle at the bewildered. Of course, the other difference between Kafka and Grim Natwick is that the latter eventually lets Bimbo in on the secret, leading to a happier ending (in Bimbo's view) than Kafka could've dreamed of. Best bit is at 3:00, when Bimbo, after failing to extinguish the anthropomorphic flames burning the rope suspending spikes above his head, seems to finally crack and, eyelids twitching, suicidally cut the rope himself.

Other 1931 toons of note:

The Ugly Duckling: Disney's starting to over-emphasise cuteness, but the editing in the rescue sequence is worthy of Griffith.

The Birthday Party: Mickey's turned petit bourgeois -- no more prison breaks or unskilled labouring. He even plays his music on instruments now (instead of torturing animals like he used to), like a rollicking piano duet of "I Can't Give You Anything but Love" with Minnie.

Spooks: Yup, Ub can still draw skeletons.

Kitty from Kansas City: Miss Boop takes a train to the station at Rudy Valley, and guess who turns up to sing about his bird-brained overweight love? Pro forma Fleischers, but historically fascinating.

Lady, Play Your Mandolin: The first of the Merrie Melodies. Very derivative of the Silly Symphonies, and even the drunken ersatz Mickey isn't terribly amusing until he does his Jolson impression, but it's interesting to see where Warners started from.