In January, it will have already been two years since Heath Ledger died. And as much as the world continues to miss him, that loss is eased somewhat by the continued unveiling of Ledger’s latter-day projects. Last summer, we were treated to a little film called The Dark Knight, which won Ledger a much-deserved posthumous Oscar.

This fall, we will get to see his final film, the Terry Gilliam-directed The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (also starring Tom Waits), which finds Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell assuming Ledger’s role for the scenes left unfinished at the time of his demise.

But, in even more exciting news, today has seen the belated release of “King Rat”, an animated music video Ledger directed for indie darlings/smart-asses Modest Mouse. Completed in collaboration with LA’s THE MASSES, the video’s release is timed to coincide with Modest Mouse’s new EP No One’s First and You’re Next. The EP contains newly recorded songs from the We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank and Good News for People Who Love Bad News sessions, as well as two rare b-sides.

In addition to being entertaining, the video has a conservationist bent. According to THE MASSES:

Proceeds from iTunes video downloads in the first month of release will go toward Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization organization committed to ending the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species. Sea Shepherd uses direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. We encourage you to visit their site if you are compelled to make a larger donation or volunteer your time.

We’ve got the video for “King Rat” after the jump. Continue reading →