Animation Story: A Social History and Context of Cinematic Animation
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2023
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Animation Story: A Social History and Context of Cinematic Animation offers a comprehensive exploration of animation as both an artistic medium and a reflection of social, cultural, political, and technological change. Beginning with the origins of animation and the scientific principles behind perceived motion, the book traces the evolution of the medium through early optical devices, silent cinema, pioneering animators, and the development of film technology. It examines the contributions of influential studios and artists—including Disney, Fleischer, Warner Bros., MGM, Studio Ghibli, Pixar, DreamWorks, and many others—while highlighting the artistic innovations, technological breakthroughs, and historical events that shaped the animation industry.
The text also investigates animation's relationship with politics, propaganda, war, television, globalization, computer graphics, and contemporary digital media. Through discussions of European experimental animation, Japanese anime, stop-motion, CGI, and independent filmmaking, readers gain an understanding of how animation reflects changing cultural values and artistic movements across the world. Rich with historical examples, film analysis, discussion questions, and supplemental resources, Animation Story provides an in-depth introduction to the history, theory, and cultural significance of cinematic animation from its origins to the modern era.
Animation Story: A Social History and Context of Cinematic Animation
Introduction
0:1: The Origins of Animation
0:2: What is Animation?
0:3: Anima and Life Force Energy
0:4: The Persistence of Vision and Phi Phenomenon
0:5: Animation & Gestalt Psychology
Chapter One - The Birth of an Art Form
1:1: The History and Technological Advancement of Animation
1:2: Pre-Cinematic Devices: From 1825–1906
1:3: Émile Reynaud – Pauvre Pierrot (1892)
1:4: Near a Bathing Hut
1:5: A Short History of Photography
1:6: The Camera Obscura
1:7: The Photochemical Process
1:8: History of Film Technology
1:9: The Lumiere Brothers, the Cinématographe & the Birth of Cinema
1:10: George Melies and Special Effects
1:11: James Stewart Blackton and the Trick Film
1:12: Edison & the Birth of American Cinema
1:13: Matches Appeal and Stop-Motion Film
1:14: Ladislas Starewich & Early Russian Animation
1:15: The Tale of the Fox (1930)
1:16: The Frogs Who Wanted a King (1922)
1:17: Discussion Questions
Chapter Two – The Early Animation Industry
2:1: Hearst and the Comic Strip
2:2: Winsor McKay and the Art of 2D Animation
2:3: Winsor McCay and Gertie the Dinosaur
2:4: How a Mosquito Operates
2:5: Little Nemo in Slumberland
2:6: The Sinking of the Lusitania
2:7: Pioneers of the Early Animation Industry
2:8: J. R. Bray and Colonel Heeza Liar
2:9: Earl Hurd and Bobby Bumps
2:10: Willis O’Brien and Stop-Motion
2:11: Paul Terry & Terry Toons
2:12: Felix the Cat and Personality Animation
2:13: Discussion Questions
Chapter Three – Early European Animation
3:1: The German Avante-Garde and Animation
3:2: Germany and Experimental Art
3:3: Berthold Bartosch, French Expressionism & L’Idee (1931)
3:4: Abstract Animation
3:5: Hans Richter & Walter Ruttman
3:6: Oscar Fischinger
3:7: Visual Music in Abstract Animation
3:8: Len Lye & Cameraless Film
3:9: Rainbow Dance
3:10: The Seven Ravens: A Lost Animated Fairytale
3:11: Lotte Reiniger & Silhouette Animation
3:12: Reiniger’s The Ornament of the Lovestruck
3:13: Cinderella by Lotte Reiniger
3:14: The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)
3:15: Discussion Questions
Chapter Four - The Rise & Fall of the Fleischer Studios
4:1: The Emergence of Fleischer Studios
4:2: The Invention of Rotoscoping
4:3: Betty Boop the Superstar
4:4: Minnie the Moocher
4:5: Any Rags? and the Great Depression
4:6: The Old Man of the Mountain
4:7: Betty Boop in Red Hot Mamma
4:8: Betty Boop and the Production Code (Hays Code)
4:9: Dancing on the Moon
4:10: Somewhere in Dreamland
4:11: Popeye: A Working-Class Superhero
4:12: The Fleischer Strike of 1937
4:13: The Paramount Takeover
4:14: Gulliver’s Travels
4:15: Miami: Trouble in Paradise
4:16: The Second Feature Film - Mr. Bug Goes to Town
4:17: Superman and the End of the Studio
4:18: Discussion Questions
Chapter 5 – Disney and the Dream Factory
5:1: Walt and Beginning of Disney Studios
5:2: Origins of Mickey Mouse
5:3: Sound Technology in Cinema
5:4: Steamboat Willie and the Arrival of Sound
5:5: Experiments in Animation – The Silly Symphonies
5:6: UB Iwerks and Flip the Frog
5:7: Snow White and the Animated Feature Film Revolution
5:8: Pinnochio Gets Real
5:9: Bambi and the War
5:10: Unionism & the Disney Strike (1941)
5:11: Fantasia
5:12: Dumbo
5:13: Disney and War Propaganda
5:14: The Good Neighbor Policy in South America
5:15: Discussion Questions
Chapter 6 – Warner Brothers, MGM & the Golden Age of Extremes
6:1: Warner Brothers & Bosko
6:2: The Evolution of Looney Tunes
6:3: The Gag Formula & Merrie Melodies
6:4: The Warner Bros. Character Pantheon
6:5: The Creation of Bugs Bunny
6:6: Private Snafu & War Propaganda
6:7: Tokio Jokio & Racist War Weapons
6:8: The Other Toons
6:9: Warner Brothers Today
6:10: MGM, The Milky Way & Peace on Earth
6:11: William Hanna & Joseph Barbera
6:12: Tom & Jerry & Puss Gets the Boot
6:13: The Original Tom & Jerry
6:14: Animation + Racism
6:15: Chunk Jones & Tom and Jerry
6:16: Discussion Questions
Chapter 7 – Communism, the Cold War & Animation
7:1: Soviet Animated Propaganda
7:2: Montage Theory & Animation
7:3: Winnie the Pooh’s Adventures with Disney and Khitruk
7:4: From Propaganda to Poetry in Russian Animation
7:5: Cold War British Animation - John Hallas and Joy Bachelor
7:6: Animal Farm – The Case Study of Cold War Animation
7:7: Eastern European Animation: Czech Surrealism
7:8: Jiri Trnka and the Puppet Film
7:9: Surrealism & the Animation of Jan Svankmayer
7:10: Discussion Questions
Chapter 8 - From a Stylistic Revolution to Psychedelic Animation
8:1: Walter Lantz, Oswald and Confidence
8:2: Hell Bent for Election
8:3: The Invention of Television
8:4: Television Animation in the 1950s
8:5: The United Productions of America and Gerald McBoing Boing
8:6: The UPA and Modern Art
8:7: The UPA Films
8:8: Saturday Morning Television Cartoons
8:9: The Rise of the Hanna-Barbera Production Company
8:10: The Flintstones (1960) and the TV Sitcom
8:11: Sixties Counter Culture and Yellow Submarine
8:12: Psychedelic Animation After the Sixties - Fantastic Planet
8:13: Japanese Psychedelia and The Belladonna of Sadness
8:14: Ralph Bakshi and 1970s: From the Street to Fantasy Animation
8:15: Discussion Questions
Chapter 9 – Cable Television Animation and the 2-D Feature Renaissance
9:1: Don Bluth and the 2D Animation Renaissance
9:2: Richard Williams & The Thief and the Cobbler
9:3: The Serialized Television Cartoon
9:4: He-Man and Television Merchandising
9:5: The Simpsons and Family Guy
9:6: The Impact of Animation Cable Networks on the Television Industry
9:7: From Spongebob Squarepants to the Powerpuff Girls
9:8: Discussion Questions
Chapter 10 – Japanese Art Animation and the Rise of Anime
10:1: History of Japanese Animation
10:2: Anime and Context
10:3: Post War Japan and Animation
10:4: Akira and Tezuka
10:5: Anime Influences on Modern Western Cartoons
10:6: The Magical Girl Genre of Anime
10:7: History of Anime and Manga
10:8: The Development of Sunrise Studios
10:9: The Japanese Animation Industry
10:10: Hayao Miyazaki’s and Art Animation
10:11: Miyazaki and Politics
10:12: Female Characters in Miyazaki’s Animations
10:13: Shintoism and Japanese Folk-lore in the Films of Miyazaki
10:14: The Films of Studio Ghibli
10:15: Satoshi Kon: Work, and Themes
10:16: Contemporary Anime
10:17: Discussion Questions
Chapter 11 – Computer Animation and Pixar Studios
11:1: A Brief History of Computing
11:2: History of Digital Image-Making
11:3: A Partial History of Computer Animation Software
11:4: A Technical Development of Computer Graphics
11:5: Star Wars, ILM and Special Effects
11:6: A History of CGI in Animation
11:7: The Evolution of 3-D Rendering
11:8: Realism and Stylization in CG
11:9: Technical Problems in 3-D Animation
11:10: The Rise of Pixar and 3-D Animation
11:12: Pixar’s Wall-E
11:13: Economic Influences on Pixar Animation Studios
11:14: Hybrid and 2-D Animation
11:15: Discussion Questions
Chapter 12: Animation After Toy Story, DreamWorks and the New Studios
12:1: The Iron Giant and Brad Bird
12:2: Tim Burton and Expressionism in Animation
12:3: DreamWorks and Shrek
12:4: Blue Sky Studio
12:5: Aardman Studios and the Stop-Motion Resurgence
12:6: Irish Animation and Cartoon Saloon
12:7: The New Disney
12:8: Discussion Questions
13: Concluding the Animation Story
13:1: Summary
13:2: Disney and the Domination of an Industry
13:3: The New Hope of Independent Animation and the Web
14: Selected Bibliography
15: Selected Filmography
16: Appendices
Appendix 1 - The Motion Picture Production Code (MPPC or Hay’s Code) of 1930
Appendix 2 - Guide to Analyzing Film
Appendix 3 - Questions for Understanding Animation in its Social Context
Appendix 4 - Guide to Studying and Writing Essays
Appendix 5 - Television and Movie Ratings with Descriptions
Ph.D., visual arts, Keele University
M.A., art history, University of Leeds
B.A., fine art, Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education
Animation Story: A Social History and Context of Cinematic Animation offers a comprehensive exploration of animation as both an artistic medium and a reflection of social, cultural, political, and technological change. Beginning with the origins of animation and the scientific principles behind perceived motion, the book traces the evolution of the medium through early optical devices, silent cinema, pioneering animators, and the development of film technology. It examines the contributions of influential studios and artists—including Disney, Fleischer, Warner Bros., MGM, Studio Ghibli, Pixar, DreamWorks, and many others—while highlighting the artistic innovations, technological breakthroughs, and historical events that shaped the animation industry.
The text also investigates animation's relationship with politics, propaganda, war, television, globalization, computer graphics, and contemporary digital media. Through discussions of European experimental animation, Japanese anime, stop-motion, CGI, and independent filmmaking, readers gain an understanding of how animation reflects changing cultural values and artistic movements across the world. Rich with historical examples, film analysis, discussion questions, and supplemental resources, Animation Story provides an in-depth introduction to the history, theory, and cultural significance of cinematic animation from its origins to the modern era.
Animation Story: A Social History and Context of Cinematic Animation
Introduction
0:1: The Origins of Animation
0:2: What is Animation?
0:3: Anima and Life Force Energy
0:4: The Persistence of Vision and Phi Phenomenon
0:5: Animation & Gestalt Psychology
Chapter One - The Birth of an Art Form
1:1: The History and Technological Advancement of Animation
1:2: Pre-Cinematic Devices: From 1825–1906
1:3: Émile Reynaud – Pauvre Pierrot (1892)
1:4: Near a Bathing Hut
1:5: A Short History of Photography
1:6: The Camera Obscura
1:7: The Photochemical Process
1:8: History of Film Technology
1:9: The Lumiere Brothers, the Cinématographe & the Birth of Cinema
1:10: George Melies and Special Effects
1:11: James Stewart Blackton and the Trick Film
1:12: Edison & the Birth of American Cinema
1:13: Matches Appeal and Stop-Motion Film
1:14: Ladislas Starewich & Early Russian Animation
1:15: The Tale of the Fox (1930)
1:16: The Frogs Who Wanted a King (1922)
1:17: Discussion Questions
Chapter Two – The Early Animation Industry
2:1: Hearst and the Comic Strip
2:2: Winsor McKay and the Art of 2D Animation
2:3: Winsor McCay and Gertie the Dinosaur
2:4: How a Mosquito Operates
2:5: Little Nemo in Slumberland
2:6: The Sinking of the Lusitania
2:7: Pioneers of the Early Animation Industry
2:8: J. R. Bray and Colonel Heeza Liar
2:9: Earl Hurd and Bobby Bumps
2:10: Willis O’Brien and Stop-Motion
2:11: Paul Terry & Terry Toons
2:12: Felix the Cat and Personality Animation
2:13: Discussion Questions
Chapter Three – Early European Animation
3:1: The German Avante-Garde and Animation
3:2: Germany and Experimental Art
3:3: Berthold Bartosch, French Expressionism & L’Idee (1931)
3:4: Abstract Animation
3:5: Hans Richter & Walter Ruttman
3:6: Oscar Fischinger
3:7: Visual Music in Abstract Animation
3:8: Len Lye & Cameraless Film
3:9: Rainbow Dance
3:10: The Seven Ravens: A Lost Animated Fairytale
3:11: Lotte Reiniger & Silhouette Animation
3:12: Reiniger’s The Ornament of the Lovestruck
3:13: Cinderella by Lotte Reiniger
3:14: The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)
3:15: Discussion Questions
Chapter Four - The Rise & Fall of the Fleischer Studios
4:1: The Emergence of Fleischer Studios
4:2: The Invention of Rotoscoping
4:3: Betty Boop the Superstar
4:4: Minnie the Moocher
4:5: Any Rags? and the Great Depression
4:6: The Old Man of the Mountain
4:7: Betty Boop in Red Hot Mamma
4:8: Betty Boop and the Production Code (Hays Code)
4:9: Dancing on the Moon
4:10: Somewhere in Dreamland
4:11: Popeye: A Working-Class Superhero
4:12: The Fleischer Strike of 1937
4:13: The Paramount Takeover
4:14: Gulliver’s Travels
4:15: Miami: Trouble in Paradise
4:16: The Second Feature Film - Mr. Bug Goes to Town
4:17: Superman and the End of the Studio
4:18: Discussion Questions
Chapter 5 – Disney and the Dream Factory
5:1: Walt and Beginning of Disney Studios
5:2: Origins of Mickey Mouse
5:3: Sound Technology in Cinema
5:4: Steamboat Willie and the Arrival of Sound
5:5: Experiments in Animation – The Silly Symphonies
5:6: UB Iwerks and Flip the Frog
5:7: Snow White and the Animated Feature Film Revolution
5:8: Pinnochio Gets Real
5:9: Bambi and the War
5:10: Unionism & the Disney Strike (1941)
5:11: Fantasia
5:12: Dumbo
5:13: Disney and War Propaganda
5:14: The Good Neighbor Policy in South America
5:15: Discussion Questions
Chapter 6 – Warner Brothers, MGM & the Golden Age of Extremes
6:1: Warner Brothers & Bosko
6:2: The Evolution of Looney Tunes
6:3: The Gag Formula & Merrie Melodies
6:4: The Warner Bros. Character Pantheon
6:5: The Creation of Bugs Bunny
6:6: Private Snafu & War Propaganda
6:7: Tokio Jokio & Racist War Weapons
6:8: The Other Toons
6:9: Warner Brothers Today
6:10: MGM, The Milky Way & Peace on Earth
6:11: William Hanna & Joseph Barbera
6:12: Tom & Jerry & Puss Gets the Boot
6:13: The Original Tom & Jerry
6:14: Animation + Racism
6:15: Chunk Jones & Tom and Jerry
6:16: Discussion Questions
Chapter 7 – Communism, the Cold War & Animation
7:1: Soviet Animated Propaganda
7:2: Montage Theory & Animation
7:3: Winnie the Pooh’s Adventures with Disney and Khitruk
7:4: From Propaganda to Poetry in Russian Animation
7:5: Cold War British Animation - John Hallas and Joy Bachelor
7:6: Animal Farm – The Case Study of Cold War Animation
7:7: Eastern European Animation: Czech Surrealism
7:8: Jiri Trnka and the Puppet Film
7:9: Surrealism & the Animation of Jan Svankmayer
7:10: Discussion Questions
Chapter 8 - From a Stylistic Revolution to Psychedelic Animation
8:1: Walter Lantz, Oswald and Confidence
8:2: Hell Bent for Election
8:3: The Invention of Television
8:4: Television Animation in the 1950s
8:5: The United Productions of America and Gerald McBoing Boing
8:6: The UPA and Modern Art
8:7: The UPA Films
8:8: Saturday Morning Television Cartoons
8:9: The Rise of the Hanna-Barbera Production Company
8:10: The Flintstones (1960) and the TV Sitcom
8:11: Sixties Counter Culture and Yellow Submarine
8:12: Psychedelic Animation After the Sixties - Fantastic Planet
8:13: Japanese Psychedelia and The Belladonna of Sadness
8:14: Ralph Bakshi and 1970s: From the Street to Fantasy Animation
8:15: Discussion Questions
Chapter 9 – Cable Television Animation and the 2-D Feature Renaissance
9:1: Don Bluth and the 2D Animation Renaissance
9:2: Richard Williams & The Thief and the Cobbler
9:3: The Serialized Television Cartoon
9:4: He-Man and Television Merchandising
9:5: The Simpsons and Family Guy
9:6: The Impact of Animation Cable Networks on the Television Industry
9:7: From Spongebob Squarepants to the Powerpuff Girls
9:8: Discussion Questions
Chapter 10 – Japanese Art Animation and the Rise of Anime
10:1: History of Japanese Animation
10:2: Anime and Context
10:3: Post War Japan and Animation
10:4: Akira and Tezuka
10:5: Anime Influences on Modern Western Cartoons
10:6: The Magical Girl Genre of Anime
10:7: History of Anime and Manga
10:8: The Development of Sunrise Studios
10:9: The Japanese Animation Industry
10:10: Hayao Miyazaki’s and Art Animation
10:11: Miyazaki and Politics
10:12: Female Characters in Miyazaki’s Animations
10:13: Shintoism and Japanese Folk-lore in the Films of Miyazaki
10:14: The Films of Studio Ghibli
10:15: Satoshi Kon: Work, and Themes
10:16: Contemporary Anime
10:17: Discussion Questions
Chapter 11 – Computer Animation and Pixar Studios
11:1: A Brief History of Computing
11:2: History of Digital Image-Making
11:3: A Partial History of Computer Animation Software
11:4: A Technical Development of Computer Graphics
11:5: Star Wars, ILM and Special Effects
11:6: A History of CGI in Animation
11:7: The Evolution of 3-D Rendering
11:8: Realism and Stylization in CG
11:9: Technical Problems in 3-D Animation
11:10: The Rise of Pixar and 3-D Animation
11:12: Pixar’s Wall-E
11:13: Economic Influences on Pixar Animation Studios
11:14: Hybrid and 2-D Animation
11:15: Discussion Questions
Chapter 12: Animation After Toy Story, DreamWorks and the New Studios
12:1: The Iron Giant and Brad Bird
12:2: Tim Burton and Expressionism in Animation
12:3: DreamWorks and Shrek
12:4: Blue Sky Studio
12:5: Aardman Studios and the Stop-Motion Resurgence
12:6: Irish Animation and Cartoon Saloon
12:7: The New Disney
12:8: Discussion Questions
13: Concluding the Animation Story
13:1: Summary
13:2: Disney and the Domination of an Industry
13:3: The New Hope of Independent Animation and the Web
14: Selected Bibliography
15: Selected Filmography
16: Appendices
Appendix 1 - The Motion Picture Production Code (MPPC or Hay’s Code) of 1930
Appendix 2 - Guide to Analyzing Film
Appendix 3 - Questions for Understanding Animation in its Social Context
Appendix 4 - Guide to Studying and Writing Essays
Appendix 5 - Television and Movie Ratings with Descriptions
Ph.D., visual arts, Keele University
M.A., art history, University of Leeds
B.A., fine art, Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education