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An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn (or produced with computers to look something like something hand-drawn) film for the films, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot (even if it is a very short one).
Animation itself may be described as the rapid showing of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D art or model positions in order to construct the illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and may be developed and demonstrated in assorted ways.
It is difficult to believe but the very earliest instances of attempts to capture the impression of motion by drawing may be came across in Paleolithic cave paintings. Here animals are depicted with multiple legs in superimposed positions, distinctly attempting to convey the sensing of motion.
Further examples may be seen on an earthenware bowl more than 5,000 years old from Persia and an Egyptian mural of wrestlers in action, which is approximately 4,000 years old.
However these examples can not genuinely be described as animation as there was no means of making the objects actually move.
The basi mechanical widgets designed to provide the illusion of motion were invented for children’s amusement or as amusement at private parties. These included the zoetrope, magic lantern, praxinoscope, thaumatrope, phenakistoscope, and flip book.
Charles-Emile Reynaud formulated the basi animated film in 1892 while he exhibited an animated film consisting of loops of around 500 frames. This film is likewise great as the introductory known instance of film perforations being used. His films were not photographed, but drawn directly onto the transparent strip.
However the firstborn film which may veritably be called an animated cartoon was ‘Humorous Phases of Funny Faces’ produced by J. Stuart Blackton in 1906. It features a cartoonist drawing faces on a chalkboard, and the faces seemingly coming to life.
One of the very basi successful animated cartoons was “Gertie the Dinosaur” (1914) by Winsor McCay. It is considered the original instance of unfeigned reputation animation.
All the main movie studios employed animated cartoons of 5 to 10 minute lengths as “fillers” before the main film was shown for the duration of the time of the 1930s to the 1960s.Theatrical cartoons were in big numbers and MGM, Disney, Paramount and Warner Brothers were the greatest studios formulating these 5 to 10-minute “shorts”. However the ever blossomingh popularity of TV and the subsequent decline in cinema going has meant that today most animated cartoons are invented for television.
The most famous animated cartoon reputation of all is no doubt Mickey Mouse who was introduced to the world by Walt Disney in May 1928 in Plane Crazy but likewise starred numerous six months later in the introductory animated cartoon with sound – ‘Steamboat Willie’. Incidentally, Mickey was in the first place christened Mortimer Mouse until Walt Disney’s wife persuaded him to make the transformation.
Mickey Mouse, predated by another cartoon animal called Felix The Cat, made his introductory aspect in 1919. However another all time favourite cartoon series Tom and Jerry had to wait until 1931 to put in an appearance. All these characters and a great deal of more have long since made the transition from movies to television where, no doubt, they will be seen for a good deal of years to come.
Mice Magic American Animated Cartoons
Film historian Leonard Maltin recreates a whole era of Hollywood cartoons, from Betty Boop to Spielberg’s “An American Tail”. It also brings the reader up to date on the progressed work of Walt Disney and the Warner Bros studio, plus new developments in animation. The book includes a filmography of cartoons and roots for video rental.
Mice Magic American Animated Cartoons Image
Mice Magic American Animated Cartoons Image
Mice Magic American Animated Cartoons Image
Mice Magic American Animated Cartoons Image
The original “serious” scholarly history of cartoons
This is the book that turned me on to animated films. Well-known movie critic and buff Leonard Maltin wrote the third great book on American animated cartoons (the firstborn two being “The Art of Walt Disney” and “Tex Avery: King of Cartoons”), and he gives us a look at all of the great cartoons of old, from Betty Boop and Koko the Clown through the eras of Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Mister Magoo, and even Fritz the Cat. His book is more or less out of date now, as this book was published in 1985. Three years later, 1988 proved to be a watershed year in animation with the rebirth of Disney animation in “The Little Mermaid,” while “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” made it okay for adults to receive pleasure from cartoons. (Disney’s “Duck Tales” also led the way to a new beginning of quality animation for TV, leaving the shoddy kiddie toy syndication fodder in the dust…almost.) The years following these animation landmarks opened the gates to a flood of terrific cartoons that Maltin’s book doesn’t cover, including Spielberg’s “Tiny Toons” and “Animaniacs;” Disney’s “Toy Story;” the mainstream popularization of Japanese animation; quality children’s cartoons with “Rugrats,” “Bobby’s World,” and “Doug;” Warner Bros.’ animated “Batman” and “Superman;” animation aimed at older audiences with “The Simpsons” and “South Park;” and so much more. The the animation renaissance of the past dozen years or so has brought a new rebirth to the animation industry…and in fact, the definitive book on the new era of animation hasn’t been written yet. But the cartoons of the Golden Age are widely available, and indeed, they are still broadcast on TV each day, more than fifty years after such outstanding live-action contemporaries as Bogart, Cagney, and so a good deal of others have passed into the archives of movie history. Maltin’s book is an exceptional, delightful look into an innocent era of animation that has at long last taken it is lawful place in film history.
The history of cartoons (to the 1980s)
When I think of the history of animation, I tend to divide things into three periods: The Golden Age, brought up for early Warner Brothers cartoons and the classic Disney movies such as Snow White and Fantasia; The Age of Mediocrity, where ability to create seemed to reach it is nadir, as seen most notably in the bland Hanna Barbera cartoons; and the Modern Era, with the resurgence in cartoon creativity, which, starting with The Little Mermaid in the movies and the Simpsons on TV, animation reached a new level of popularity and respectability. Leonard Maltin’s book, Of Mice and Magic, shows that my own view of cartoon history is roughly rectify but also overly simple: there was a great deal of mediocrity in the Golden Age and a great deal of decent stuff in the Age of Mediocrity.
A book that changed my life — really!
I basi encountered this book years ago when I was a young motion picture projectionist at a little theatre in Iowa. We could never afford the top-shelf cartoons to run before our features, so we ran obscure old Krazy Kat cartoons and the like. Maltin’s book offered the best description yet available on the importance of these early films and their place in animation history.
Moreso, it contained a chapter on the Ub Iwerks Studio. I never actually knew much when it comes to old Ub until we happened to get one of his gorgeous Comicolor Classic cartoons (Jack and the Beanstalk) in place of the ordinary Krazy Kats. I of course went to “Of Mice and Magic” to find out more and whetted my appetite to learn more when it comes to this forgotten genius.
Decades later, my youthful interest turned into a full-time pursuit. My biography of Ub Iwerks, “The Hand Behind the Mouse” (ISBN: 0786853204) co-written with Ub’s granddaughter Leslie, is now available. Ironically, (or not so) Mr. Leonard Maltin kindly wrote the introduction for our book, therefore bringing my foray into animation history full circle. I have always considered Maltin to be like an Old Testament prophet in the field of animation history. “Of Mice and Magic” is still the finest animation book ever written — which is saying alot (there are a great deal of outstanding ones — ours included.) For any person who loves animation and the world of cartoons, this is THE necessary book and my life has been so much richer because of it.
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