The History of Animation

By lc184653

  • First animated film

    Winsor McCay, in an attempt to show people the amount of opportunities animation can have, created the first animated film entitled "Gertie the Dinosaur"

  • Animations became Competition

    In the 1920s, Animation became more well-known, and that was proven when Otto Messmer created an animated cat, Master Tom, with a personality based off the notorious Charlie Chaplin. By 1923, Tom started selling in box offices at a rapid rate, becoming competition with both Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Fatty Arbuckle.

  • New Audience

    With the animation business skyrocketing, new audiences became a high interest to the industry. In 1937, Ub Iwerks and, the man we all associate animation with today, Walt Disney collaborated in making Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, gearing towards an adolescent demographic for the first time.

  • The Voice Behind the Man

    Walt, though earning recognition for previous accomplishments, wasn't the topic of every conversation until 1929, when he introduced the first talking animation, ending the silent-film era. Steamboat Willie, later known as child-favorite Mickey Mouse, never made a complete sentence in his debut, but his harmonious whistling had an impact on animation for many years to come.

  • Betty Boop Turns Heads

    In 1932, Max Fleischer completed the infamous Betty Boop, a seductive, garter-wearing flapper. For an nimation seeing a woman so in tune with her sexuality was taboo in conservative America, which is why she became the first censored animated character in 1934.

  • Mickey's America

    By 1935, Mickey Mouse became practically one of the staples in American culture. With animation going from exclusively adult-focused to gearing more towards children than anything, Mickey became the face on every child's toothbrush, bedsheets, watches, combs, pencils, and many more.

  • Strike!

    People at Disney were hard at work on 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" when they realized how late into the night they were working, as well as how little the payoff was. Walt claimed the revenue from the film would go to them as bonuses, but instead it went to a new studio he built in Burbank. In retaliation, Disney animators went on a 5 week strike. It was't until the White house, along with the FDR, came into the situation that the strike was over.

  • Disney's Gone Dark

    Rolling into the 1940's, Disney has been in the works for many new ideas. One of them being to include current events in their animations, and there as only one anyone could think of; World War 2. Satirical shorts became more and more popular, like Bugs Bunny selling ice cream with hand grenades hidden in them and other X-rated, racy topics. Although these shorts were made exclusively for American soldiers, it definitely raised some questions about their main demographic.

  • Branching Off

    As a result of the strike, many animators at Disney decided to go solo. This is where notable animators like Zachary Schwartz, David Hilberman, and Stephen Bosustow were brought into the spotlight. While Disney was striving towards a more soft and cuddly realism path, These independent artists strived for more angular, almost cold contemporary art.This is where classics like "The Flinstones" and "Tom and Jerry."

  • CGI Revolution

    CGI, or Computer Generated Images, started changing the way animators create their art. The classic drawing and stop-motion was replaced by the virtual modeling system CGI offered, making things easier, cleaner and more professional.

  • Fritz the Cat

    The animation industry is booming at this point, and many independent creators are releasing their own work. In 1964, Fritz the Cat, the first full-length adult (X-rated) film was released.

  • The Simpsons

    The award-winning TV show is a staple in animation today, and it has a plethora of accomplishments under its belt. It is the longest running American sitcom, longest running animation series, and as of 2009 it has surpassed Gunsmoke as the longest runningAmerican scripted primetime television series.

  • Toy Story Makes Memories

    In 1995, the first full-length computer-animated film "Toy Story' was released. It has become one of the most iconic movies of our generation, earning $350 million in box offices worldwide, making it the highest-grossing domestic film in 1995 and the third highest-grossing animation ever at the time of its release.