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Gertie the Dinosaur
Winsor McCay created Gertie the Dinosaur, he created this iconic cartoon in the hopes to prove to people that animated characters could entertain an audience without a sales pitch. Further down the road Winsor was given the title "The Father of American Cartoons". Gertie the Dinosaur Video
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Felix the Cat
Otto Messmer created this legendary cartoon based upon silent film star Charlie Chaplin. This animated film was wildly popular in america and other countries around the world. It was so popular the Queen of England at the time named her cat Felix.
Felix the Cat Video
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Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
Ub Lwerks was the creator of Oswald, which later became the iconic Mickey Mouse. Lwerks was actually Walt Disney's right hand man when it came to animation. Oswald made cartoons more kid friendly which opened up a whole new market.
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Video
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Steamboat Willie
Walt Disney's breakthrough came when he released Steamboat Willie. It was the first animation with talking and even though Willie did not say much it still captivated the audience.
Steamboat Willie Video
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Audiences Continue to Effect Cartoons
In 1930 Max Fleischer (creator of Popeye) created a character named Betty Boop, she was known for her lack of clothing and sex appeal in a cartoon. For the first time ever Hays Office forced Max to censor Betty's outfit due to audience complaints.
Betty Boop Evolution Video
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Marketing Affects on Mickey
Even though cartoons were still being primarily made for adults the marketing side of things pressured Walt to make Mickey Mouse a all around "Mr. Nice Guy". Later on the hot tempered Donald Duck replaced the naughty side of Mickey Mouse.
Naughty Mickey Mouse Video
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Looney Tunes
A dynamic group of animators had a different view of cartoons and embraced the imaginative bashfulness cartoons could have. Warner Brothers gave the cartoons the name "Looney Tunes" because of their "looney" ideas and imagination.
Looney Tunes Video
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Disney Sued
In 1941 Disney workers were cramming to finish Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. Many workers worked countless hours with the promise of a bonus, after the movie aired Walt went back on his promise and didn't give bonuses. After the law suit animators were given on screen credit and received double wages for 40 hour work weeks.
Disney Sued Video
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