Night on Bald Mountain (1933)
Filed under: animation, Pinscreen
"The very first pinscreen animation, Night on Bald Mountain is set to Mussorsgky's work of the same name. It features an eerie play of shadows and animal forms, merging the pastoral with the terrifying monstrosity of the mountain and the witches' Sabb..."
Nikolai Khodataev
Filed under: people, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, Propaganda, Russia, Stop Motion, Animator, Artist, Writer
"Born in the village of Konstantinovsk in 1892, the son of a wealthy tsarist official, Nikolai Khodataev took painting lessons in his youth, eventually enrolling in the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, at the age of twenty. In ..."
Oliver Wallace
Filed under: people, 1940s, 1950s, Early Sound, U.S.A., Walt Disney, Walt Disney Studios, Composer
"Born in England, Wallace studied music widely, in London as well as in Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. First relocating to Canada in 1904, Oliver eventually settled in the United States, becoming a citizen 10 years later in 1914. After compl..."
Oswald – All Wet
Filed under: animation, 1920s, Oswald, Silent, U.S.A., Universal Studios, 1927
Producer(s): Charles Mintz, George Winkler
Release Date: 31/10/1927
"Oswald has a hotdog stand that is plagued by mice. He closes the stand to pursue Fanny romantically. After Fanny rejects Oswald's advances, he bribes a lifeguard to let him take over in order that Oswald can impress Fanny. After Fanny notices Oswald ..."
Ōten Shimokawa
Filed under: people, 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, Anime, Japan, Silent, Animator, Cartoonist, Illustrator
"Ōten Shimokawa was one of the pioneers of Japanese animation, who is believed to have produced the very first “true” anime film.Shimokawa was born in Maiyakojima Prefecture in 1892, though moved to Tokyo when we was 9. He began his working life..."
Otto Messmer
Filed under: people, 1910s, 1920s, Early Sound, Felix the Cat, Noveltoons, Pat Sullivan Cartoons, Silent, U.S.A.
"Messmer was a legendary American cartoonist and animator, who was best know as the creator of Felix the Cat, who is considered the first major cartoon star."
Out of the Inkwell Films/Fleischer Studios
Filed under: studio, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, Betty Boop, Betty Boop series, Color, Early Sound, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Koko the Clown, Musical, Paramount Pictures, Popeye, Rotoscope, Silent, Superman, Technicolor, U.S.A., 1921
"Out of the Inkwell Films, renamed Fleischer Studios in 1929, was founded by brothers- Dave and Max Fleischer, in 1921. The Fleischers' studio was one of the most influential and successful animation studios in the silent era as well as in the Golden ..."
Paramount Cartoon Studios/Famous Studios
Filed under: studio, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, Al Eugster, Animation Series, Baby Huey, Betty Boop, Carl Meyer, Cartoon Characters, Casper the Ghost, Color, Dave Fleischer, David Tendlar, Felix the Cat, Herman and Katnip, Howard Post, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Isadore Sparber, Jack Mercer, Koko the Clown, Little Audrey, Little Lulu, Max Fleischer, Noveltoons, Paramount Pictures, Popeye, Ralph Bakshi, Sam Buchwald, Seymour Kneitel, Shamus Culhane, Superman, Technicolor, Tom Johnson, U.S.A.
"Famous Studios, renamed Paramount Cartoon Studios in 1956, was the animation division of Paramount Pictures. The studio was formed in 1942 after Paramount took over Fleischer Studios in 1941, when the Fleischer brothers were not able to repay their..."
Patrick Anthony (Pat) Powers
Filed under: people, 1920s, 1930s, Early Sound, Iwerks Studio, Mickey Mouse, Silly Symphonies, Technicolor, U.S.A., Ub Iwerks, Universal Studios, Walt Disney, Walt Disney Studios, Businessman, President, Producer, Studio Head
"Pat Powers was an influential American businessman who was involved with the film and animation developments inAmericaduring the first part of the twentieth century. His most important development being the work of Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, who he b..."
Pigs is Pigs
Filed under: animation, 1930s, Color, Early Sound, Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies, U.S.A., Warner Bros., 1937
Producer(s): Leon Schlesinger
Release Date: 1937
"This 1937 Merrie Melodies short stereotypes pigs as gluttonous, insatiable beings whose mortal sins have explosive consequences. Piggy has a hunger that cannot be fulfilled, and much to the chagrin of his mother all he does throughout the day is fant..."
Popeye the Sailor
Filed under: animation, 1930s, Early Sound, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Paramount Pictures, Popeye, U.S.A., 1933
Producer(s): Max Fleischer
"This Popeye The Sailor cartoon features Betty Boop, as well as a live action intro featuring Popeye on the cover of a real newspaper. In this cartoon short Olive and Popeye go to the fun fare, and play games in attempt to win prizes, only to be usu..."
Popeye the Sailor: Seasin’s Greetinks!
Filed under: animation, 1930s, Dave Fleischer, Early Sound, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Max Fleischer, Musical, Popeye, U.S.A., 1933
Producer(s): Max Fleischer
Release Date: 17/12/1933
"Popeye and Olive Oyl go for a skate on a chilly winter day. Bluto tries to spoil their fun, but of course he's no match for Popeye and his spinach. "
Punch and Judy (1966)
Filed under: animation, Czech Republic, Krátký Film, Stop Motion
Rudy Ising
Filed under: people, Bosko, Early Sound, Looney Tunes, Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios, U.S.A., Walt Disney, Warner Bros., Animator
"Ising began his animation career first working for Walt Disney, and was the lifelong business partner of Hugh Harman, producing Oscar-winni..."
Sadie Friedlander Bodin
Filed under: people, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, Color, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, U.S.A., Van Beuren Corporation, Animation Supervisor, Animator, Background Artist, Colorist, Inker, Union Activist
"Sadie Bodin was an extremely influential animator, being the first to picket an animation studio during the fight for animation workers' rights in the 1930s. Bodin was also one of the few women animators to move up into managerial positions, becoming..."
School Days (1932)
Filed under: animation, 1930s, Early Sound, Flip the Frog, Iwerks Studio, U.S.A., Ub Iwerks
Release Date: 14/05/1932
"School Days features Flip trying to prevent his dog from coming to school with him. His dog eventually comes all the way to school, however, wreaking havoc in the classroom by chasing a skunk in. Everyone runs from the classroom, ending school early."
Seymour Kneitel
Filed under: people, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, Baby Huey, Betty Boop, Betty Boop series, Bray Productions, Casper the Ghost, Color, Dave Fleischer, Herman and Katnip, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Isadore Sparber, Koko the Clown, Max Fleischer, Noveltoons, Paramount Pictures, Popeye, Sam Buchwald, Seymour Kneitel, Superman, U.S.A., Animation Supervisor, Animator, Director, Executive Producer, Studio Head
"Seymour Kneitel was an early American animator, most well known for his work with Fleischer Studios. After the studio closed, he headed its successor, Famous Studios."
Shaman
Filed under: animation, 2010s, Canada, National Film Board of Canada, Painted Animation, 2017
Producer(s): Kat Baulu
Release Date: 2017
"An Inuk shaman turns a terrifying polar bear into stone."
Silly Scandals
Filed under: animation, 1930s, Betty Boop, Early Sound, U.S.A., 1931
Producer(s): Max Fleischer, Adolph Zukor
Release Date: 23/05/1931
"This cartoon marks the origin of Betty Boop (at least the name anyway, the character, or at least one with an uncanny resemblance, had appeared before). Bimbo sneaks into a vaudeville theater to see Betty perform. He is enthralled with her performanc..."
Sinkin’ In The Bathtub
Filed under: animation, 1930s, Early Sound, Leon Schlesinger Studios, Looney Tunes, U.S.A., Warner Bros., 1930
Producer(s): Leon Schlesinger
Release Date: 19/04/1930
"Both racist and a blatant ripoff of Mickey Mouse, this is the first Looney Tunes cartoon. It follows Bosko bathing and then having an adventure on a tiny anthropomorphic train, during this he courts Honey."
Space Ghost: “The Heat Thing”
Filed under: animation, 1960s, Animation Series, Bill Hanna, Color, Hanna-Barbera Studios, Joe Barbera, Space Ghost, U.S.A., 1966
Release Date: 10/09/1966
"Space Ghost imagines intergalactic adventures through the superhero Space Ghost and his sidekicks Jace and Jan, and their pet monkey Blip, who assist in keeping outer space free from trouble. Space Ghost was pivotal in the rising popularity of superh..."
Special Delivery
Filed under: animation, 1970s, Canada, Color, National Film Board of Canada, 1978
Producer(s): Derek Lamb
Release Date: 1978
"Ralph Phelps ignores his wife's orders to clean the snow off their porch and goes for a walk instead. His day spirals into anarchy when he returns to find the mailman on his front yard, his neck broken from slipping and falling down the stairs."
Spring Hits a Snag (1961)
Filed under: animation, Bill Hanna, Color, Hanna-Barbera Studios, Joe Barbera, U.S.A.
Release Date: 1961
Steamboat Willie
Filed under: animation, Early Sound, Mickey Mouse, U.S.A., Walt Disney Studios, 1928
Producer(s): Walt Disney, Roy O. Disney
Release Date: 29/07/1928
"The first Mickey Mouse cartoon with synchronized sound. Disney agonized over the synchronization of sound to the animation in Steamboat Willie. The cartoon also introduces a prototypical Minnie mouse. Mickey's pretty much a jerk within the narrative ..."
Stephen and Timothy Quay (Brothers Quay)
Filed under: people, 1970s, 1980s, Stop Motion, U.K., Animator, Director
"Stephen and Timothy Quay are identical twin brothers and animators, working together as the Quay Brothers. They are extremely influential in the field of stop-motion animation, creating dark and esoteric works that have built on several fascinating a..."
Storyboard Studios/Hubley Studios
Filed under: studio, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, Commercials, HUAC, John Hubley, Research Subjects, Sesame Street, U.S.A., United Productions of America (UPA), 1953
"After John Hubley was blacklisted by HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) for not testifying before the committee, he had to leave his position at United Productions of America (UPA) in 1952 and as a result founded his own independent animat..."
Terrytoons
Filed under: studio, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, Casper the Ghost, Color, Early Sound, Paul Terry, Terrytoons Animated Shorts, U.S.A., 1929
"Paul Terry opened his own animation studio, called Terrytoons, in 1929. Paul Terry is known in the animation industry for producing his cartoons quickly, and for resisting improvements. Terry’s goal was to produce cartoons at the lowest cost po..."
The Band Concert
Filed under: animation, 1930s, All Music, Color, Donald Duck, Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Musical, Technicolor, U.S.A., Ub Iwerks, Walt Disney, Walt Disney Studios, 1935
Producer(s): Walt Disney
Release Date: 23/02/1935
"Mickey and his friends Peter Pig, Paddy Pig, Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow, and Goofy try to put on an outdoor concert. As they attempt to play the William Tell Overture they face many problems, chief among them Donald Duck and a pesky bee. "
The Flintstones: Cave Scout Jamboree
Filed under: animation, 1960s, Bill Hanna, Color, Hanna-Barbera Studios, Joe Barbera, U.S.A., 1966
Producer(s): William HannaJoseph Barbera
Release Date: 01/04/1966
"After flooding the quarry where he works, Fred is laid off work for a few days. He convinces Wilma and Betty to accompany he and Barney on a camping trip, promising them a peaceful getaway. However, when they learn that their campground is the site o..."
The Mad Scientist
Filed under: animation, 1940s, Dave Fleischer, Max Fleischer, Superman, Technicolor, U.S.A., World War 2 ( WW2 ), 1941
Producer(s): Max FleischerAdolph Zukor
Release Date: 26/09/1941
"When a mad scientist holds Lois Lane hostage, only Superman can save her, and the rest of the city, from his diabolical plot."
The National Film Board of Canada
Filed under: resource, Canada, Color, Documentary, National Film Board of Canada, Norman McLaren, Pixilation, Website
"The National Film Board of Canada was established in 1939, and has remained a leading support and collaborative base for Canadian directors, filmmakers and animators, many of whom have won numerous awards for their work. The board's official site fea..."
The Street
Filed under: animation, 1970s, Canada, Caroline Leaf, National Film Board of Canada, Painted Animation, 1976
Producer(s): Wolf Koenig
Release Date: 01/01/1976
The Tell-Tale Heart
Filed under: animation, 1950s, Technicolor, U.S.A., United Productions of America (UPA), 1953
Producer(s): John HubleyStephen Bosustow
Release Date: 27/12/1953
"Based on Edgar Allan Poe's short story of the same name. The caretaker of an old man suffers paranoid delusions surrounding his employer's blind eye. In a fit of rage, he murders the old man and hides his body under the floorboards. Facing police inv..."
The Yogi Bear Show: Ring-a-Ding Picnic Basket
Filed under: animation, 1960s, Color, Hanna-Barbera Studios, Joe Barbera, 1961
Producer(s): William HannaJoseph Barbera
Release Date: 1961
"Ranger Joe buys a new booby-trapped picnic basket to discourage Yogi Bear's picnic-stealing habits, but it's all for naught. However, when Yogi hears Ranger Joe talking on the phone about shooting an animal and shipping it to the zoo, he assumes that..."
Tom Sito
Filed under: people, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 3D Animation, Color, Hanna-Barbera Studios, U.S.A., Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros., Animator
"Tom Sito is a highly influential American animator, animation historian and teacher, who has often been considered one of the key figures in the Disney Renaissance."
Ub Iwerks Studio
Filed under: studio, 1930s, Cinecolor, Color, Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios, Technicolor, Ub Iwerks, 1930
"Ub Iwerks Studio was a short lived animation studio in the 1930s. Ub Iwerks, one of the closest partners of Walt Disney in the 1920s, decided to open his own animation studio after he was offered financial support from Pat Powers. Flip the Frog was..."
Van Beuren Studios
Filed under: studio, 1920s, 1930s, Amadee J. Van Beuren, Color, Early Sound, Felix the Cat, Racial representation, Rainbow Parade, Tom and Jerry, Tom and Jerry, U.S.A., 1929
"Van Beuren Studios was an animation studio in the 1930s. After Paul Terry left Aesop's Fables Studio, due to a disagreement over sound with his partner, Amadee J. Van Beuren, Van Beuren reorganized the studio, prepared it for the production of soun..."
Vladimir William (“Bill”) Tytla
Filed under: people, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, Casper the Ghost, Color, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Little Lulu, Musical, Popeye, Terrytoons Animated Shorts, U.S.A., Walt Disney, Walt Disney Studios, Animator, Artist
"Vladimir Tytla worked as an animator for several studios, including his own. His happiest times, and best work, were done at Disney Studios where he felt a certain atmosphere of artistry and care for the animated product, which fed his deep interest ..."
Ward Walrath Kimball
Filed under: people, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, Color, Musical, U.S.A., Walt Disney, Walt Disney Studios, Animator, Artist, Character Designer
"Ward Kimball was a prolific animator for Walt Disney, part of the earliest team of core animators known as "Disney's Nine Old Men." While extremely influential, his importance in the early days of Disney has meant that biographers have encountered se..."
What’s Cookin’ Doc?
Filed under: animation, 1940s, Animation Series, Bob Clampett, Bugs Bunny, Color, Leon Schlesinger Studios, Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies, U.S.A., Warner Bros., 1944
Producer(s): Leon Schlesinger
Release Date: 08/01/1944
What’s Opera, Doc?
Filed under: animation, 1950s, All Music, Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Looney Tunes, Technicolor, U.S.A., Warner Bros., 1957
Producer(s): Edward Seizer
Release Date: 06/07/1957
"In this parody of Wagner's The Ring Cycle, Elmer Fudd plays a viking endowed with a spear, magic helmet, and undying drive to kill the rabbit."
William C. (Bill) Nolan
Filed under: people, Early Sound, Felix the Cat, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios, Oswald, Popeye, U.S.A.
"Nolan was a innovative film animator and director during the early days of sound animation, working mostly with Walter Lantz and J.R. Bray<..."
William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
Filed under: people, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, Bill Hanna, Color, Droopy, Hanna-Barbera Studios, Joe Barbera, Tom and Jerry, Tom and Jerry, U.S.A., Animation Supervisor, Animator, Cartoonist, Director
"William Hanna and Joseph Barbera were two animators from MGM who began their own animated television studio, Hanna-Barbera Productions; a studio which would dominate and transform the industry from the 60s to the end of the century.William Denby “B..."