Laugh-O-Gram Studio
Filed under: studio, 1920s, Silent, U.S.A., Walt Disney, 1922
"Walt Disney incorporated Laugh-O-Gram Films, Inc. in May 1922. He set up a studio on the second floor of the McConahy Building at Thirty-first and Forest in New York City. As Paul Terry had used Aesop's Fables for the basis of his cartoons, Disney us..."
Laverne Harding
Filed under: people, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, Color, Daffy Duck, Early Sound, Hanna-Barbera Studios, Joe Barbera, Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies, Oswald, Speedy Gonzales, Technicolor, The Road Runner, U.S.A., Walter Lantz, Walter Lantz Productions, Warner Bros., Woody Woodpecker, Animator, Cartoonist, Comic Strip Artist
"Laverne Harding was the second female studio animator in history, and one of the first to receive onscreen credit for her work. She started out as an inker for the Walter Lantz Productions, moving on to do animation work for several of the Lantz Prod..."
Leon Searl
Filed under: people, 1900s, 1910s, Krazy Kat, Silent, U.S.A., Animator, Cartoonist, Comic Strip Artist
"Leon Searl (whose name is alternatively spelt "Leon Searle") got his start as a newspaper cartoonist, first working for the Pulitzer Papers on the comic strip "Jimmy Johnnypants" from November of 1905 to February of 1906. He later went on to write at..."
Lillian Friedman Foster
Filed under: people, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, Early Sound, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Max Fleischer, U.S.A., Animator
"Lilian Friedman Astor was the first American female studio animator and worked at Fleischer studios. "
Lotte Reiniger
Filed under: people, 1950s, Aesop's Fables, Germany, Animator, Director, Silhouette Animator
"Lotte Reiniger was a German animator who adapted the art of shadow-plays to film, pioneering and perfecting the technique of silhouette animation using her own inventions. One such silhouette film, The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) is considered..."
Making ‘Em Move
Filed under: animation, 1930s, Early Sound, U.S.A., Van Beuren Corporation, 1931
Release Date: 1931
"A classic 1931's cartoon from Van Beuren Studios, Make 'Em Move depicts a mischievous female character whom stumbles in onto the scene of a cartoon factory bursting with drawings and jazz music. The animals depicted create animation much like themsel..."
Making ‘Em Move (1931)
Filed under: animation, U.S.A., Van Beuren Corporation
Manuel Perez
Filed under: people, Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies, U.S.A., Warner Bros., Animator
"Manuel Perez - typically credited as Manny Perez - was a Mexican-American animator who worked at Warner Bros. studios from 1938 on. He worked for Friz Freleng's unit for ten years, but they did not get along. Between 1955 and 1959 he did not work in ..."
Margaret Bray
Filed under: people, Bray Productions, U.S.A., Production Manager
"Margaret Till Bray was a successful business woman who worked in real-estate, before meeting her husband John Randolph Bray. He installed her as the production manager at Bray Productions, a..."
Mary Blair
Filed under: people, 1950s, U.S.A., Ub Iwerks, Walt Disney, Walt Disney Studios, Animator, Artist, Color Stylist and Designer, Illustrator
"Mary Blair was an American animator, best known for her work with Disney Studios."
Masahiko Satoh
Filed under: people, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, Japan, Composer
"Born in Tokyo in 1941, Masahiko Satoh is a pianist whose career has spanned six decades and over a hundred albums. His style is known for blending influences from American jazz with traditional Japanese music. Satoh's interest in music began at the ..."
Max Fleischer
Filed under: people, Aesop's Fables, Betty Boop, Early Sound, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Koko the Clown, Max Fleischer, Popeye, Rotoscope, Silent, Superman, U.S.A., Cartoonist, Director, Photographer, Producer, Writer
"Max Fleischer was an American inventor born in Hungary, who moved to the United States with his family at the age of 4 and later became a filmmaker, animator, director and producer, famous for serving as the head of his own animation studio, Fleisch..."
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio
Filed under: studio, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, Barney Bear, Bill Hanna, Bosko, Droopy, Hanna-Barbera Studios, Joe Barbera, Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios, Tom and Jerry, U.S.A., Ub Iwerks, 1929
"Active from 1929 to 1957, MGM produced some of the most well-known and well-liked cartoons syndicated all over the world, featuring characters such as Barney Bear, Droopy, and the now-iconic Tom and Jerry. MGM's first foray into animation was thr..."
Michael Lah
Filed under: people, Barney Bear, Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios, U.S.A., Animator, Director
"Michael Lah was a noted MGM animator and director, as well as being the understudy of Tex Avery. Lah helped redesign the well-known Barney Bear character, and directed many screwball cartoons, including one that garnered him an Academy Award nomina..."
Milton (Milt) Kahl
Filed under: people, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, Color, Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Silly Symphonies, U.S.A., Walt Disney, Walt Disney Studios, Winnie the Pooh, Animation Supervisor, Animator, Director
"Milt Kahl was an renown animator and director who was a part of Disney's group of “Nine Old Men”, who created and designed many Disney characters, and whose distinctive style had a large influence within the history of the studio. "
Minnie the Moocher
Filed under: animation, 1930s, Betty Boop series, Dave Fleischer, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Jazz, Max Fleischer, U.S.A., 1932
Producer(s): Max Fleischer
Release Date: 11/03/1932
"“Minnie the Moocher” begins with a live action performance by Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner Cab Calloway of “St. James Infirmary Blues,” which segues into the Betty Boop cartoon. The cartoon begins with a typical mealtime setting i..."
Motor Mania
Filed under: animation, 1950s, Goofy, U.S.A., Walt Disney Studios, 1950
Producer(s): Walt Disney
Release Date: 30/06/1950
"In this Goofy cartoon from the 50's, a Jekyll and Hyde dynamic illustrates how Mr. Walker, who is friendly and normally mild tempered turns into Mr. Wheeler, a crazed maniac who experiences road rage when behind the wheel of an automobile. An intere..."
Mr. Crack (1910)
Filed under: animation, France, 1910
"Cohl's adaptation of the popular French operetta "Monsieur de Crac" was based on the tales of Baron Münchhausen, a German nobleman famous for his tall-tales. In this 4 min piece, Cohl uses 2-D cut out puppets and stop-motion photography to animate..."
Myron (Grim) Natwick
Filed under: people, Betty Boop series, Max Fleischer, U.S.A., Animator
"Myron Natwick was born in Wisconsin Rapids in 1890 and died 100 years later in LA, California of pneumonia and heart disease. He is best known for creating the most popular character from
Neighbours (1952)
Filed under: animation, 1950s, Canada, Color, National Film Board of Canada, Norman McLaren, Pixilation
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..."
Pete Alvarado
Filed under: people, Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios, U.S.A., Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros., Animator, Background Artist, Comic Book Pencilist, Comic Strip Artist, Layout Artist
"Pete Alvarado was born in 1920 and was raised in Glendale, California. He attended Chouinard Art Institute. Soon after graduating from art school he was hired at Disney as an animation assistant and first worked on Snow White and Dumbo. He worked mos..."
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. "
Puddle Pranks
Filed under: animation, 1930s, Celebrity Productions, U.S.A., 1930
Producer(s): Ub Iwerks, Pat Powers
Release Date: 1930
"Flip and his sweetheart ride a cricket drawn wagon only to be pursued by a relentless stork."
Punch and Judy (1966)
Filed under: animation, Czech Republic, Krátký Film, Stop Motion
Raymond “Ray” Patterson
Filed under: people, Barney Bear, Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios, Tom and Jerry, U.S.A., Animator, Cartoonist, Producer
"Ray Patterson was an Emmy nominated animator, cartoon director, producer, most noted for his work in the 40's during the “golden age” of animation on the legendary Tom and Jerry cartoon series, as well as animating with
Richard “Dick” Lundy
Filed under: people, Barney Bear, Bill Hanna, Donald Duck, Hanna-Barbera Studios, Joe Barbera, Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios, Mickey Mouse, Silly Symphonies, U.S.A., Walt Disney, Walt Disney Studios, Woody Woodpecker
"Dick Lundy was an animator and director, associated with several studios, including Disney, MGM and
Robert “Bob” McKimson
Filed under: people, Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies, Speedy Gonzales, Sylvester Jr., Tasmanian Devil, U.S.A., Warner Bros., Animator
"Bob McKimson was one of the most-underrated and overlooked animators who worked at Warner Bros. during the golden age of animation. He directed many Academy Award-nominated shorts as a part of Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies series, creating cha..."
Robert Fred “Freddie” Moore
Filed under: people, 1930s, 1940s, Looney Tunes, Mickey Mouse, U.S.A., Ub Iwerks, Walt Disney, Walt Disney Studios, Walter Lantz, Walter Lantz Productions, Woody Woodpecker, Animator, Artist, Character Designer
"Freddie Moore was a highly influential animator with Walt Disney Productions in a crucial era of its development during the 30s, up until the production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937) and the establishment of the core group of animators k..."
Roland Crandall
Filed under: people, Betty Boop series, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, U.S.A., Animator
"Roland Crandall - nicknamed "Doc" - was one of the most important animators to work for the Fleischer Bros., working on the Ko-Ko the Clown series, Betty Boop, and Popeye, as well as their feature Gulliver's Travels. In 1923 he married Julia Hoffman..."
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..."
Sammy Timberg
Filed under: people, 1930s, 1940s, Betty Boop series, Inkwell / Fleischer Studios, Music, Superman, U.S.A., Composer
"Sammy Timberg was the musical director for Fleischer Studios and one of the most important composers of music in the history of American cartoons. Although Timberg had a long career that began in vaudeville in the 1910s, Timberg is best known for th..."
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."
Scott Bradley
Filed under: people, 1930s, Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios, Tom and Jerry, U.S.A., Walt Disney Studios, Composer
"Scott Bradley was a film composer who wrote acclaimed music for many memorable cartoons during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. He is best known for his work at MGM, scoring thea..."
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."
Sidney (Sid) Marcus
Filed under: people, U.S.A., Animator, Director
"Marcus began his career in animation in 1916 as an animator for William Randolph Hearst's International Film Service, where he animated the Krazy Kat series. In 1925, he joined Associated Animators in order to work on Mutt and Jeff animations for Sho..."
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..."
Swooner Crooner
Filed under: animation, 1940s, Jazz, Merrie Melodies, Porky Pig, U.S.A., Warner Bros., 1944
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 Bandmaster
Filed under: animation, 1930s, Oswald, U.S.A., Universal Studios, 1931
Producer(s): Walter Lantz
Release Date: 18/05/1931
"Oswald conducts, and then a slew of seemingly random events ensue. Although at moments narrative causality matters, for the most part spectacle drives the cartoon (for example, when objects seemingly magically transform)."