Cartoons and Diversity: The History of Animated Film
How has the technology and culture behind animated films evolved?
Animated cartoons have come a very long way since their first debut in 1906. The first cartoons were mostly short films that lasted only a few minutes.
In 1906 J. Stuart Blackton’s “Humorous Phases of Funny Faces” was released. It was only a short three-minute film. The film shows drawings of different people put against a blackboard, drawn with chalk. The characters range from classic 1900s style to clowns with dogs jumping through a hoop.
In 1914 “Gertie the Dinosaur” became widely known as the first animated film with one distinguishable character. Gertie’s story was created with ten thousand different drawings that made her come to life. Only about 400 of the Gertie drawings are still known to exist. This cartoon paved the way for other animated films for years to come.
In 1922 Walt Disney animated one of his first films, “Little Red Riding Hood”. Instead of using traditional cels he instead used photographs of inked lines on paper. This was one of Disney’s first attempts at an animated film. His attempt eventually lead the way to his success.
1928 marked the debut of Mickey Mouse and start of Walt Disney’s success. Mickey’s first two shorts were both silent films but the third was the first to have sound. This third episode, Steamboat Willie, rocketed Walt and Mickey to stardom. Mickey became one of the most beloved cartoon characters in history and has continued to grow.
1930 marked the debut of both the Betty Boop and Warner Bros, Looney Tunes. Betty Boop was originally based upon a French poodle but a year later transitioned to a human. She was based on a real woman, Ester Jones. The creator of the film based Betty Boop upon Jones because of her style. He added a few twists of his own and the cartoon was born. Looney Tunes started up in 1931 and had all kinds of different characters, from rabbits running from away from crazy hunters to cats endlessly chasing small birds. The show ran until 1969 and has a few spinoffs including Baby Looney Tunes.
In 1937 Walt Disney’s first full length animated feature, Snow White, debuts and eventually won an Honorary Acadamy Award for the movie. The cartoon featured evil witches, dwarfs, and an array of woodland creatures. It became a huge box office success and becomes the first of many Disney Princess movies.
1940 saw both the start of the classic kid’s cartoon Tom and Jerry and the first appearance of Woody Woodpecker. Tom and Jerry star a cat and mouse duo with a love/hate relationship. The show has a different setting and storyline throughout each episode with the same central idea, cat chases a mouse. At first, Woody Woodpecker only made short appearances on other shows but he finally scored his own show in 1957.
The ’60s sawed a big growth in cartoons. Television had become widely popular and many cartoons had popped up. Some of the most popular shows were The Flinstones, Top Cat, and Yogi Bear.
In 1972 the first adult animated movie came out named Fritz the Cat. The movie is loosely based upon the comics of the same name. The film was the first X-Rated cartoon in U.S. history. The film faced a lot of backlash after the premiere because of the suggestive themes. Even though many felt that the film was offensive a sequel was made and the movies made a total of $90 million worldwide.
1987 saw the rise of one of the most well-known animated sitcoms The Simpson’s. Since its debut, the show has aired almost 700 episodes. At first, the cartoons were only shorts but after three seasons the show turned into a full 30-minute segment. The show has won many awards, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Even though many people have criticized the recent decline in quality, The Simpsons have inspired many more sitcoms and continue to push on into its thirty-first season.
Jurassic Park premiered in 1993 and became the first movie to feature realistic computer-animated creatures. The dinosaurs in the film were the first of its kind in a live-action film.
In 1999 the first Star Wars Episode aired and marked the first time that computer-generated images were used in the majority of the film. Many of the sets, supporting characters and special effects were all animated. The movie was a huge hit and many sequels were made with the most recent being premiered in 2017.
Another big movie that premiered was Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers in 2002. The film was the first to feature photorealistic motion of a character. The actor who played Gollum was animated in a way to resemble a mythical creature. The movie, like Star Wars, was a huge box office success and had a few sequels made.
In 2009 Avatar came into theaters and became the first movie to have a completely photorealistic animated world. In the film, humans cross over into another world where they are transformed into Na’vi. Their whole world is completely animated and a few sequels are set to come out over the next few years.
Today cartoons have grown into a diverse collection of characters and places. As cartoons have grown we see them represent all different cultures, ethnicity, and lifestyles.
Make sure to check out the new posts coming in the next few weeks!
