movies - animated film
from clay to pen and ink to computer graphics
The first filmed animation was recorded in Edwin S. Porter's Fun in a Bakery Shop in 1902. Using clay animation, this Thomas Edison short was also the first film to combine live action with animated figures (but in separate sequences).
In 1904, James Stuart Blackton's Humorous Phases of Funny Faces and Walter R. Booth's The Hand of the Artist both used animated black board drawings. In 1907, Porter combined live action with puppet animation in The Teddy Bears, and Segundo de Chomon used silhouette animation in La Silhouette Animee. The first animated film to use drawings on paper was Emile Cohl's Phantasmagorie, released in 1908. The first film to place live action and animated drawings in the same frame of film was Cohl's Clair de lune espagnol ("Spanish Moonlight") in 1909.
In the hundred or so years since those first cinematic achievements, the movies and animation have come a long way. Some might argue that today's blockbusters are simply animated films with some live action thrown in. The sites and articles on this page document the art of animation and how it has evolved over a century of filmmaking.
last link animation subject pages | glossaries & genre definitions | animation news | top of the bill | also playing | selected sites and articles | key animation figues | animation studios | selected official sites | do it yourself | comics & movies | animation on dvd | elsewhere on the web | related pages
Last Link Animation Subject Pages
- Anime
Japanese animation. - Voice Actors
The best-looking folks you'll ever hear. - Walt Disney & Disney Studios
One of the most pivotal forces in mass entertainment of the twentieth century. - Warner Bros. Animation
While not as praised as Disney, the Warner folks sure were wacky. - Final Credits - Animation
Reflecting lives that have contributed to the world of animation.
Glossaries and Genre Definitions
- All Movie Guide - Animation
Nicole Gagne provides an overview of the genre. - All Movie Guide - Animation Glossary
A guide to animation terms. - Animation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. See also their History of Animation and Golden Age of Hollywood Animation entries. - Greatest Films - Animated Films
From deep inside Tim Dirks' excellent site is his guide to what he calls a 'film technique.' - Internet Movie Database - Animation
Over 20,000 films listed!
Animation News
- Animated News
Daily news from the animation world. - Animation Insider
News and reviews. - Animation World Network
Worldwide animation news with a magazine subsection. - Cartoon Brew
Jerry Beck's blog and recaps of animation news. - Keyframe - The Animation Resource
Vancouver's Athena runs this great all-round site with news about upcoming features and reviews from site users. - Today in Toons
Don Markstein's Toonopedia factoid du jour -- complete with archives.
Top Of The Bill
- Big Cartoon Database
It's a database and it's big -- Dave Koch has listings for over 40,000 cartoons! - Cartoon Research
Jerry Beck's exhaustive site dedicated to classic cartoons: past, present & future. - Golden Age Cartoons
Devoted to the classic cartoons and characters from the Golden Age of Hollywood. - Richard's Animated Divots
Richard Llewellyn's thorough and comprehensive look at animation from around the world. - Toonopedia
Don Markstein presents the world's first hypertext encyclopedia of toons, the Internet's most comprehensive source of information about the U.S. toon scene. In a word -- exhaustive. Be sure to check his amusing glossary.
Also Playing
- Bright Lights Film Journal - Animation
An index to animation articles that have appeared in the Journal. - Classic Cartoon Records
A database of vinyl records featuring classic cartoon characters from the golden age of animation. - Dave Mackey's Cartoon Shop & Animation Index
Dave features extensive listings for non-Disney cartoons. - Moc's Anima Database
Credits for 4,957 American animated short cartoons from the sound era (1928-1972). - Toontracker
A home for lost cartoons as provided by Ron Kurer.
Selected Sites and Articles
- Animated Cartoon Film in the Third Reich
Bearing the shining example of Walt Disney in mind, the Third Reich launched the animated film industry in Germany. - Animation Sound
A compendium of articles from FilmSound.org. - Betty Boop
With a head like a giant peanut she was the perfect celluloid toy of pre-Code Hollywood. From Bright Lights Film Journal. - The Censored Cartoons Page
From Jon Cooke's Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies page. - Classic Felix the Cat Page
David Gerstein's site devoted to the world's most popular cartoon character (until Mickey Mouse). - Private Snafu's Hidden War
The famed doofus of WWII propaganda cartoons served purposes patriotic and perfidious. From Bright Lights Film Journal. - Queer Cartoons
Cartoons have always been a rich repository of queer subtext. From Bright Lights Film Journal.
Key Animation Figures
- Follow the Bouncing Ball - The Technical Innovation of Max Fleischer
From Digital Media FX. - Fleischer Studios
From the Big Cartoon Database. - Max Fleischer
Don Markstein's Toonopedia entry. - Fleischer
Dave Mackey's index of cartoons. - Fantastic Films Of Ray Harryhausen
An in-depth look at the life, films and career of the stop-motion animation pioneer. - Walter Lantz
From the Big Cartoon Database. - Walter Lantz
Don Markstein's Toonopedia entry. - Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia
From Golden Age Cartoons. - Walter Lantz
Original titles from Cartoon Research. - George Pal
From the Big Cartoon Database. - Raymond Scott
Inventor, jazz artist, electronic music pioneer, legendary cartoon soundtrack composer. - Hal Seeger
Dave Mackey's page devoted to creator of Batfink & Milton The Monster. - Jay Ward
Don Markstein's Toonopedia entry.
Max Fleischer
Ray Harryhausen
Walter Lantz
George Pal
Raymond Scott
Hal Seeger
Jay Ward
Animation Studios
- 20th Century Fox
From the Big Cartoon Database. - Columbia Crow's Nest
Golden Age Cartoon's look at Charles Mintz, Screen Gems and UPA. - Columbia Pictures
From the Big Cartoon Database. - Columbia-Screen Gems
Original titles from Cartoon Research. - DePatie-Freleng
Dave Mackey's index of cartoons. - DePatie-Freleng
From Golden Age Cartoons. - Famous Studios
From the Big Cartoon Database. - Famous Studios
Don Markstein's Toonopedia entry. - Filmation Associates
From the Big Cartoon Database. - Hanna-Barbera Studios
From the Big Cartoon Database. - Hanna-Barbera
Don Markstein's Toonopedia entry. - MGM
From the Big Cartoon Database. - MGM
Don Markstein's Toonopedia entry. - MGM
Original titles from Cartoon Research. - National Film Board of Canada
From the Big Cartoon Database. - Paramount Pictures
From the Big Cartoon Database. - Paramount
Dave Mackey's index of cartoons. - Paramount-Famous
Original titles from Cartoon Research. - TerryToons
From the Big Cartoon Database. - TerryToons
Original titles from Cartoon Research. - TerryToons
Don Markstein's Toonopedia entry. - Universal Studios
From the Big Cartoon Database. - Universal
Original titles from Cartoon Research. - Universal
Don Markstein's Toonopedia entry. - UPA
From the Big Cartoon Database. - Van Beuren
Original titles from Cartoon Research. - Other Studios
From the Big Cartoon Database.
Selected Official Studio Sites
Do It Yourself
- Ani-Mato
Jan-Eric Nyström provides all that a budding animator could ever want to find. - Make Movies
How to guides and tutorials for us all. - National Film Board - NFB Kids
All kinds of fun for the little folk. - Quickdraw Animation Society
Calgary's non-profit society supporting and encouraging innovative independent animation.
Comics and Movies
- Comic Book Movies
Eric Favat's news and views on upcoming movies based on comics. - Comics2Film
Rob M. Worley follows the trail from print to screen. - Edmonton Public Library - Comic Books and Cartoons
The local library's guide to the funny papers.
Animation On DVD
- DVD Toons
A guide to animation on DVD.
Elsewhere On The Web
- Animated-Movies.Net
Selected animation and related film links. - Animation on the World Wide Web
Richard Llewellyn's guide to other sites on the web. - Animation Studio Links
From Harvey Deneroff's Animation Consultants International. - dmoz Open Directory Project - Animation
- Google Directory - Animation
- Yahoo Directory - Animation
Animation Links
The Directories
Inactive and Archived
- Animation Consultants International
Harvey Deneroff's site for news about the business of animation.
Related Pages
- web watch - animations
We don't know how they work or why they exist.