The American Animated Cartoon: A Critical Anthology

An Anthology of Animation

When you think about animated cartoons, you may think "Walt Disney" and call it a day. But if animation is a day, then Walt takes up just a few hours in the late morning. A lot came before, a lot came after.

In this re-release of their classic book, with a new foreword by Michael Barrier, editors Danny and Gerald Peary present an eclectic anthology of articles, analyses, and interviews by a well-regarded panel of film and animation historians.

Beginning with early practitioners like Winsor McCay and J.R. Bray, this episodic "history" of animated cartoons continues with stories about the major studios, including Disney, Warner Bros, Lantz, Fleischer, and UPA, and then focuses on individual characters and modern themes, such as women in animation.

From Dick Huemer, Vlad Tytla, Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, Bill Hanna, and Ralph Bakshi, to such films and characters as Snow White, Bambi, Dumbo, Bugs and Daffy, Popeye, Mighty Mouse, and Mr. Magoo, the rich tapestry of the American animated cartoon is unwoven for closer study and appreciation.

You're just in time for the dawn of animation...