Makin' Toons

Makin' Toons
Author: Allan Neuwirth
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 419
Release: 2007-04-02
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 162153197X

From the first drawing board sketch to wriggling TV character, Makin’ Toons illustrates the thrills and challenges of making animated cartoon movies as told by the industry’s most successful creators. Cartoon lovers everywhere will be treated to 47 personal interviews with animation artists and industry leaders ranging from Shrek director Andrew Adamson to Rugrats producer Gabor Csupo. These and dozens of other fascinating firsthand accounts chronicle the behind-the-scene antics and commercial dynamics behind such blockbusters as The Simpsons, South Park, Beauty and the Beast, and Dragon Tales, to name just a few. Author Allan Neuwirth—an accomplished animation artist and writer himself—spices the book with insightful comments, hilarious anecdotes, and a true “toon artist’s” sense of humor. He also includes 75 never-before-published concept drawings, character designs, storyboards, and much more. Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, publishes a broad range of books on the visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the business of art. Our titles cover subjects such as graphic design, theater, branding, fine art, photography, interior design, writing, acting, film, how to start careers, business and legal forms, business practices, and more. While we don't aspire to publish a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are deeply committed to quality books that help creative professionals succeed and thrive. We often publish in areas overlooked by other publishers and welcome the author whose expertise can help our audience of readers.

Making 'Toons That Sell Without Selling Out

Making 'Toons That Sell Without Selling Out
Author: Bill Plympton
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2012-11-12
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1136127097

Learn the secrets behind independent animation from the "The King of Independent Animation - Academy Award-nominated Bill Plympton. This living legend breaks down how to make a career outside of the world of corporate animation - and without compromise. Learn time-saving techniques, the secrets to good storytelling, and the business-side of short and feature-length animation films.

Historical Dictionary of Animation and Cartoons

Historical Dictionary of Animation and Cartoons
Author: Nichola Dobson
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 325
Release: 2020-06-15
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1538123223

Historical Dictionary of Animation and Cartoons is intended to provide an overview of the animation industry and its historical development. The animation industry has been in existence as long (some would argue longer) than cinema, yet it has had less exposure in terms of the discourse of moving-image history. This book introduces animation by considering the various definitions that have been used to describe it over the years. A different perception of animation by producers and consumers has affected how the industry developed and changed over the past hundred years. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Animation and Cartoons contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries on animators, directors, studios, techniques, films, and some of the best-known characters. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about animation and cartoons.

The Education of a Comics Artist

The Education of a Comics Artist
Author: Michael Dooley
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 364
Release: 2005-05-01
Genre: Art
ISBN: 162153586X

Featuring essays by, and interviews with, more than sixty professionals, educators, and critics, the book provides an in-depth view of the art, business, and history of comics art. Readers will learn about a wide variety of genres, from editorial cartoons, political comics, and comic strips to graphic novels, superhero sagas, and alternative comics. Other featured topics include the role of comic art in related fields such as animation, design, and illustration; lesson plans by top teachers; and essays on how to thrive and grow as a creative comic artist.

The Magic Behind the Voices

The Magic Behind the Voices
Author: Tim Lawson
Publisher: Univ. Press of Mississippi
Total Pages: 399
Release: 2009-09-28
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1496801229

The Magic Behind the Voices is a fascinating package of biographies, anecdotes, credit listings, and photographs of the actors who have created the unmistakable voices for some of the most popular and enduring animated characters of all time. Drawn from dozens of personal interviews, the book features a unique look at thirty-nine of the hidden artists of show business. Often as amusing as the characters they portray, voice actors are charming, resilient people—many from humble beginnings—who have led colorful lives in pursuit of success. Beavis and Butthead and King of the Hill's Mike Judge was an engineer for a weapons contractor turned self-taught animator and voice actor. Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson) was a small-town Ohio girl who became the star protégé of Daws Butler—most famous for Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, and Quick Draw McGraw. Mickey Mouse (Wayne Allwine) and Minnie Mouse (Russi Taylor) were a real-life husband-and-wife team. Spanning many studios and production companies, this book captures the spirit of fun that bubbles from those who create the voices of favorite animated characters. In the earliest days of cartoons, voice actors were seldom credited for their work. A little more than a decade ago, even the Screen Actors Guild did not consider voice actors to be real actors, and the only voice actor known to the general public was Mel Blanc. Now, Oscar-winning celebrities clamor to guest star on animated television shows and features. Despite the crushing turnouts at signings for shows such as Animaniacs, The Simpsons, and SpongeBob Squarepants, most voice actors continue to work in relative anonymity. The Magic Behind the Voices features personal interviews and concise biographical details, parting the curtain to reveal creators of many of the most beloved cartoon voices.

The A to Z of Animation and Cartoons

The A to Z of Animation and Cartoons
Author: Nichola Dobson
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Total Pages: 311
Release: 2010-04-01
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1461664020

Animation was once a relatively simple matter, using fairly primitive means to produce rather short films of subjects that were generally comedic and often quite childish. However, things have changed, and they continue changing at a maddening pace. One new technique after another has made it easier, faster, and above all cheaper to produce the material, which has taken on an increasing variety of forms. The A to Z of Animation and Cartoons is an introduction to all aspects of animation history and its development as a technology and industry beyond the familiar cartoons from the Disney and Warner Bros. Studios. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, photos, a bibliography, and over 200 cross-referenced dictionary entries on animators, directors, studios, techniques, films, and some of the best-known characters.

Animated Mischief

Animated Mischief
Author: Brian N. Duchaney
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2023-09-21
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1476648700

Over the last century, the medium of animation has served as an expression of childhood as well as a method of subverting the expectations of what society has promised for the future. Separated into three parts, this work assembles various explorations of taste, culture and passion through animation. Section I features essays that outline the historical changes in art and society that gave rise to an outsider culture that found a home in animation. In the second section, essays examine the practical use of animation as a voice for the underserved. Finally, in Section III, essays analyze the ways in which animation has reshaped the acceptance of outsider status to embrace otherness. Featuring everything from feature-length films to self-produced YouTube videos, the essays in this text reflect a shared love of animation and its unique ability to comment on society and culture.

Wonder Women and Bad Girls

Wonder Women and Bad Girls
Author: Valerie Estelle Frankel
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 244
Release: 2020-10-12
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 147668409X

Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Shuri, and Black Widow. These four characters portray very different versions of women: the superheroine, the abuse victim, the fourth wave princess, and the spy, respectively. In this in-depth analysis of female characters in superhero media, the author begins by identifying ten eras of superhero media defined by the way they portray women. Following this, the various archetypes of superheroines are classified into four categories: boundary crossers, good girls, outcasts, and those that reclaim power. From Golden Age comics through today's hottest films, heroines have been surprisingly assertive, diverse, and remarkable in this celebration of all the archetypes.

The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows

The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows
Author: David Perlmutter
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 803
Release: 2018-05-04
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 1538103745

Once consigned almost exclusively to Saturday morning fare for young viewers, television animation has evolved over the last several decades as a programming form to be reckoned with. While many animated shows continue to entertain tots, the form also reaches a much wider audience, engaging viewers of all ages. Whether aimed at toddlers, teens, or adults, animated shows reflect an evolving expression of sophisticated wit, adult humor, and a variety of artistic techniques and styles. The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Series encompasses animated programs broadcast in the United States and Canada since 1948. From early cartoon series like Crusader Rabbit, Rocky and His Friends, and The Flintstones to 21st century stalwarts like The Simpsons, South Park, and Spongebob Squarepants, the wide range of shows can be found in this volume. Series from many networks—such as Comedy Central, the Disney Channel, Nickleodeon, and Cartoon Network— are included, representing both the diversity of programming and the broad spectrum of viewership. Each entry includes a list of cast and characters, credit information, a brief synopsis of the series, and a critical analysis. Additional details include network information and broadcast history. The volume also features one hundred images and an introduction containing an historical overview of animated programming since the inception of television. Highlighting an extensive array of shows from Animaniacs and Archer to The X-Men and Yogi Bear, The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Series is an essential resource for anyone interested in the history and evolution of this constantly expanding art form.

Drawing the Line

Drawing the Line
Author: Tom Sito
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 440
Release: 2006-10-06
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 0813138361

Some of the most beloved characters in film and television inhabit two-dimensional worlds that spring from the fertile imaginations of talented animators. The movements, characterizations, and settings in the best animated films are as vivid as any live action film, and sometimes seem more alive than life itself. In this case, Hollywood's marketing slogans are fitting; animated stories are frequently magical, leaving memories of happy endings in young and old alike. However, the fantasy lands animators create bear little resemblance to the conditions under which these artists work. Anonymous animators routinely toiled in dark, cramped working environments for long hours and low pay, especially at the emergence of the art form early in the twentieth century. In Drawing the Line, veteran animator Tom Sito chronicles the efforts of generations of working men and women artists who have struggled to create a stable standard of living that is as secure as the worlds their characters inhabit. The former president of America's largest animation union, Sito offers a unique insider's account of animators' struggles with legendary studio kingpins such as Jack Warner and Walt Disney, and their more recent battles with Michael Eisner and other Hollywood players. Based on numerous archival documents, personal interviews, and his own experiences, Sito's history of animation unions is both carefully analytical and deeply personal. Drawing the Line stands as a vital corrective to this field of Hollywood history and is an important look at the animation industry's past, present, and future. Like most elements of the modern commercial media system, animation is rapidly being changed by the forces of globalization and technological innovation. Yet even as pixels replace pencils and bytes replace paints, the working relationship between employer and employee essentially remains the same. In Drawing the Line, Sito challenges the next wave of animators to heed the lessons of their predecessors by organizing and acting collectively to fight against the enormous pressures of the marketplace for their class interests -- and for the betterment of their art form.