Man vs. Art Episode 22! The History of Animation According to Raul.

Summary: Hola Minions! I certainly hope all is well. Today's podcast is the first of a two part series on.... The History of Animation according to me. Why am I doing this? A good question to which I have a good answer. I  recently came to a big decision concerning my technique for producing animation. For the longest time I've been clinging to my traditional animation shtick, and it has served me well. But now I need to scale down the fancy stuff and streamline my whole process. This is a must if I ever expect to increase my cartoon output. I want to tell stories that are more involved and work with a bigger cast of characters. I believe that by adopting a Ghettomation attitude  I can knock out more toons without sacrificing quality. I decided to research the history of Animation to learn  how our cartoon forefathers handled technique, technological change, and social conventions. That way I could find ideas on ways to scale back on my own process and learn what not to do from their past mistakes. When you want to make a giant leap forward sometimes it's a good idea to look back first. For as long as man has been creating art, he has also tried to depict motion. [youtube uvqLujgcLyI 480 385] Instead of the smoking gun, for animation there is The smoking pot. The images found on  five thousand year old clay pot in Iran shows  a sequence of a goat jumping up to take a nibble from a plant. Piper vs. Superfly Snuka! Here we see the a four thousand year old Egyptian Mural that clearly attempted to capture the motion of two wrestlers going mano y mano. Phantasmagorie by Emile Cohl. The earliest known paper drawn cartoon  is the 1908 French short. [youtube aEAObel8yIE 480 385] His exalted Holiness Winsor MCcay Winsor MCcay is considered one of the first true animators . In the early 1900's he took full advantage of the recently invented motion picture camera and used his love for drawing to animate films that were pure  genius.  MCcay's animated films have stood the test of time and to this day are considered masterpieces. I think the word exquisite describes MCcay's work perfectly. Gertie the Dinosaur [youtube mnuhP2URCoo 480 385] [youtube ixK1DffOsbE 480 385] MCcay stunned audiences with this wonderful animated piece that showed a character with personality, solid anatomy and weight! While other animators were using quarters and nickels to trace out heads and bodies for their cartoons, He  was light years ahead of his peers producing elegant pieces that blew the pocket change brigade out of the water. How A Mosquito Operates, Set mind to blown. [youtube yvzAJouHh7k 480 385] Little Nemo. [youtube kcSp2ej2S00 480 385] Some really good drawing and acting in this work! The Sinking of the Lusitania. [youtube nN-KdPBhyjc 480 385] Brilliant depiction of the terrible maritime disaster that shocked the world. Walt Disney's Steamboat Willy It all started with a mouse that was a big F.U. to Universal. [youtube PRbzOm9dqMY 480 385] Steamboat Willy marked the beginning of a new era early on, barely in the infancy of animation. Cartoons could finally talk.  Disney Studio held vast influence over the development of the animation process for decades.. The Fleischer Brothers [youtube BPulJzMIzck 480 385] [youtube Mb8iYqIVBzQ 480 385] Best Superman Animation  adaptation ever. These guys created very unique cartoons  that I am a total sucker for. With their studio in Florida  they were able develop independently of  all the other cartoon studios for many years! Warner Brothers The cartoon asylum  known as Termite Terrace produced the unforgettable Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes. I think I now know what I must do. Speaking of awesome..... Jim Lujan's nominee for the Man vs. Art Pantheon of Awesomeness. Andy Kaufman   Link: Ode to Andy. There can only be one "first time". You can only be a pioneer if something is undiscovered.