Jeff Lenburg - The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons

THE ENCYCLOPED IA OF

ANIMATED CARTOONS

THIRD EDITION

THE ENCYCLOPED IA OF

ANIMATED CARTOONS

THIRD EDITION

JEFF LENBURG

FOREWORD BY CHRIS BAILEY

TH E E N CYC LO P E D I A O F A N I M ATE D C A RTO O N S , T h i rd E D I TI O N

Copyright 2009 by Jeff Lenburg

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact:

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Lenburg, Jeff.

The encyclopedia of animated cartoons / Jeff Lenburg.3rd ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-0-8160-6599-8

ISBN-10: 0-8160-6599-3

1. Animated filmsUnited StatesHistory and criticism. I. Title.

NC1766.U5L46 2008

791.43'34097303dc22

2007025676

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Text design by Cathy Rincon

Cover design by Jooyoung An

Printed in the United States of America

VB Hermitage 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

This book is printed on acid-free paper and contains 30 percent postconsumer recycled content. All links and Web addresses were checked and verified to be correct at the time of publication. Because of the dynamic nature of the Web, some addresses and links may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid.

To my wife, Debby,

for her love and devotion:

This book is for you.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

ix

PREFACE

xi

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

xiii

A NUTSHELL HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN ANIMATED CARTOON

SILENT CARTOON SERIES

THEATRICAL SOUND CARTOON SERIES

FULL-LENGTH ANIMATED FEATURES

ANIMATED TELEVISION SPECIALS

TELEVISION CARTOON SERIES

AWARDS AND HONORS

MILESTONES OF ANIMATION

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

FOREWORD

I n the beginning (this was the 1960s for me), Saturday mornings existed for the sole purpose of watching cartoons. Before my brother and I were allowed to turn on the TV the only rule was was running out. If only there had been a college for comic book artists back then, my problem would have been solved (remember, this was the late 70s before such schools existed)! Fate stepped in that our beds had to be made, our breakfast eaten (Quisp! cereal) (as fate tends to do when one is at a crossroads), and I found the and our teeth brushed. Of course, we were up at the crack of dawn next best thing at CalArts in Valencia, California. so as to not miss a thing. Luckily, with few exceptions, our taste in I had recently rediscovered Warner Bros. cartoons on TV after cartoons was in sync (except that he liked Quake ) and the fighting school. They were funny when I was a little kid and seemed fun-was kept to a minimum. That was good for me since I was the nier to me as a teenager. The Pepe Le Pew cartoon series by the little brother by 18 months. Over time, the rules relaxed and our late Chuck Jones particularly grabbed my attention. Even though cereal eating overlapped with the TV, but the routine lasted for I had probably seen them a dozen times or so while growing up, years. I loved all cartoons; the frosting-colored superjocks, talking watching Pepes sexually charged shenanigans as a 16-year-old boy animals, new cartoons, oldit didnt matter. was like seeing them for the first time. They cracked me up!

Its funny to look back from 30-plus years at the cartoons that As I said earlier, I was a comic-book kid (or so I thought). had such a hold on me. Most of them were terrible! Why did I like Along with my weekly funny book purchases, I often bought a them so much? Who were the characters and what was the cool- trade magazine called The Comics Journal that featured news and ness factor that transcended the poor writing and meager produc- interviews about comics and their creators. Literally the same day tion budgets? Maybe it was the inventiveness of the shows that I rediscovered the coolness of cartoons in Pepe Le Pew, I read concept. Maybe it was the music (I could listen to composer Hoyt an article in the Journal about a Disney-sponsored character ani- Curtins Jonny Quest theme all day long). All I know is that I mation program at CalArts. My college dilemma was solved. Sure, couldnt get enough. Another favorite of mine was Hanna-Bar- I knew that they didnt make those great Warner Bros. cartoons beras Space Ghost, an outer space, superhero cop designed by the anymore and TV animation was a little girls toyland of Care Bears late great, Alex Toth. Brilliant! The music, design and titles were and My Little Pony, but I figured that whatever I learned would incredible (as in all those classic HB adventure shows). The shows serve me in the future and, who knew, maybe someday cool car-themselves, well... not so brilliant. Nonetheless, I watched them toons would be made again and I could be a part of themwhich religiously. Gary Owenss voice acting didnt hurt either. He could they did, and then some. pull off the most ludicrous line with deadly seriousness. Hey, if I spent the next six months educating myself about animation Space Ghost believed in what he was saying, who was I to argue? and working on my portfolio. I devoured every animation book I

As I got older, my cartoon watching gave way to comic-book could find. Most focused on the artsy side of independent anima-reading. Cartoons were on only once a week back then, but there tion, whereas I wanted to make cartoons. Books like this one were were always more comics at the candy store! I still watched car- invaluable and I could never get enough of them. Many seemed to toons, but the pulp adventures of Spider-Man, Thor, Hulk and cover the same ground, but I read them all in search of any new countless others had won me over. Comics took the pulp adven- grain of information. In the spring of my senior year, I was ture to a new level, just as the animated superheroes on TV were accepted at CalArts. becoming less superheroic and more, well, super friendly. As I CalArts was a culture shock. Most of the other students had entered high school, I decided that I would exploit my meager grown up wanting to be Disney animators just as I had wanted to drawing skills in comics, or so I thought. draw comics. They had seen all the Disney classics, knew the

Although there was never any question in my mind that I would names of the Disney animators and directors, and I was playing go on to college, the local university didnt seem to be a good fit. A catch up. I had seen many of the Disney films growing up and, fine arts school didnt seem right either. I wanted to tell stories, to while I had enjoyed them, I wasnt particularly a fan. For a kid who draw guys beating the crap out of giant monsters, not draw pictures grew up on comic books and TV action adventure, they didnt to hang in a gallery. It was my junior year in high school and time deliver the bare-knuckled thrill that I got from a good Fantastic