American Animated Cartoons Of The Vietnam Era

In the first four years of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War (1961–64), Hollywood did not dramatize the current military conflict but rather romanticized earlier ones. Cartoons reflected only previous trends in U.S. culture, and animators comically but patriotically remembered the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and both World Wars. In the early years of military escalation in Vietnam, Hollywood was simply not ready to illustrate America’s contemporary radicalism and race relations in live-action or animated films. But this trend changed when US participation dramatically increased between 1965 and 1968. In the year of the Tet Offensive and the killings of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Senator Robert Kennedy, the violence of the Vietnam War era caught up with animators. This book discusses the evolution of U.S. animation from militaristic and violent to liberal and pacifist and the role of the Vietnam War in this development. The book chronologically documents theatrical and television cartoon studios’ changing responses to U.S. participation in the Vietnam War between 1961 and 1973, using as evidence the array of artistic commentary about the federal government, the armed forces, the draft, peace negotiations, the counterculture movement, racial issues, and pacifism produced during this period. The study further reveals the extent to which cartoon violence served as a barometer of national sentiment on Vietnam. When many Americans supported the war in the 1960s, scenes of bombings and gunfire were prevalent in animated films. As Americans began to favor withdrawal, militaristic images disappeared from the cartoon. Soon animated cartoons would serve as enlightening artifacts of Vietnam War-era ideology. In addition to the assessment of primary film materials, this book draws upon interviews with people involved in the production Vietnam-era films. Film critics responding in their newspaper columns to the era’s innovative cartoon sociopolitical commentary also serve as invaluable references. Three informative appendices contribute to the work.

Following the U.S. invasion of Iraq, some scholars began to draw comparisons to U.S. involvement in Vietnam, re-igniting the debate over the Vietnam War. In the following chapters the cartoonists in this volume present their views on the Vietnam War as it unfolded: Taking Steps Toward War, Going to War: The Johnson Years, The Long Road to Peace: The Nixon Years, and The Legacy of the Vietnam War.

Mass communication is used by governments to support their war efforts while media images are created or manipulated to inform, persuade or guide the consumers of those images. But this book looks beyond the obvious. The contributors examine historical and contemporary examples that reflect the role of the media or mass communication or both during wartime. The essays highlight the centrality of communication to the perpetuation and to the resolution of war, suggesting that the symbiotic relationship between communication and war is as important to understand as war itself.

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.

With careers spanning eight decades, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera were two of the most prolific animation producers in American history. In 1940, the two met at MGM and created Tom and Jerry, who would earn 14 Academy Award nominations and seven wins. The growth of television led to the founding of Hanna-Barbera's legendary studio that produced countless hours of cartoons, with beloved characters from Fred Flintstone, George Jetson and Scooby-Doo to the Super Friends and the Smurfs. Prime-time animated sitcoms, Saturday morning cartoons, and Cartoon Network's cable animation are some of the many areas of television revolutionized by the team. Their productions are critical to our cultural history, reflecting ideologies and trends in both media and society. This book offers a complete company history and examines its productions' influences, changing technologies, and enduring cultural legacy, with careful attention to Hanna-Barbera's problematic record of racial and gender representation.

The Animation Studies Reader brings together both key writings within animation studies and new material in emerging areas of the field. The collection provides readers with seminal texts that ground animation studies within the contexts of theory and aesthetics, form and genre, and issues of representation. The first section collates key readings on animation theory, on how we might conceptualise animation, and on some of the fundamental qualities of animation. New material is also introduced in this section specifically addressing questions raised by the nature, style and materiality of animation. The second section outlines some of the main forms that animation takes, which includes discussions of genre. Although this section cannot be exhaustive, the material chosen is particularly useful as it provides samples of analysis that can illuminate some of the issues the first section of the book raises. The third section focuses on issues of representation and how the medium of animation might have an impact on how bodies, gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity are represented. These representations can only be read through an understanding of the questions that the first two sections of the book raise; we can only decode these representations if we take into account form and genre, and theoretical conceptualisations such as visual pleasure, spectacle, the uncanny, realism etc.

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.

Re-Imagining Animation: The Changing Face of the Moving Image by Paul Wells and Johnny Hardstaff explores the changing nature of animation in the twenty-first century. Animation was once constructed frame-by-frame, but now the creation and manipulation of the moving image has changed. With the digital revolution, what was once merely an adjunct of film has become central to the entire cinematic enterprise. This title examines animation's changing role through engagement with a series of contemporary moving-image works, and comprises an important text on a popular subject. Each case study looks at the entire creative process, from the initial creative stimulus, through the development of an aesthetic and the technical production of the work, to the final outcome. This book is suitable for students of animation, established professional animators, and anyone with an interest in animation.