Thoughtnami Classics | The Other 15 Big Moments in Animation

Originally Posted 06/05/06 by Jeff Harris

While I'm pondering the need for a Top Ten Biggest Turning Points in Animation list, I know that Jerry Beck had a lot of material to ponder. He made great choices. Even the questionable ones like Ren and Stimpy and Gerald McBoing Boing made sense if you think long and hard about it.

Here's the list Mr. Beck made:

GERTIE THE DINOSAUR (1914)
STEAMBOAT WILLIE (1928)
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)
GERALD McBOING BOING (1950)
THE FLINTSTONES (1960)
FRITZ THE CAT (1972)
AKIRA (1988)
THE SIMPSONS (1989)
THE REN & STIMPY SHOW (1991)
TOY STORY (1995)

But ten isn't enough. It should have been a Top 25 Biggest Turning Points in Animation. I'm just taken aback that there Mr. Beck didn't mention any Fleischer, MGM, nor Warner Bros. shorts at all. Perhaps, subconsciously, this was his protest against Time Warner and Cartoon Network for removing those shorts from the more availiable Cartoon Network to Boomerang, almost totally removing Looney Tunes from public view, and failing to put Popeye on DVD.

Here are my picks for "The Other 15 Big Turning Points in Animation:" And yes, in case you're wondering, I do have a Westernized view of animation for the most part.

Popeye The Sailor (Fleischer/Paramount, 1933):

A Betty Boop cartoon that introduced a cultural icon who would become worlds more popular than she ever was.

A Wild Hare (Avery/WB, 1940):

Although not the first cartoon to feature the rabbit that would become known as Bugs Bunny, the short cemented the character dynamics of the franchise and elevating the studio to greatness.

Superman (Fleischer/Paramount, 1941):

One of the costliest productions of its time, this series brought a comic book icon into full-color motion setting a standard still held for generations.

Red Hot Riding Hood (Avery/MGM, 1943):

Tex Avery's break from Warner Bros. actually let his comic genius truly shine at MGM, and this is the master at work.

Astro Boy (Tezuka/Mushi, 1964):

Already a popular comic book in Japan, Osamu Tezuka brought his creation to the small screen, literally creating an industry out of Japanese animation.

A Charlie Brown Christmas (Melendez, 1965):

A special that didn't adhere to the commercialistic attitudes of Christmas (which How The Grinch Stole Christmas would echo a year later) and actually celebrating what Christmas is really all about.

Schoolhouse Rock (ABC, 1972):

Every producer who wants to make an entertaining E/I series should watch every one of these shorts A Clockwork Orange style.

A Grand Day Out (Park/Aardman, 1989):

Nick Park did what Closkey and Vinton tried, but couldn't totally accomplish . . . create enduring, entertaining characters out of plasticine and making them worth watching again and again.

Beauty and the Beast (Trousdale/Wise/Disney, 1991):

The reason why the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided to separate animated films from the Best Picture category.

Batman: The Animated Series (Dini/Timm/Burnett/WB, 1992):

What Dave Fleischer started in 1941 with the Superman series, the team of Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, and Alan Burnett exceeded with their Batman series, wiping away decades of campiness that persisted since the 1960s and creating something worth watching. Something that was truly revolutionary.

Animaniacs (Warner Bros., 1993):

One of the few Warner Bros. productions to adhere to the comedic and themetic spirit of the original Looney Tunes shorts (it's spinoff, Pinky and the Brain is the other), Animaniacs created comic mischief for five good years, introducing new characters, spoofing pop culture without making it a throwaway, non-connected joke, and making background music, arranged by the late Richard Stone, a real character ala what Carl Stalling did in the original theatrical shorts.

ReBoot (Mainframe, 1994):

Before Toy Story, there was ReBoot, the first computer-animated production to be seen on a weekly basis. In 1994, that's saying a lot. It became ABC's highest-rated series, and the only reason it was cancelled was because Disney took over the network. But the series' creation convinced others that 3D animation could work on a weekly basis.

Space Ghost Coast to Coast (Cartoon Network, 1994):

The idea of splicing scenes into a new production wasn't a new practice (Woody Allen and Carl Reiner did it in What's Up, Tiger Lilly? and Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, respectedly). Americanized series from Japan such as Voltron and Robotech were built from many unconnected series. When Space Ghost Coast to Coast came around, it transformed one of Hanna-Barbera's B-level characters, an intergalactic law keeper of sorts, into a pompous talk-show host, interviewing many celebrities, large and small over the years. It was also the first production to come from Williams Street Productions, producers of The Rudy and Gogo Cartoon Show, Cartoon Planet, Toonami, and Miguzi. But their most popular project was Adult Swim, which engineered new shows similar to SGC2C and completely originally-animated ones.

What A Cartoon!/Oh Yeah! Cartoons (Seibert/Cartoon Network [WAC!]/Nickelodeon [OY!C], 1995 [WAC!]/1998[OY!C]) and yes, I am grouping them together:

Dexter's Laboratory. The Powerpuff Girls. Cow and Chicken. Johnny Bravo. Mina and the Count. The Fairly Oddparents. ChalkZone. My Life As A Teenaged Robot. All of these series were spawned by the creator-guided animation endeavors launched by Fred Seibert. This underappreciated genius was the guy who introduced the creators behind these shorts to the world courtesy of Hanna-Barbera and his own Studio Frederator. It's because of these shorts that kids are now entertained by more original characters that have lasting entertainment (and merchandising) power.

Homestar Runner (The Brothers Chaps, 2000):

The most recent moment is something that's still going on. Homestar Runner utilizes Flash animation and creating something of an oddity on the interweb . . . a funny, well-written series that attracts college-aged viewers and little kids. For a series that was intended on being a children's book, Homestar has become something of a phenominon in the world of animation.