Online animation schools allow you to fulfill your dream of becoming an animator without having to completely relocate or change your lifestyle. The resources we have included will allow you to learn more about the field into which you are entering and give you a greater appreciation for the history of the animation industry and the animators who have brought so many beloved characters to life. From Betty Boop to Bugs Bunny, Popeye to Homer Simpson, or Walt to Babbitt or Hanna and Barbera; no matter who you are a fan of, you are sure to enjoy these blogs.
Top Animated Cartoon Characters
Growing up most children of the 20th century watched cartoons. Inevitably one cartoon would become a lifelong favorite. These blogs explore some of the most popular animations ever created.
- Betty Boop Cartoon Collection
Betty Boop is an iconic American cartoon from the 1930s, drawn by Max Fleischer. This site shows the various incarnations of Betty Boop over the decades.
- Too Looney: Appreciating the Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons
Too Looney takes an in depth look at the art and animation of Warner Brothers. They provide insight into the drawings, cels, layouts, backgrounds, and models.
- Popeye Heyday Animation Art
This site displays an original 1947 storyboard from animator Izzy Klein. Each cell is individually labeled and can be more closely examined to appreciate the detail.
- Mickey Mouse History
This site looks at the history of one of the most beloved animated characters in history, Mickey Mouse. From his humble beginnings as a cartoon character to his explosive fame that resulted in Walt Disney’s animating empire.
- How to draw Wile E CoyoteWile E Coyote is one of the most famous animated villains. A loveable and often foolish bad guy, this particular toon is easy to draw with these step by step instructions.
Animators and Their Work
Most people identify with a particular cartoon character or animated series, however, without the animator these favorites would not be possible. Learn more about the animators that have changed the industry.
- Walt Disney
The name Walt Disney is now synonymous with cartoon characters, animated movies, and theme parks. But in the beginning he was just a man. This site offers a short biography of this animator and entrepreneur.
- Richard Williams: Animation Reels
Richard Williams was an animator that specialized in commercials. His work is among the most famous from the London based 13 Soho Square studio.
- Beauty and the Beast: Glen Keane on Discovering the Beauty in the Beast
This site has a transcript for a lengthy interview in which Glen Keane discusses his work on a variety of Disney animated films including Beauty and the Beast and how the story, background, and characters came to life.
- Disney Legend Ollie Johnson (1912 - 2008)
Ollie Johnson was part of what became the Nine Old Men of Disney. He was known for his relationship building animations. He was an animator for The Jungle Book, Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and more.
- Century Birthday - Art Babbitt
Art Babbit is most well known for his animation for Walt Disney and is often credited for developing Goofy. This post provides an in depth look at his life and works.
- WhatIfGaming Interview: Hayao Miyazaki - Legendary Anime Director, Writer, Producer
Hayao Miyazaki is a well known anime director in Japan. This interview was conducted by What if Gaming and the transcript of the dialogue has been translated into English.
- Video Find: The Speed Demon Sequence – Animation created by Will Vinton
This video displays some of the best work of Will Vinton. The video is of the Michael Jackson music video, Moon Walker and includes live action and animation.
- William Hanna
William Hanna is probably best known for creating Scooby-Doo, the Flintstones, and the Smurfs. He was a prolific animator, director, and producer. This post discusses his life and his artistic accomplishments.
- Joseph Barbera Pictures & Biography
Joseph Barbera was an American animator that worked on some of the most famous cartoons of his time including The Jetsons, Charlotte’s Web, and the Flintstones. This post describes his life and discusses much of his work.
- The Tex Avery Story
Fredrick Bean Avery, also known as Tex Avery, was an animation enthusiast from an early age. He worked with a variety of companies and created many memorable characters.
People and Their Animation
Not all animators have created household animated names. Many, just like you, are students or work in niche markets that may not receive as much media attention. Learn more about these artists and their work.
- Mike Milo’s Journal
Mike Milo is an animator, director, writer, and producer. His work has been featured in Disney’s Phineas and Ferb. He has also worked for the Cartoon Network and Smosh.com.
- Spicy Cricket
Angiie Jones is the author of the Spicey Cricket blog. She has been an animator for more than a decade and has contributed to both animated films and commercials.
- Hongkie Town - Bugs Bunny
The author of this blog, Spike, is a Bronx native living in Hong Kong. In this post he discusses the new book by Dave Kehr that takes a look at the extensive history of Bugs Bunny.
- Art For Pizza: Paolo Cogliati - Computer Animation
The author of this blog, Paolo Cogliati, is originally from Rome but has lived in Japan since the age of eight. He is now a computer animation major. He discusses art and school work in his blog.
- Women in Animation
This site is dedicated to helping female animators network and participate in educational opportunities. The network includes animators from around the world in any of a number of animation fields.
Great Classics
Classic animation becomes a classic for one reason, quality. These top quality animators and animations are just as endearing today as they were a generation ago. Learn more about them by exploring the following resources.
- Classic Flavor: Hanna-Barbera Cartoon Animations
This post discusses the Hanna-Barbera brand and its appeal to adults as well as children. This is a delightful history of a beloved animation team that created shows such as Tom and Jerry, The Jetsons, and The Smurfs.
- Tom and Jerry - Pots and Pans
This post provides a six minute video clip of one of the original 1930s Tom and Jerry cartoons. In this clip food preparation is set to music and the workers enjoy their task.
- The First Official Disney Goofy Cartoon from 1939
This bit of animation history is in the form of a seven minute cartoon clip that captures the debut of Goofy, who was previously known as Dippy Dawg.
- Classic Cartoons
This post provides numerous still life images of a 1948 cartoon known as Half-Pint Pygmy. The characters in the cartoon were inspired by the novel Of Mice and Men.
- Popeye Animators
This blog is written to explore and celebrate the life and works of the animators that helped create the iconic cartoon character, Popeye.
- Tom and Jerry: Chuck Jones Collection- Attractive Mouse
This post discusses Tom and Jerry, a classic cartoon that featured the immensely funny antics of an animated cat trying desperately to catch his nemesis, Jerry the mouse.
History
To understand the present day situation of any person, company, nation, or industry one must first understand the history. Take a look at these resources to learn more about the animation industry.
- ASIFA - Hollywood Animation Archive
This blog focuses on historic Hollywood animation. Topics that are frequently discussed include cartoons, comics, animation art, history of animation, and animation education.
- David Gerstein's Ramapith Prehistoric Pop Culture Blog
The author of this blog, David Gerstein, is a graphic designer as well as a writer, editor, and historian. He combines all of these skills to discuss historic comics and cartoons.
- A. Film L.A.
The author of this blog, Hans Perk, is an animator and co-founder of A. Film. He frequently discusses animator drafts, company news, Disney animation, and animated videos.
- Uncle John's Crazy Town
This blog updates frequently and displays historic animated videos and images and then provides commentary about each. Some of the artwork is for cartoons and others are animated ads.
- Cartoons, Model Sheets, & Stuff
The author of this blog, Kevin Langley, discusses a variety of animated topics, animators, and animated characters including Hanna Barbera, Tex Avery, and Warner Brothers.
- It's The Cat - Mark Kausler's CatBlog
This blog is maintained by Mark Kausler. The topic of the blog is the animated feature, It’s the Cat. The site discusses the story, song, and filmmakers of the piece and also provides an image gallery.
- Michael Sporn Animation, Inc. Splog
This blog focuses on the Michael Sporn Animation company. Topics include layout and design, models, photos, puppet animation, and independent animation.
- What About Thad?
The author of this blog, Thad Komorowski, discusses a variety of animation topics such a classic animation and modern animation and frequently provides examples of both.
- Artists on the Right: Walt Disney Part 2
This blog discusses the ideology and political leanings of one of the world’s most influential animators, Walt Disney. This is an in depth look at his beliefs and how they might be viewed today.
Cartoons and Films - Animation Art
The following resources provide a closer look at the art of animation. Detailed examples of a variety of artist’s work are provided. Many of these resources are available at a larger scale so one may fully appreciate the artistic talent.
- Cowan Collection: Animation and Comic Art
The author of this blog, Robert Cowan, is a business man with a passion for collecting animation and comic artifacts. He shares images of his collection and provides a commentary on each piece.
- Animation Art & Cel Gallery by Ryan & Stephanie
The authors of this site, Ryan and Stephanie, have created a collection of animation cells that visitors can view online by selecting the category they are most interested in exploring.
- Walt Disney Sample Portfolio - Talkin' Cartoons and Film-making
This post provides an extensive collection of scanned images from a Walt Disney Sample Portfolio. The images can be viewed on one page or downloaded as a PDF for a larger image.
- Behind the Scenes in the World of Animated Films!
Rob Richards, the author of this blog, discusses a variety of animated films including Beauty and the Beast, 101 Dalmatians, and Lilo and Stitch.
- The Birth of Bugs Bunny
This blog is maintained by a Bugs Bunny enthusiast who posts information about the popular animated character as well as links to products that explore the history of the mischievous rabbit.
Animation in the News
While the history of the industry is important, it is equally important to stay abreast of the most recent happenings. Learn about the trends and hot topics in order to stay ahead of the curve and be prepared for the future.
- Mayerson on Animation
The author of this blog, Mark Mayerson, has been a writer, producer, director and animator for almost three decades. This blog focuses on the most current topics in animation.
- Toonzone
This site is a mixture of animated news and commentary on animation. Topics frequently include specific artists, animation, and insider information.
- Korean Animators Switch over to the MMO Industry
This post discusses the new trend of Korean animators who are abandoning their jobs as comic animators and are entering the world of game development animation.
- TexAvery News
This site is devoted to news about the works and creations of Tex Avery. Some of the news stories are specifically about him and others are about the newest developments with the characters he created.
- Acting for Animators - Ed's Newsletter
Animators must know the fundamentals of acting in order to create characters that are convincing in their intrapersonal interactions. This newsletter provides the latest information about this.
- Animation Nation
This newsletter is one of the premier news outlets for the animation industry. They discuss topics about the field of animation as well as about the art of creating a nuanced animation.
- ColdHardFlash
This blog specifically discusses the news that relates to the world of flash animation. This particular selection pertains to the popular Cartoon Network.
- Lineboil - a daily bowl of hot animation
This animation news site promises readers a bowl of hot animation daily. Topics frequently include Disney, Pixar, Fox, Comedy Central, South Park, and Dreamworks.
- Creative Cow - Hot Industry News
This news site offers industry news for media specialists but also serves the purpose of connecting peers to form a supportive community of likeminded individuals.
- Animation Artist - Animation News
This blog provides a look at the animation of a popular children’s story, Anne of Green Gables. This detailed article provides information about the story line and the lead character’s animated future.
Becoming an animator will allow you access into an elite group of individuals who make fantasy become a tangible reality for children and adults. You will be among those who have allowed a mouse to whistle, a mermaid to walk on land, and who have transformed a servant girl into a princess. Look at these blogs not only for the history they can teach you but for a glimpse of what the future may hold.
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