Almost all of us enjoyed watching animated cartoons during our childhood. The antics of silly characters brought us a lot of joy and laughter. Although these characters are fictional, as children, we often imagined ourselves in those humorous situations, right? We were curious about their origins. Where did these characters come from? Who was responsible for their creation? And how did it all happen?

In this blog, I will take you through the fascinating world of animation. We will explore the stories of the creators, creation, and some of your favorite characters. When we think of animation, we are taken back to ancient times. Yes! The concept of animation is that ancient. Animation has evolved into the complex technology we see today in a variety of ways, from early Greek pottery to eye toys in the seventeenth century to computer-generated graphics in the twenty-first century.

Firstly, let's understand what exactly animation is. Animation is the art of making motionless objects seem to move. Through various techniques, animators manipulate images and drawings to create the illusion of movement, telling stories to their audience on screen. Many consider early Greek pottery to be a primitive form of animation, illustrating scenes of motion and expression across its surface, akin to a comic strip.

From Flickering Lanterns to Animated Legends: The Creative Evolution of Moving Pictures

Since early animators developed techniques to create moving images long before the invention of cameras or recording devices, the origins of animation extend far beyond those of cinema. Prior to the emergence of popular CGI films such as Pixar's Toy Story 3 (2010) and the acclaimed Finding Nemo (2003), the earliest animated sequence filmed on a standard movie reel was J. Stuart Blackton's The Enchanted Drawing (1900), which included a live performer, props, and stop-motion methods in a two-minute comedic clip.

Animation developed over the years, with one of the earliest cartoons being Fantasmagorie (1908), a two-minute stick figure animation by French cartoonist Émile Cohl. In 1914, Winsor McCay’s Gertie the Dinosaur revolutionized animation by being the first animated film to employ techniques such as keyframing, inbetweens, and animation loops, setting standards that shaped the animation industry moving forward. Later, Walt Disney’s short film Steamboat Willie (1928) became notable for being the first animated film with a complete score, popularizing both Mickey Mouse and the use of sound in animated cinema.

Do you know what techniques animators use to develop specific characters? Throughout history, various devices and toys have depicted lively scenes featuring animated cartoon characters, objects, and events:

1. The magic lantern: Developed in 1603, this image projection device utilized a mirror behind a light source (initially a candle) to direct light through glass slides, projecting illustrations. Arranging the slides together created movement, marking the magic lantern as the first instance of "moving pictures."
2. Thaumatrope: This optical toy from the nineteenth century had two threads holding a disk with pictures on either side. The "persistence of vision," an optical illusion that deceives the eye into believing motion long after it has stopped, caused the pictures to merge when the strings were twisted to spin the disk.
3. Phenakistoscope: Also known as the Fantascope and sometimes spelled "phenakistiscope," this device appeared around 1833, showcasing spinning painted cardboard disks reflected in mirrors, creating the illusion of movement. There was only one viewer at a time who could experience the phenakistoscope.
4. Zoetrope: Serving as the successor to the phenakistoscope, the zoetrope was a cylindrical device that displayed images in sequential phases of motion, allowing multiple viewers to observe the animation simultaneously. The cylinder included several vertical slits, enabling the eye to distinguish the images while in motion.
5. Kineograph: Meaning “moving picture” in Latin, the kineograph (or flipbook) was introduced in 1868. This small book contained drawings where each page portrayed a different action, so flipping the pages quickly in sequence would animate a scene.
6. Praxinoscope: This instrument replaced the zoetrope in 1877 by substituting an inner circle of angled mirrors for its narrow vertical slits. These mirrors improved the clarity and vibrancy of the animation compared to viewing moving images through slits.

A Journey through the Origins of Animated Cinema

Émile Reynaud’s Pauvre Pierrot (1892) is considered the first animated film as it utilized a longer image roll for the praxinoscope, providing an extended viewing duration. Pauvre Pierrot is often recognized as the inaugural animated film because Reynaud painted 500 individual images by hand on his picture roll instead of using photographs. Nonetheless, film historians contend that Émile Cohl’s Fantasmagorie (1908) represents the first occurrence of a film created with traditional animation techniques, marking it as the true first animated movie.

Some people believe that J. Stuart Blackton’s Humorous Phases of Funny Faces (1906), a British-American production, holds the title of the first film in the animation industry. Blackton employed stop-motion animation to show a variety of animated characters changing their movements throughout the three-minute runtime. The first animated film to be technically captured on actual film was Humorous Phases of Funny Faces, which was the first to be recorded on traditional picture film.

As time passed, we eventually reached the milestone of the First Feature-Length Animated Film, which was none other than Walt Disney Studios’ Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). This film utilized the traditional cel animation process, which involved creating two-dimensional visuals on a transparent sheet of celluloid.

The Birth of Computer Graphics and Animation

The computer era followed, with individuals beginning to explore computer graphics starting in the 1940s for scientific and research applications. Composer, animator, and inventor John Whitney Sr. crafted a custom computer device from a modified Kerrison Predictor, a fire-control system from World War II. By leveraging mathematics to control the device more accurately, they were able to create precise lines and shapes. One of the first live-action movies to use computer animation was Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 thriller Vertigo, whose opening title sequence was animated by Whitney Sr. with assistance from renowned graphic designer Saul Bass.

By the 1960s, innovative digital graphics flourished as more computers became available to the public. In the 1970s, many began to embrace computer graphics as an art form. Graphic design tools and software for computers kept evolving, while government funding granted to the University of Utah resulted in groundbreaking animation projects, notably one by Ed Catmull titled Hand/Face (1972). The potential of computer animation continued to grow as more individuals recognized the possibilities of this new medium, eventually leading to the CGI masterpieces that are prevalent in our media today.

The Legacy Lives On

From spinning toys and flickering lanterns, animation has evolved into the stunning digital worlds of modern blockbusters. What started off as straightforward handcrafted illusions has developed into a potent narrative tool that enthralls audiences of all ages. Every talking animal or bouncing ball has its roots in a tradition of creativity, ingenuity, and unwavering curiosity. The spirit of the early animators endures as technology pushes the envelope, reminding us that there is enchantment in every frame.