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"In 1911, the famed cartoonist Winsor McCay debuted an animated version of his popular newspaper strip, Little Nemo in Slumberland. Loosely inspired by Sigmund Freud's research on dreams, the film was one of the very first of its kind. McCay is largely forgotten today, but his work helped unleash the creative energy of animators like Otto Messmer, Max Fleischer, Walt Disney, and Chuck Jones. Their origin stories, rivalries, and sheer genius, as Reid Mitenbuler skillfully relates, were as colorful and subversive as their creations--from Felix the Cat to Bugs Bunny to feature films such as Fantasia--which became an integral part of American culture over the next five decades. Before television, animated cartoons were often "little hand grenades of social and political satire" aimed squarely at adults. Early Betty Boop cartoons included nudity. Popeye stories slyly criticized the injustices of unchecked capitalism. Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner were used to explore hidden depths of the American psyche. "During its first half-century," Mitenbuler writes, "animation was an important part of the culture wars about free speech, censorship, the appropriate boundaries of humor, and the influence of art and media on society." During WWII it also played a significant role in propaganda. The golden age of animation ended with the advent of television when cartoons were sanitized to appeal to a growing demographic of children and help advertisers sell sugary breakfast cereals. Alongside these stories, Mitenbuler incorporates the surprising contributions of Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), voice artist Mel Blanc, composer Leopold Stokowski, and many others whose talents influenced the world of animation. Illustrated throughout in both black-and-white and color, with rare drawings and photographs, Wild Minds is an ode to our lively past and to the creative energy that would inspire The Simpsons, South Park, and BoJack Horseman today"-- Provided by publisher
"The vivid and untold story of the golden age of classic animation and the often larger-than-life artists who created some of the most iconic cartoon characters of the twentieth century."--Dust jacket flap

The 1st Ice Age movie introduced the world to 3 sub-zero heroes, Manny the mammoth, Sid the sloth and Diego the sabre-tooth tiger - the strangest herd its prehistoric inhabitants had ever seen - along with nut-obsessed squirrel Scrat. This book celebrates the art behind all 4 movies in the blockbuster series, along with the short films, with an exclusive in-depth look at the upcoming 5th movie, Collision Course.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• 1. Introduction, Caroline Ruddell and Paul Ward.-
• 2. Made by Hand, Birgitta Hosea.-
• 3. Craft as Critique in Experimental Animation, Lilly Husbands.-
• 4. Lotte Reiniger: The Crafty Animator and Cultural Value, Katharina Boeckenhoff and Caroline Ruddell.-
• 5. Autobiography and Authenticity in Stop-Motion Animation, Carla MacKinnon.-
• 6. Handmade Aesthetics in Animation for Adults and Children, Ewan Kirkland.-
• 7. In good hands? Indexes and interfaces in A Computer Animated Hand (Ed Catmull & Frederic Parke, 1972), Christopher Holliday.-
• 8. Crafted Wonder: The Puppet's Place within Popular Special Effects Reception, Alexander Sergeant.-
• 9. Q&A with Eric Dyer, Caroline Ruddell and Paul Ward.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

This collection is a study of the value of craft as it can be understood within the study and practice of animation. The book reconsiders the position of craft, which is often understood as inferior to `art', with a particular focus on questions of labour in animation production and gendered practices. The notion of craft has been widely investigated in a number of areas including art, design and textiles, but despite the fact that a wide range of animators use craft-based techniques, the value of craft has not been interrogated in this context until now. Seeking to address such a gap in the literature, this collection considers the concept of craft through a range of varying case studies. Chapters include studies on experimental animation, computer animation, trauma and memory, children's animation and silhouette animation among others. The Crafty Animator also goes some way to exploring the relationship craft has with the digital in the context of animation production. Through these varied discussions, this book problematizes simplistic notions about the value of certain methods and techniques, working to create a dialogue between craft and animation.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)