We all watched Mickey Mouse as children and we wondered who our first animated cartoon friend actually was.
The Art Part…
One of the very first successful animated cartoons was Gertie the Dinosaur, created in 1914 by Windsor McCay. Although there had been animated films before this, such as Fantasmagorie (1908) by Emile Cohl, Gertie the Dinosaur was one of the first animated films to attempt to create a sense of depth and perception on screen.
The film was largely successful and helped establish Windsor McCay as a pioneer in the field of animation.
However, despite the films success, it wasn’t until the 1937 release of Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves that animated cartoons cemented their place in the growing landscape of cinema. Snow White was the first animated film to be produced in full colour and full sound and revolutionised the animation industry.
Even though other studios such as Paramount were producing animated films at this time, in the 1930’s & 1940’s no one could do it quite like Walt Disney, who went on to produce such classics like Lady & The Tramp and Fantasia.
Whilst we can always be grateful to the House of Mouse for introducing countless generations to our animated friends, it is because of the revolutionary techniques of people like Windsor McCay and his dancing dino that all of this was made possible.
Click HERE to watch the original, Gertie the Dinosaur.