Independent animation
The term independent animation refers to animated shorts, web series, and feature films produced outside a major national animation industry.
Criteria[edit]
A good portion of the work is viewed in animation festivals and private screen rooms along with schools that produce animation through instruction. The significance of independent animation is as important as studio fare. "Independent" initially implied amateurs and unknowns. However, following the implosion of the entertainment industry and mass layoffs of animators, "indie" now almost exclusively refers to industry veterans with connections producing content on their own time.
United States[edit]
In America, working independent animators included Mary Ellen Bute,[1] John Whitney,[1] Harry Everett Smith[2] and Oskar Fischinger[1] alongside earlier efforts of what would later become UPA.[3][4]
In 1959, The Academy Awards witnessed the first independent animated film to win an Oscar with John Hubley's Moonbird which was also produced by wife and collaborator Faith Hubley using limited animation to tell their own personal stories.[5][6]
Jordan Belson,[3] Robert Breer[7] and Stan Vanderbeek[1] made groundbreaking experimental animation during this time.[5]
Avant-garde animator Carmen D'Avino's Oscar-nominated Pianissimo (1963)[8][9][10] was distributed by none other than Amos Vogel's legendary Cinema 16.[11]
Other independent animators during this time included Charles Braverman,[3] Gene Deitch,[3] Fred Mogubgub,[12] Fred Wolf[13] and Will Vinton.[14][15] The latter two would go on to win Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film along with the works of the Hubleys and Ernest Pintoff starting in the late 1950s-early 1960s.[16]
In the late 1960s, animator Ralph Bakshi and producer Steve Krantz founded Bakshi Productions,[18] establishing the studio as an alternative to mainstream animation by producing animation his own way and accelerating the advancement of female and minority animators. He also paid his employees a higher salary than any other studio at that time.[19] In 1969, Ralph's Spot was founded as a division of Bakshi Productions to produce commercials for Coca-Cola and Max, the 2000-Year-Old Mouse, a series of educational shorts paid for by Encyclopædia Britannica.[20][21] However, Bakshi was uninterested in the kind of animation he was producing, and wanted to produce something personal. Bakshi soon developed Heavy Traffic, a tale of inner-city street life. However, Krantz told Bakshi that studio executives would be unwilling to fund the film because of its content and Bakshi's lack of film experience.[21] While browsing the East Side Book Store on St. Mark's Place, Bakshi came across a copy of R. Crumb's Fritz the Cat. Impressed by Crumb's sharp satire, Bakshi purchased the book and suggested to Krantz that it would work as a film.[21]
Fritz the Cat (1972) was the first animated film to receive an X rating from the MPAA, and the highest grossing independent animated film of all time.[21] Bakshi then simultaneously directed a number of animated films, starting with Heavy Traffic a year later. Ralph Bakshi became the first person in the animation industry since Walt Disney to have two financially successful films released back-to-back.[22]
Alongside Bakshi came other independent animated features of the 70s and 80s (some made by former Disney animators) such as John David Wilson's Shinbone Alley (1971), Don Bluth's The Secret of NIMH (1982), Vinton's The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985) and Jerry Rees's cult classic The Brave Little Toaster (1987).[23][24][25][26]
Notable award-winning films also from the 70s and 80s included Dale Case and Bob Mitchell's The Further Adventures of Uncle Sam (1970),[27] Ted Petok's The Crunch Bird (1971),[28] Frank Mouris's Frank Film (1973)[29] and Jimmy Picker's Sundae in New York (1983).[30]
Animation historians John Canemaker[31] and Michael Sporn[32] also made independent animation in New York, both earning Oscar nods for their work (only Canemaker won in 2005).
Other animators like Candy Kugel,[33] Jeff Scher,[34] Joanna Priestley, Kathy Rose, Suzan Pitt, Robert Swarthe, Vince Collins, Barrie Nelson, Eli Noyes, Sky David (aka Dennis Pies),[10] Steve Segal, Mike Jittlov, Paul Fierlinger,[35] Adam Beckett, Lillian Schwartz, Larry Cuba and George Griffin also made experimental and personal animation during the mid- to late 1970s through the early- to mid-1980s.[3][36][10][37]
In the 1970s, independent animator Sally Cruikshank (known for the 1975 cult short Quasi at the Quackadero alongside animated segments for Sesame Street[38]) continued to explore independent and D.I.Y. distribution options, but were still largely met with rejection even though her work is now considered ground breaking.[39]
Collections of independent films have been gathered for theatrical viewing, and video release, under such titles as the International Tournee of Animation (which existed between about 1965[40] and ended in the late 1990s), Spike and Mike's Classic Festival of Animation (1977 to 1990) and Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation since 1990. Contemporary independent animators, including Steven Subotnick,[41] Bill Plympton,[42][43] Don Hertzfeldt,[44] Nina Paley[42] and PES[44] have also made work outside of the studio system.
Later independent animation[edit]
The rise of the Internet in the 1990s and 2000s saw an exponential increase in the production of independent animation which included personal independent works by Timothy Hittle,[45] Janie Geiser,[46] John R. Dilworth, Lewis Klahr[47][48] and John Schnall.[49][50] Personal computer power increased to the point where it was possible for a single person to produce an animated cartoon on a home computer, using software such as Flash, and distribute these short films over the World Wide Web. Independently produced Internet cartoons flourished as the popularity of the Web grew, and a number of strange, often hilarious short cartoons were produced for the Web.
In the late 1990s, an independent animated short film called The Spirit of Christmas was produced for under $2,000 by two artists, Matt Stone and Trey Parker. This film was widely distributed on the Internet as a pirated cartoon, and its phenomenal popularity gave rise to the popular television animated series South Park.[51] Limited 1990s bandwidth made streaming difficult, if not impossible. While some animators like Spümcø's John K. opted to use Flash, it still required a plug-in making it unviewable in many early web browsers. Other early online animators like M. Wartella opted to use the Animated GIF to overcome these limitations and create early web-based animation viewable through all browsers.[52]
Independent animation in the 2000s included animated features such as Paley's Sita Sings The Blues, the CGI-animated features Hoodwinked! and Barnyard[53] and Indiewood director Wes Anderson's first foray into animation territory: his 2009 stop motion adaptation of Roland Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox.[54]
By the mid-to-late 2000s YouTube and the Internet and like-minded online video distribution, in addition to independent broadcasting sites that followed, proved to be a dominant form of independently distributed, broadcast, edited, and produced animation TV shows, anime, feature films, music videos, retro animation, commercials, trailers, original online animation content, and web exclusives[55] (which would otherwise not stand a chance of seeing airtime on more normal and expensive forms of mainstream broadcasting on most television networks, which still continue to function on a more traditional distribution matrix). The Annoying Orange, which started off as a series of viral quasi-CGI animated comedy shorts on YouTube, quickly gained a cult following and an excess of 100 million views online. It is an example of an animated web series to transition between Internet and television distribution successfully, as an animated series on Cartoon Network.[51]
Recent independent animations released on YouTube include the adult animated web series Helluva Boss, and pilots for Hazbin Hotel, Long Gone Gulch, Murder Drones and Lackadaisy.[56] While Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel are made by independent animator Vivienne Medrano,[57][58] Long Gone Gulch was written and produced by Tara Billinger and Zach Bellissimo, who had worked on animations for Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and Disney+.[59] At the same time, the all-ages web series, Sherwood, also released all 12 episodes on YouTube Originals, made freely available in April 2020.[60]
Alternative comics artist turned animator Dash Shaw's Cryptozoo enjoyed critical success at the Sundance Film Festival to the point of winning the NEXT Innovator Award while it was also nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the Independent Spirit Awards a year afterwards.[61][62][63]
Oscar-nominated animator Andrew Chesworth formerly worked at Disney (being animator on Wreck It Ralph, Frozen, Get a Horse!, Big Hero 6, Feast, Zootopia and Moana)[64][65] and Netflix (on the 2019 Annie Award for Best Animated Feature winner Klaus)[66] while working independently on his passion projects including his 2023 Oscar-qualifying[67][68] The Brave Locomotive, a love letter to the Andrews Sisters and 1940s animation. First conceived in 2008, he released online in 2015 the opening sequence that was in progress before shelving it after being hired by Disney in 2011.[69]
Other notable animated indie efforts of the 2020s include Marcel the Shell with Shoes On,[70][71][72][73] Ninety-Five Senses,[74] War Is Over![75] and My Year of Dicks.[76]
Representations[edit]
LGBT representation in independent animation has increased over the years, as many series have featured LGBTQ characters. Lizzy the Lezzy, which premiered on Myspace in 2006, included LGBTQ+ characters like Lizzy, a lesbian.[77] Plum, a bisexual character, first appeared in the animated series, Bravest Warriors, a show which aired on Cartoon Hangover's YouTube channel from 2012 to 2018, as confirmed by her crushes and by writer Kate Leth.[78][79][80] The show was made by Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward and featuring Ian Jones-Quartey, who voiced the character, Wallow, while he directed his own show, OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes which featured multiple LGBTQ+ characters. Although Plum had a crush on Chris, kissing him multiple times during the show, she is also madly in love with her doppelganger as shown in the comics.
The Rooster Teeth animated web series, RWBY, which began in 2013, features lesbian characters,[81][82][83] and a trans woman named May Marigold, voiced by Kdin Jenzen.[84][85] Nomad of Nowhere, another RoosterTeeth show, released in 2018, featured a lesbian protagonist named Skout, who had a crush on Captain Toth, her superior.[86][87] In addition, Hazbin Hotel, by Vivienne Medrano, centers around a bisexual princess of Hell named Charlie, with a girlfriend named Vaggie,[88][89] with the series also featuring an asexual character named Alastor,[88][90] and a gay pornstar named Angel Dust.[91][89][92] Medrano's other series, Helluva Boss, featured various bisexual characters, such as a demon named Moxxie,[93] and a pansexual demon named Blitzo.[94]
My Pride: The Series, which premiered in February 2020 on YouTube, follows a "queer, disabled lioness" named Nothing who is trying to heal the world.[95][96] Yssa Badiola of Recorded by Arizal hosted a RTX panel, on September 21, 2020, and stated that there would be LGBTQ characters if a full season was ordered.[97][98] Nico Colaleo's animated web series, Too Loud, the first season which ran from July to August 2017, and the second season which aired from September to November 2019, includes an LGBTQ character. In the episode "Slumber Party Sneak-In," Desiree plots with her sister, Sara, to dress up as a girl in order to go to a slumber party. The rest of the girls find this out, then console her, accepting, and deciding they like her no matter whether she is a trans girl named Desiree or as a closeted boy.[99] In September 2019, Colaleo later described the episode as important, described it as his favorite episode of the show's second season, and a "pro-transgender episode."[100]
Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman's Apprentice (2020), featuring Canadian Inuit characters, won Best Independent Short Film at the Festival Stop Montreal.[101][102][103]
African American animator/filmmaker Ayoka Chenzira is known for the 1984 satirical animated short Hair Piece: A Film for Nappyhead People, which was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2018.[104][105][106] Another example of independent African-American animation is Bruce W. Smith's 2019 Academy Award-winning short film Hair Love.[107]
The 2016 autobiographical stop-motion short Deer Flower, made by Los Angeles-based filmmaker Kangmin Kim, mines his childhood in South Korea for themes.[108]
Independent animation outside the United States[edit]
Italy[edit]
Independent Italian animators include Ursula Ferrara (who used techniques similar to animation pioneers like Emile Cohl on her 1986 film Lucidi Folli), Alberto D'Amico, Saul Saguatti (known for his 1995 series Short Splatter Collection)[109] and Bruno Bozzetto, known for the 1976 feature Allegro Non Troppo and the 1990 Academy Award-nominated Grasshoppers.[110]
Germany[edit]
One of the earliest feature-length animated films was The Adventures of Prince Achmed, made in 1926 by Lotte Reiniger, a German artist who made silhouette animation using intricate cut-out figures and back-lighting.[111]
The United Kingdom[edit]
The BFI funded around thirty pieces of experimental animation between the mid-fifties to mid-nineties (notable examples: The Quay Brothers).[112] Another major contributor to independent animation in Britain was Channel 4, which gained an international reputation as one of the most adventurous broadcasters of animation featuring works from Joanna Quinn (Girls' Night Out),[113] Alison de Vere (Mr. Pascal)[114] Paul Barry (The Sandman), Mark Baker (The Village), Barry Purves (Next)[113] and former National Film Board of Canada animator Paul Driessen (3 Misses).[115][116]
Another British animated milestone, the 1978 adaptation of Watership Down by American filmmaker Martin Rosen, was also made independently as well.[117]
France[edit]
Examples of French independent efforts include René Laloux's Cannes-winning Fantastic Planet (1973)[26] and Marjane Satrapi's own 2007 adaptation of her graphic novel Persepolis.[118]
Japan[edit]
Kōji Yamamura,[119] Masaaki Yuasa,[120][121] Yoji Kuri and Kihachiro Kawamoto have been prominently acclaimed Japanese independent animators known for their artistic qualities.[122][123][124][125][126]
China[edit]
Animation director Liu Jian is known for his independently-produced features Piercing I (2010)[127] and Art College 1994 (2023).[128][129]
South Korea[edit]
Independent cel animation made in South Korea during the 1980s-90s included Lee Yong-bae's award-winning tale of Sleeping Buddha Wa-Bull (1994) and powerfully political efforts from Choe Jeong-hyeon.[130]
Brazil[edit]
In 2016, Alê Abreu's Boy and the World (released in 2013) won the first Annie Award for Best Animated Feature – Independent at the 43rd Annie Awards.[131] Two years later, Tito and the Birds would be nominated in the same category.[132][133]
Chile[edit]
Pato Escala's 2014 debut short film, Bear Story, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short.[134] As a result, many animators such as Fernanda Frick (Here's the Plan), who worked on Bear Story, and Hugo Covarrubias (the Oscar-nominated Bestia)[135] made their own animated shorts in Chile.[136]
Czechia[edit]
Michaela Pavlátová is known for making independent efforts[137][138] such as the 2021 feature My Sunny Maad,[139][140] which was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film.[141]
Other legendary Czech independent animators include Jiri Trnka and Jan Svankmajer.[37]
Estonia[edit]
Estonian animator Priit Pärn is known for his crude drawings, dark humor and satirical absurdist tone on such films as Breakfast on the Grass (1988) and 1895 (1995; the latter spoofing cinema's impact on perceptions of history, identity and nationality filled with cinematic references, cultural stereotypes and inside jokes).[142]
Denmark[edit]
Jonas Poher Rasmussen's 2021 animated documentary Flee[143][144] was nominated for three Oscars: Best Documentary Feature, Best International Feature Film (the second Non-English-language animated film after Ari Folman's 2008 Israeli war documentary Waltz with Bashir[118]) and Best Animated Feature (becoming the first animated film ever to be nominated in all three of those categories).
Australia[edit]
Bill Kroyer's 1992 feature debut Ferngully: The Last Rainforest, featuring the voice of comedian Robin Williams as Batty, was also made independently (under his own studio Kroyer Films, which also made the 1988 Academy Award-nominated Technological Threat) as an Australian-American co-production later to be distributed by 20th Century Fox.[145]
Independent animation entirely from down under includes the works of Felix Colgrave[146] and acclaimed stop motion animator Adam Elliot,[44] known for the Oscar winner Harvie Krumpet (2003) and his feature film Mary and Max (2009).[120][118]
Canada[edit]
Outside of NFB, independent animation entirely from Canada also includes Marv Newland, who is best known for his 1969 cult animated short Bambi Meets Godzilla, Danny Antonucci, known for his 1987 short Lupo the Butcher, and the collage works of Winston Hacking.[147][148][149]
Israel[edit]
Independent animated efforts from Israel include the aforementioned Waltz with Bashir[118] and Tal Kantor's 2023 Oscar-nominated short Letter to a Pig.[150]
Notable animated independent films from other countries[edit]
- Metegol (Argentina)[151]
- The Secret of Kells (Ireland)[118]
- Robot Dreams (Spain)[152]
- We Can't Live Without Cosmos (Russia)[153]
- Surogat (Yugoslovia)[37]
- The Peasants (Poland)[154]
- Harpya (Belgium)[155]
See also[edit]
- Zagreb Film
- Pannonia Film Studio
- Norman McLaren - Scottish experimental animator who worked at the National Film Board of Canada
- United Productions of America
- Adult animation
- Soyuzmultfilm
- Halas & Batchelor
- Richard Williams - director of the independently produced The Thief and the Cobbler
- Cartoon Saloon
- Animation Show of Shows - showcase for both independent and mainstream animated shorts
- International Tournée of Animation
- The Animation Show
- Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation
- Laika Studios
- Arthouse animation
- Glitch Productions
References[edit]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Enchanted Drawings - Google Books (pgs.286-293)
- ^ 100 Greatest Animated Shorts/Film #3: Interwoven / Harry Smith - Skwigly Animation Magazine
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "The Unnatural History of Independent Animated Films on 16mm". www.awn.com.
- ^ Animated cartoon sponsored by union played role in reelecting Roosevelt - California Labor Federation
- ^ Jump up to: a b "MoMA | An Auteurist History of Film: Independent Animation, 1947–60". www.moma.org.
- ^ When Indie Animation Won Its First Oscar|Animation Obsessive
- ^ "Film Notes -Independent Short Films". www.albany.edu.
- ^ FILMS FOR CHILDREN (1972 program) on MoMA.org
- ^ The Films of Carmen D'Avino - Cartoon Brew
- ^ Jump up to: a b c THE ACADEMY PRESENTS 'RESTORED ANIMATED RARITIES'|AFA: Animation for Adults
- ^ "Cartoons Considered For the Academy Award – 1963 -". cartoonresearch.com.
- ^ This Is How Film Fundraising Worked Before Kickstarter|Cartoon Brew
- ^ 50 Years Of Harry Nilsson's The Point - Aquarium Drunkard
- ^ Will Vinton, Oscar winner and pioneering Portland animator, dies at 70 - oregonlive.com
- ^ 'Closed Mondays' by Bob Gardiner & Will Vinton (Classic Animation Frames)|Zippy Frames
- ^ 'The Critic': Animation at Its Most Pretentious - Animation Obsessive
- ^ 8-Minute Video Boils Down the Essence of Animation Legend Ralph Bakshi - VICE
- ^ Gibson, Jon M.; McDonnell, Chris (2008). "First Gigs". Unfiltered: The Complete Ralph Bakshi. Universe Publishing. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-7893-1684-4.
- ^ Sito, Tom (2006). "Suits". Drawing the Line: The Untold Story of the Animation Unions from Bosko to Bart Simpson. University Press of Kentucky. p. 50. ISBN 0-8131-2407-7.
- ^ Television/radio Age. Television Editorial Corp. 1969. p. 13.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Gibson, Jon M.; McDonnell, Chris (2008). "Fritz the Cat". Unfiltered: The Complete Ralph Bakshi. Universe Publishing. pp. 58, 62–63, 80–81. ISBN 978-0-7893-1684-4.
- ^ Solomon, Charles (1989). Enchanted Drawings: The History of Animation. New York City: Alfred A. Knopf. p. 275. ISBN 0-394-54684-9.
- ^ HOW THE SECRET OF NIMH PROVED DON BLUTH COULD BEAT DISNEY - Nerdist
- ^ 3 Reasons Why: The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985)|Zippy Frames
- ^ THE BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER (1987) (***)|Animation World Network
- ^ Jump up to: a b Don Bluth Goes Independent - AWN.com
- ^ "Cartoons Considered For An Academy Award – 1970 -". cartoonresearch.com.
- ^ The Dog Days of Summer, Detroit – and “The Crunch Bird” (1971)|Cartoon Research
- ^ New York State Writers Institute - Frank Film and Frankly Caroline
- ^ The Real Indies: A Close Look at Orphan Films|Oscars.org (title: "Visions of New York")
- ^ Declaration Of Independents Independent Animation is Alive and Well in New York by Melissa Chimovitz - AWN.com
- ^ Animator Michael Sporn, an Oscar Nominee, Dies at 67 – Chicago Tribune
- ^ Buzzco - Candy Kugel
- ^ "The Creativity of Pre-Digital Animation in the 1970s and '80s". Hyperallergic. February 2, 2018.
- ^ CTW and MTV: Shorts of Influence - Animated World Network
- ^ Independent Frames: American Experimental Animation in the 1970s-1980s - Tate
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Help! I Love Watching Animated Shorts|Animation World Network
- ^ What 'Sesame Street' Did for Animation|Animation Obsessive
- ^ Landekic, Lola (May 20, 2015). Will Perkins (ed.). "Sally Cruikshank: A Career Retrospective, Part 1". www.artofthetitle.com.
- ^ "Milestones Of The Animation Industry In The 20th Century". Animation World Network.
- ^ Light Cone - Steven SUBOTNICK
- ^ Jump up to: a b Independent Animation episode 4 - Indie Animated Features
- ^ ICONS OF ANIMATION - THE ART OF ILLUSTRATION|Oscars.org
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Second Edition of the Skwigly book ‘Independent Animation’ out now - Skwigly Animation Magazine
- ^ "A Rare Treat: Bay Area Animation". KQED. August 23, 2011.
- ^ Keep it in Motion - Classic Animation Revisited: 'The Red Book'|Animation World Network
- ^ "Re-Animation: An Evening with Lewis Klahr". Redcat. September 2, 2009.
- ^ Experimental Animation Gems by Suzan Pitt, Walerian Borowczyk, and More - Hyperallergic
- ^ "Death Laughs Among Us: The Films of John Schnall". Animation World Network.
- ^ The Vague Rumor of Independence in New York Animation|Animation World Network
- ^ Jump up to: a b Ehrlich, Brenna (April 15, 2011). "Popular YouTube Series Annoying Orange Moves to TV". Mashable. Retrieved 2016-01-02.
- ^ "Animator Pursues a Minimal Approach to His Art". archive.nytimes.com.
- ^ Indie Animation King Bill Plympton|Animation Magazine
- ^ Check out These Must-See Indie Animated Movies|The Mary Sue
- ^ Ribes, Xavier (2020-12-16). "Is the YouTube Animation Algorithm-Friendly? How YouTube's Algorithm Influences the Evolution of Animation Production on the Internet". Animation. 15 (3): 229–245. doi:10.1177/1746847720969990. S2CID 229305003.
- ^ Review: A purrfect storm of chaos in new indie animation ‘Lackadaisy’ - The Tacoma Ledger
- ^ Field, Matthew (December 5, 2019). "'Hazbin Hotel' a bold step in indie animation". Go! & Express. Archived from the original on May 12, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ Troup, Margaret (November 2, 2020). "'Hazbin Hotel' creator releases new episode of spinoff series 'Helluva Boss'". Iowa State Daily. Archived from the original on November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
- ^ Perkins, Christ (August 11, 2016). "KickStart This: 'Long Gone Gulch'". Animation for Adults. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ Franks, Nico (April 10, 2020). "YouTube brings down paywall". C21Media. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^ Cryptozoo Trailer: Dash Shaw's Animated Sundance Winner for Adults|IndieWire
- ^ Cryptozoo (2021)|MUBI
- ^ Long, Brent; Tangcay, Jazz (December 14, 2021). "Indie Spirit Awards 2022: Full List of Nominations". Variety. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- ^ Andrew Chesworth - Turner Classic Movies
- ^ Andrew Chesworth - Animation Insider
- ^ How it took almost a decade and Netflix to bring 'Klaus' — one of the year's best animated movies — to life - Insider
- ^ 2024 Oscars Short Film Contenders: ‘The Brave Locomotive’ Director Andrew Chesworth|Cartoon Brew
- ^ Oscar Watch 2024: Your Guide to This Year’s Qualifying Animated Shorts|Animation Magazine
- ^ The Brave Locomotive - Opening Sequence Work In Progress on Andrew Chesworth's official Vimeo channel
- ^ A24 Has Another Indie Hit, As 'Marcel The Shell' Slides Into Top 10 – Specialty Box Office - Deadline
- ^ 'Marcel the Shell With Shoes On' Director Explains What It Took to Pull Off One of the Year's Most Charming Movies|The Wrap
- ^ Guillermo del Toro's 'Pinocchio' and 'Turning Red' Lead the Nominations for the 50th Annie Awards 2023 - Hollywood Insider
- ^ A brief, and somewhat shocking, history of adult animation|The A.V. Club
- ^ "You Can't Really Plan for Getting an Oscar": A Chat with Hubbel Palmer - SLUG Magazine
- ^ "War is Over": Animated Short Short Creates Timely Message of Humanity - IndieWire
- ^ A Look at ‘My Year of Dicks’|Animation World Network
- ^ Ahren, Raphael (July 29, 2008). "Lizzy the Lezzy invites you to sing with her". Haaretz. Haaretz. Archived from the original on March 13, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ Joey Comeau (w). "Shannon Watters, Adam Staffaroni, Kassandra Heller" Catbug is Missing, vol. 1, no. 6, p. 4/5 (March 2013). 5670 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 450, Los Angeles, CA 90036: KaBOOM!.
- ^ Rude, Mey (December 14, 2015). "Top 11 Times This Year Pop Culture Reminded Us Kids Are Queer and Trans Too". Autostraddle. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Leth, Kate [@kateleth] (October 30, 2019). "Plum is bi and it's canon and I'm proud of her" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 30, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Luna, Miles. "CRWBY AMA w/ Miles Luna, Kerry Shawcross, and Paula Decanini". Reddit. Archived from the original on May 16, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2018. See her comment "Ilia is a lesbian!" in response to the question "What does Ilia identify as? Is she a lesbian? Bisexual? Something else?"
- ^ Jones, Lindsey [@IAmLindsayJones] (February 4, 2019). "My friend, I said "certain parts" of the fan base, addressing a vocal minority. And that's my point: Saphron and her wife played such a small part in the show as a whole, so why would these people take their inclusion as the end all of RWBY's writing?" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Jones, Lindsey [@IAmLindsayJones] (February 4, 2019). "After seasons of hereto love triangles, Jaune and Pyrrha share an on-screen kiss: *crickets* Saphron and her wife are in a few episodes: HOLY SHIT, RWBY HAS SOLD OUT COMPLETELY TO THE "GAY AGENDA", THEY DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT PLOT OR A GOID STORY ANYMORE, IT'S ALL JUST PANDERING" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Jenzen, Kdin [@KdinJenzen] (December 17, 2019). "As the voice of May Marigold I'm honored to present to you her concepts done by the talented @ErinMWinn! I'm also here to confirm: YES, May IS Henry Marigold's cousin! But more importantly, May Marigold is the very first onscreen trans character for RWBY! #RWBY7 #RWBY7Spoilers" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Dominguez, Noah (January 3, 2021). "RWBY's Kdin Jenzen Talks Voicing the Show's First Transgender Character". CBR. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
- ^ Luna, Miles (2019). "Yup <3 [in response to a question titled "Is Skout a new LGBT character?"]". Reddit. Reddit. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
- ^ War, Hounds of (2019). "Skout is officially confirmed to have a crush on Toth". Reddit. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Medrano, Vivienne [@vivziepop] (October 11, 2018). "Angel and Alastor are old men who don't understand anything anymore 👍 I hope everyone on this #NationalComingOutDay2018 stays safe and stays proud 🥰" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Millgan, Mercedes (October 30, 2019). "News Bytes: 'Sarah & Duck' Quacks Back in US, Check in to 'Hazbin Hotel,' Tellys Get Immersive & More". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ Rupnarine, Nerissa (July 24, 2020). "Dr. Stone's Senku Could Be Groundbreaking for Asexual Anime Representation". CBR. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
- ^ "The Story". Official Hazbin Hotel site. 2019. Archived from the original on April 9, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
- ^ Medrano, Vivienne [@VivziePop] (October 30, 2019). "Openly sexual characters of ANY sexuality should be allowed just as they are in real life. But i guess I just kinda like portraying trashy unapologetically sexually open characters. Nobody has to like characters like that, not everyone is openly sexual. Its fine" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 30, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Medrano, Vivienne [@VivziePop] (September 24, 2020). "Today has been nonstop so decided to make my break doodle somethin' tiny for Bi-day 💕" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Blitzo (July 26, 2020). "Haha! Guess what my sexuality is~". Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020 – via Blitzo's official Instagram.
- ^ "About". Official My Pride The Series. November 24, 2020. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
- ^ AnimationXpress Team (November 24, 2020). "LGBTQ+ web series, 'My Pride' surpasses two million views on YouTube". AnimationXpress. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
- ^ Badiola, Yssa (August 29, 2020). "Hey gang, I'm Yssa 👋🏽 Creator & showrunner of Recorded By Arizal. And we have a panel for RTX!!! That's wild!". Rooster Teeth. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020..
- ^ Badiola, Yssa; Cabanos, Christine Marie; Kazemi, Joshua; Jenzen, Kdin (September 21, 2020). "RTX - Recorded by Arizal". Rooster Teeth. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020. See 44:58-47:11 for the question and Badiola's response. Alt URL.
- ^ Fisher, Owl; Fisher, Fox (June 30, 2020). "'It takes away the stigma': five of the best cartoons with transgender characters". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 4, 2021.
- ^ Colaleo, Nico [@NicoColaleo] (September 25, 2019). "TOO LOUD SEASON 2 continues with "SLUMBER PARTY"! This is my favorite episode of Season 2 - And a very important one. Our pro-transgender episode. ❤️ Tune in to this thread for production art and BTS! And please RT/Share! #TooLoudCartoon #TooLoudSeason2" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ David Venn, "Zacharias Kunuk explores Inuit shamanism in short animated film". Nunatsiaq News, August 26, 2021.
- ^ Oscar Shortlists 2022: Documentary, International, Shorts... - Deadline
- ^ The Shaman's Apprentice — Stop Motion Department
- ^ BAM|Alma's Rainbow + Hair Piece: A Film for Nappyheaded People
- ^ Hair Piece: A Film for Nappyheaded People. 1984. Directed by Ayoka Chenzira On Becoming a Woman: Mothers and Daughters Talking Together. 1987. Directed by Cheryl Chisolm|MoMA
- ^ ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Jurassic Park,’ ‘Hair Piece’ Added to National Film Registry|Animation World Network
- ^ 'Hair Love' Short Will Get North American Release In Front of 'Angry Birds 2'|Cartoon Brew
- ^ The best animation of 2016|Sight & Sound|BFI
- ^ Italian Independent Animators|Animation World Network
- ^ The "Italian Walt Disney", Living Legend Bruno Bozzetto|Legends & Landmarks
- ^ BFI Screenonline: Reiniger, Lotte (1899-1981) Biography
- ^ "The BFI and Animation - Screenonline". Retrieved 2011-04-30.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Animators Unearthed - Google Books
- ^ Mr. Pascal by Ailson de Vere (Classic Animation Frames)|Zippy Frames
- ^ "Channel 4 and Animation - Screenonline". Retrieved 2011-04-30.
- ^ "With Channel 4 Television Corporation (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)". IMDb.
- ^ Schlock & Awe: WATERSHIP DOWN —— Nerdist
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Must See Independent Animated Features|Raindance Film Festival
- ^ 'Mt. Head': An Independent Masterwork|Animation Obsessive
- ^ Jump up to: a b Mad Eyed Misfits - Google Books
- ^ Annie Awards Indie Feature Noms Offer a Diversity of Themes and Styles|Animation World Network
- ^ Independence in Japan|Animation World Network
- ^ Other Independent Japanese Animation – Indiana University Cinema
- ^ Kawamoto Kihachiro, 1925-2010|Obituary|Sight & Sound|BFI
- ^ Anime - Google Books (pg.87)
- ^ The Anime Encyclopedia, 3rd Revised Edition - Google Books
- ^ Is ‘Piercing 1’ the First Indie Animated Feature from China?|Cartoon Brew
- ^ Chinese Animated Indie ‘Art College 1994’ to Screen & Stream thru Metrograph|Animation Magazine
- ^ Chinese Indie Feature 'Art College 1994' To Debut In U.S. On Friday|Cartoon Brew
- ^ 49th Seoul Independent Film Festival to screen indie Korean animations - The Korea Herald
- ^ "ASIFA-Hollywood | Pixar's 'Inside Out' and 'Boy and the World' Win Top Prizes at Annie Awards". www.asifa-hollywood.org. 7 February 2016. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
- ^ Giardina, Carolyn (December 2, 2019). "Annie Awards: 'Frozen 2,' 'Missing Link' Lead Year of Surprises and Snubs". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
- ^ Desowitz, Bill (January 26, 2020). "Netflix's 'Klaus' and 'I Lost My Body' Win Big". IndieWire. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
- ^ Watch The Trailer Premiere of 'Here's the Plan,' A Sweet Film About Relationships|Cartoon Brew
- ^ ""Bestia", el premiado corto chileno, se instala en la carrera de los Oscar"
- ^ CB Fest Premiere: Here's The Plan by Fernanda Frick|Cartoon Brew
- ^ Animators Unearthed - Michaela Pavlátová|Animation World Network
- ^ Know Your Indie Filmmaker: Michaela Pavlátová|Cartoon Brew
- ^ César Awards: Dominik Moll’s ‘The Night Of The 12th’ Sweeps Board Winning Best Film & Director – Full List - Deadline
- ^ César Awards: ‘The Night of the 12th’ Named Best Picture - The Hollywood Reporter
- ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (December 13, 2021). "2022 Golden Globe Nominations: 'Licorice Pizza,' 'Squid Game,' 'West Side Story,' and More".
- ^ Know Your Indie Filmmaker: Priit Pärn (Exclusive Video)|Cartoon Brew
- ^ Animation Legend Bill Plympton on How Pixar Has Fostered a Current 'Second Golden Age of Animation'|IndieWire
- ^ 6 Indie And Foreign Animated Features Building Buzz For Oscars 2022|Cartoon Brew
- ^ The Paris Review - Robin Williams's Best Role
- ^ Know Your Indie Filmmaker: Felix Colgrave|Cartoon Brew
- ^ KRAZY!: Going Ga-Ga for Comics and Animation - Canadian Art
- ^ Know Your Indie Filmmaker: Winston Hacking|Cartoon Brew
- ^ Binocular Briefs - Spotlight on Collage|Animation World Network
- ^ Watch: Oscar Shortlisted 'Letter to a Pig'|Animation World Network
- ^ Can an Argentine Animated Film Rival Hollywood Blockbusters?|The New Yorker
- ^ Pablo Berger Talks His Oscar-Nominated 'Robot Dreams'|Animation World Network
- ^ The best indie animation of 2015|Sight & Sound|BFI
- ^ DK and Hugh Welchman Talk ‘The Peasants’|Animation World Network
- ^ Harpya by Raoul Servais:An Appreciation (Classic Frames)|Zippy Frames