#hoping for a completely different more generic higher sex appeal style than the artist draws in

[myrfing]

i cant even just commission random artists for Drawing I Want it always has to be specific artist with their specific style and specific sensitivities. this is the problem i open skeb fp & I’m like no…no….backing away. none of these

[zak-graphicarts]

The Social and Political Implications of Classic Animation

In this post, I’m continuing my discussion of animation as a medium, looking at perspectives and views towards the craft other than my own - and the problematic history of the medium, to say the least.

The purpose of this post is to explore a variety of approaches to animation besides my own, and to look at examples of the craft in cultures and locations other than my own. In my mid-project review, I discussed how I should be evidencing a variety of perspectives on my project - to step away from my work and consider those not in the same position as my peers and I.

When I’ve discussed animation so far on this blog, I’ve really only discussed the craft through rosey glasses - regretting to mention the sexist and racist starting of the medium. This is a result of me not really knowing the facts, as it’s a subject I haven’t really tackled yet.

I mentioned in my ‘why animation’ post that animation is a magical medium able to speak to everyone, a naive art form that captures the hearts and minds of many. Whilst this may be true today, this wasn’t always the case. I’ve been discussing the state of animation today, which is fairly diverse in content and creators, producing animations that excite audiences of all backgrounds and ages. I haven’t, however, spoken about the history of the medium, one that’s rooted in discrimination against other races and cultures. It’s not a nice topic, but it’s something I feel like I should acknowledge if I want to evidence a range of historical perspectives on my project and my analysis of animation as a whole.

Up until writing this post, my knowledge of animation’s history was a sum of the writings from The Animators Survival Kit and that’s pretty much it. t’s only when I began researching animation for this blog post that I realised the sexist and racist views of early examples of the medium. 

For the most part, animation has always been considered a ‘boys club’. Likewise with comics, countless women in the industry describe the medium to be extremely male-centric.

In the 1920s and fifties, Disney and Warner Brothers animation studios all presented black characters more like animals than humans, drawing upon minstrel shows for reference. These involved white performers in black face, conforming to negative stereotypes associated with black Americans at the time. At this time, animators used these performers as a basis for any black character designs, which continued the racial stereotype in America for decades. Not to mention Mickey wearing blackface in more than one cartoon.

Cannibal Capers. (1930). Disney. African natives are depicted as cannibalistic savages. 

Warner Brothers certainly weren’t free from this type of racist behaviour either, with Looney Tunes being very much product of it’s time through it’s portrayal of ethnic minorities. This can be shown through the Mexican steroptupe in the character of Speedy Gonzales, or the time where animators actually depicted Uncle Tom - the famous tale of a slave that’s since become an allegory for misplaced racially-motivated obedience, in 1937. 

I don’t think I’ve ever really considered this, but animation has historically been a “boys club”. This isn’t something that I personally have ever felt, as my class is a combination of graphic designers, illustrators and animators from students of both sexes. On a personal level, it’s not something that I’ve really considered or felt - but it’s an important issue to note.

Some religions and cultures even despise animations and image-making in general, such as Islam which sees the act of creating something as wrong, and working against a higher power. As someone who doesn’t really follow a specific religion, I wouldn’t have considered animation to be wrong in any way, shape or form - to me, it’s just a way of telling stories.

As a medium and technique, it’s incredible, exciting and inspiring yet the history of the art form itself is mired in views and ideas that are simply wrong by today’s standards. I still have a love for classic Disney animation, but it’s certainly a product of it’s time, much like Warner Brothers and most animation at the time.

Animation is a great tool to send a message, but it also has the ability to transcend barriers and tell brilliant stories of the human experience that appeals to everyone. 

Coco. (2017). Pixar Studios.

The recent Coco, however, has been earning praise from Mexian American audiences for it’s portrayal of Mexican culture and the holiday Day of the Dead. It’s a culturally sensitive film, portraying ethnic minorities in a way that garnered a positive reaction from Mexican audiences. It’s a step forward, but doesn’t erase Disney’s rather racist and sexist past.

important to consider these perspectives and negative views towards animation in order for me to understand the history of the medium I’m choosing to follow in more depth. Some people don’t have that much of a love for the medium, and I completely understand why.

Here, I’ve just begun to scratch the surface of why that is. I wanted to have that discussion, look at other perspectives on the medium other than my own, but found that the craft isn’t as universal and naive as I once thought. As I move onto some stop motion tests and eventually producing a reel of some kind, I’ll consider these perspectives moving forward. Ultimately, I just want to make animations that enthral and entertain not only myself, but audiences of all backgrounds and ages - encouraging acceptance and tolerance of everyone. My character designs aren’t based on any stereotype, because most of them are drawn from life as reference. I’m sketching real people, and creating characters from these - so I’m in no fear of stereotyping any minority or culture. I want everyone to enjoy the reel that I’m making, and celebrate the magical quality of animation itself, not the gross history of the medium.

It’s important to consider perspectives other than our own as artists. As my tutor discussed, that’s something that we easily forget when making things in the studio. We’re not fine artists - we’re graphic artists and designers. The work we’re making has a purpose and audience - and thus it’s important to consider the perspectives and needs of that audience when making that art work. It’s expression, perhaps, but it’s also the relationship between artist and audience that we have to consider.

As I’ve mentioned already, my project Exquisite Walks is about exploring the potential of a walk cycle in animation, looking at creating characters from observational drawing and exploring the collective assemblage ideas of an exquisite corpse as a way to present this. It’s allowing me to grow as an animator, to learn the basics of the craft but also engage a universal audience through imaginative character designs and a whole host of different techniques and styles.

The purpose of this post was to discuss representation in animation and to evidence an understanding of animation other than my own personal bubble. It’s easy to forget the wider cultural perspectives and opinions when I’m just in a small class of art students, and it’s important to have these discussions if anything is going to change. With works like Moana, Coco and The Bread Winner, though, atleast the future is looking more hopeful than the past. This allows me to have a better critical understanding of animation as a medium, the knowledge that animation isn’t this naive and universal subject that I thought it was. This also inspires me on my journey to become an animator, to break these stereotypes and prejudices if I do go onto work in the industry. 

Moving forward, I’m going to be working on completing a final piece for my project, creating a collective of my walk cycle animations in the form of a singular sequence or reel.

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Complete final sequence for Exquisite Walks