Cartoons, History of

Cartoons in the Early 1900S

Although cell animation was first trademarked in 1914 by Earl Hurd, it did not become the industry standard until the early 1920s. Prior to this, animation was a very slow and costly process, as each frame had to be hand drawn and 16–24 frames per second shown. Cell animation allowed animators to draw only those aspects of the frame that were in motion, overlaying these transparent cells over static backgrounds.

The first successful animated cartoon is attributed to Windsor McCay, whose silent short Gertie the Dinosaur (1914) opened to critical accolades. McCay considered himself an artist, though, and the detail and planning that went into his work was not conducive to the development of an animation industry, which took on more of the factorylike qualities that would later describe other commercial art industries (such as comic books).

McCay was also the creator of the popular and innovative comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland (1905–1911), about the nocturnal adventures of a dreaming child. Indeed, many early cartoons were adapted from existing comic strips. In 1915, William [Page 144]Randolph Hearst established the International Film Service, an animation studio and distribution service intended to publicize and extend the merchandising capabilities of the comic strips owned by his syndicate. Charles Bowers, another early animation pioneer, bought the cartoon rights to Happy Hooligans and The Katzenjammer Kids, two popular strips, and entered into a partnership with Bud Fisher, creator of the Mutt and Jeff comic strip. These and many other early cartoons featured naughty children and out-of-control animals in adventures that challenged social norms. Although inevitably punished for their transgressions, these irrepressible protagonists allowed audiences to take pleasure in their law-defying behavior, acceptable because of the characters' childlike personalities.

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