April theme: Animals and Animation

Deadline: April 20th, 2019

As Paul Wells points out in his monograph The Animated Bestiary: Animals, Cartoon and Culture, “the animal is an essential component of the language of animation” that we tend to give for granted (Wells 2009: 2). In order to encourage the development of a reflection on this aspect, we thus invite posts looking at the relationship existing between nonhuman animals and animation from any perspective. Why animals often have and have had a status of leading dramatis personae within animated works? How are race, gender and class portrayed within the representation of animated animals? Are there different approaches among the animation studios in using animal characters within their productions? These are only some of the questions we seek to find answer through our April’s theme.

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

  • Representing nonhuman animals in animated works;
  • Animation studios and the different approaches to the employment of animals;
  • Animated animals and stardom;
  • Animation, animals and anthropomorphism;
  • Voicing animated animals;
  • Animated animals and race discourses;
  • The gender politics of animated animals;
  • Animated animals and the portrayal of class.

Posts of between 600 and 900 words, which discuss any aspect of the above topic are welcome. Contributors are encouraged to include clips and at least one image to support their posts. Please also include a short bio and 3 keywords. All permissions are the responsibility of the contributor. Please contact the editors Nichola Dobson (nichola_dobson@yahoo.co.uk) and Cristina Formenti (cristina.formenti@unimi.it) with submissions or questions.