In Watership Down (1978), there are several famous (or perhaps infamous) scenes in which terrified rabbits are chased and violently attacked by other animals. Similarly, in the classic Tom and Jerry series (1940-1958), Tom the cat is often harmed by…
Author Archive for Rebecca Rose Stanton
The Reigning Rooster: A Critique on the Characterization of Cartoon Chickens
by Rebecca Rose Stanton • October 12, 2020 • 3 Comments
Whilst researching how animals have been depicted by Walt Disney Animation Studios (WADAS)[1], I found that chickens were featured in nineteen WDAS films (34%) (Stanton, 2019). This makes chickens the most commonly depicted species of bird in WDAS films. This…
Animals, Animation, and Academia
by Rebecca Rose Stanton • June 15, 2020 • 7 Comments
According to a user poll on IMDB, Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, and Donald Duck are five of the most recognizable animated characters of all time. As well as being recognizable, these animated characters all have one…
“The Most Savage of All Animals.” The Deserved Distress of Disney’s Dastardly Cats?
by Rebecca Rose Stanton • November 11, 2019 • 2 Comments
“In creating new characters for our cartoon films, one of our main sources of inspiration has been the world of animals. And we’ve always been very much impressed with the cat family. This group of carnivora includes more than forty…
Dark Horse: An Overview of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Horses (1937-2016)
by Rebecca Rose Stanton • May 6, 2019 • 1 Comment
Walt Disney Animation Studios (hereafter: WDAS) are both famous and infamous for their individualized anthropomorphic animal characters, such as Mickey Mouse, Simba, and Baloo. Unsurprisingly, dogs are depicted in more WDAS films than any other animal species. Yet, perhaps surprisingly,…
Speak of the Devil! The Keys to Cruella’s Success
by Rebecca Rose Stanton • June 12, 2017 • 1 Comment
In 1961 Disney released their classic animation One Hundred and One Dalmatians, a film so successful that it was re-released in cinemas four times over the coming decades. Due to the film’s overwhelming popularity, it has inspired many adaptations. These…