The episode of the Netflix anthology series Love, Death, and Robots (2019-2021) titled “Snow in the Desert” follows a white-haired, middle-aged man named Snow as he traverses a dangerous alien landscape, pursued by human and alien bounty hunters. In a…
Sound and Music, Violence in Animation
Animated Violence Is Not (Always) a Laughing Matter
by Joe Sudlow • November 2, 2021 • 0 Comments
Violence and animation have a long-established bond. Through Tom and Jerry (1940-1958) and Looney Tunes (1930-1969), animated violence has developed a reputation as a comedic tool, but is also a common subject for animated documentaries with a serious ‘truth-telling’ agenda.…
Violence in Animation
Controversial or Comfortable: What Is the Secret to Acceptable Violence in Animation?
by Rebecca Rose Stanton • October 26, 2021 • 2 Comments
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…
Book Review, Documentary
The Truth about “Animating Truth”
by Sofía Poggi • October 19, 2021 • 0 Comments
Review of Nea Ehrlich, Animating Truth: Documentary and Visual Culture in the 21st Century, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2021. For those of us who are interested in nonfictional animation, Nea Ehrlich’s new book is, to tell the truth, a proper…
Video essay
#AnimationMatters
by Maike Sarah Reinerth and Anna-Sophie Philippi • October 11, 2021 • 1 Comment
Animation as an artistic means of expression has long been put to use in the name of politics. Animated films have served as political propaganda, expressed political protest, and dealt with political questions in many genres such as fiction, documentary,…
Metaphor and metamorphosis in animation
A Virtual Roundtable on Relations Between Metaphor and Metamorphosis (Part 4)
by Erwin Feyersinger and Carmen Hannibal • October 4, 2021 • 8 Comments
Animation is a time-based image-making practice that can change our ideas, experience, and view of the world. Both metamorphosis and metaphor are powerful means to realizing this capacity. In the broadest sense, metamorphosis can be characterized as a striking change…
Metaphor and metamorphosis in animation
A Virtual Roundtable on Relations Between Metaphor and Metamorphosis (Part 3)
by Erwin Feyersinger and Carmen Hannibal • September 27, 2021 • 1 Comment
Animation is a time-based image-making practice that can change our ideas, experience, and view of the world. Both metamorphosis and metaphor are powerful means to realizing this capacity. In the broadest sense, metamorphosis can be characterized as a striking change…
Book Review
Expanding into Unchartered Land: Arab Animation Production from the Thirties to Today
by Myria Christophini • September 20, 2021 • 0 Comments
Review of Omar Sayfo, Arab Animation: Images of Identity, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2021. Probably the first extensive dedication to the subject, Arab Animation: Images of Identity is a major contribution to the diverse world of Arab and international animation…
Metaphor and metamorphosis in animation
A Virtual Roundtable on Relations Between Metaphor and Metamorphosis (Part 2)
by Erwin Feyersinger and Carmen Hannibal • September 13, 2021 • 1 Comment
Animation is a time-based image-making practice that can change our ideas, experience, and view of the world. Both metamorphosis and metaphor are powerful means to realizing this capacity. In the broadest sense, metamorphosis can be characterized as a striking change…
Metaphor and metamorphosis in animation
A Virtual Roundtable on Relations Between Metaphor and Metamorphosis (Part 1)
by Erwin Feyersinger and Carmen Hannibal • September 6, 2021 • 1 Comment
Animation is a time-based image-making practice that can change our ideas, experience, and view of the world. Both metamorphosis and metaphor are powerful means to realizing this capacity. In the broadest sense, metamorphosis can be characterized as a striking change…