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Animation

Animation: a way of making a movie by using a series of drawings, computer graphics, or photographs of objects (such as puppets or models) that are slightly different from one another and that when viewed quickly one after another create the appearance of movement.

-Merriam-webster.com

The history of animation begins with the sequential photographs of Eadweard Muybridge in the late 19th century. Subsequent inventions such as the thaumatrope, praxinoscope and zoetrope flashed a series of sequential photographs past a viewer to make them appear animated. Émile Reynaud presented animations of hand drawn celluloid film in 1892 and in the early 20th century animators such as J. Stuart Blackton and Winsor McCay in the U.S. and Émile Cohl in France were making animated films from drawings.

George Herrimann; Krazy Kat at the Circus; early animation; 1916

In the 1920's a pair of brothers created The Disney Brothers Studio which has grown into the Disney conglomerate that is so familiar today. In 1928, Steamboat Willie was released; it was the first Mickey Mouse cartoon and the introduction of Minnie Mouse.

Silly Symphony: The Skeleton Dance; early Disney short animation; 1929

The history of animation in Japan, called animé, was born from the government forced conforming of artists who created propaganda cartoons during World War II. After the war, a young artist named Osamu Tezuka, a big fan of Walt Disney, began producing Astro Boy. Tezuka went on to become a world wide favorite and Tezuka is considered the father of Japanese animé and manga (comics).

Osamu Tezuka; Astro Boy 1963: Volume 01; ASTRO BOY Ep. 01 Birth of Astro Boy; 1963

Since the 1990's computer generated animation has become the norm with the emergence of digital technologies using sophisticated graphics software. Computerized animation continues to be pushed to new heights by modern animation artists.

Disney; trailer for Frozen; 2013

Sites about the history of animation:
History of Animation: Dan McLaughlin
MIT: History of Animation
Oscars: The Origins of Animation
Visual Arts Cork: Animation Art
Nova Online: Anime
Right Stuff: Anime
A Capsule History of Anime
That Anime Project

Some sites about animation:
Watershed: All About Animation
Animation World Network
Pixar: The Exhibition
Wikipedia: History of Anime
MIT: What are Manga and Anime

Some artists who worked with animation:
The Walt Disney Company: Disney History
Biography: Walt Disney
Wikipedia: List of Animators
English and Film: 16 Famous World Animators
Artware Studios: 10 Noteworthy Women Animators
Animation Career Review: 100 Top People in Animation
Brainpickings: Animation Pioneers
Chuck Jones
Osamu Tezuka
Wikipedia: Animators from Japan

Some contemporary artists who work with animation:
Tim Burton
Frenzer Foreman Animation Forum
Ryan Woodward
Alisa Stern
Watch these paintings come to life: Artist animates classic works of art
Best of BLU: Famous Stop-Motion Graffiti Artist in Action
Will Bilton
Hayao Miyazaki