Major Spoilers
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Twitch Discord RSS
    Major Spoilers
    • Home
    • Reviews
      • Random Access Memory
      • Retro Review
      • So You Want to Read Comics
    • Podcasts
      • Critical Hit
        • Critical Hit House Rules
        • Critical Hit World Building
      • Dueling Review
      • Finally Friday
      • Geek History Lesson
      • The Legion Clubhouse
      • Major Spoilers Podcast
        • MSP TPB for 2019
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2013
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2012
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2011
      • Munchkin Land
      • Top Five
      • Wayne’s Comics
      • Zach on Film
    • Features
      • Casual 60
      • Comic Casting Couch
      • Comics Portal
      • Did You Hear?
      • Editorials
      • Features
      • Gamer’s Corner
      • Hero Histories
      • Let’s Get Nerdy
      • Major Spoilers Adventures
      • Random Access Memory
      • So You Want to Read Comics
    • Movies
      • Did You Hear
      • Movies
      • Television
    • Comic Previews
    • Patreon
      • Patreon
      • Store
    Major Spoilers
    Comic Book History of Animation #4
    Review

    The Comic Book History of Animation #4 Review

    Ingrid Lind-JahnBy Ingrid Lind-JahnMarch 5, 20215 Mins Read

    Animation has some big personalities – and makes big bucks. Follow along as cartoons make the switch from the big screen to the small screen in The Comic Book History of Animation #4 from IDW Publishing!

    The Comic Book History of Animation #4 Review
    You can purchase this issue via the comiXology affiliate link

    THE COMIC BOOK HISTORY OF ANIMATION #4

    Writer: Fred Van Lente
    Artist: Ryan Dunlavey
    Colorist: Adam Guzowski
    Letterer: Riley Farmer
    Editor: Tom Waltz
    Publisher: IDW Publishing
    Cover Price: $3.99
    Release Date: March 3, 2021

    Previously in The Comic Book History of Animation: We have followed animation from the early days of silent film up to the early heyday of Disney Studios. World War II led to animation studios working on films for the defense industry. Racism made its presence known in animation in the post-war years, and then McCarthyism hit. In answer to this, the Looney Tunes studio (part of Warner Brothers) developed its own free-wheeling style. The art and style continued to evolve as studios tried to figure out how to profit as much as possible. And this was all in the days before TV.

    GETTING FASTER AND CHEAPER

    The Comic Book History of Animation #4 reminds us that, so far, the cartoons discussed so far were all created as film shorts. We who have seen so many Looney Tunes on television forget sometimes that these originally were short subjects that ran before a main motion picture. Around the time this practice was stopped, television was invented, and suddenly there were hours in the day that needed to be filled with programming. Many of those cartoon shorts were bought and moved to the small screen.

    Television was heavily regulated. And remember, those early cartoons were made for adult entertainment. Many of them had to be edited heavily to remove adult subjects, violence, racism, etc. Re-releasing already-made cartoons was also highly profitable since production costs were non-existent. But as mentioned above, there were hours to fill. Hanna-Barbera came to be and pioneered a style that involved a lot less drawing – think faster and cheaper.

    At this time, a single company would often pay for an entire show to be an exclusive sponsor. Even before the days of direct commercial tie-ins to cartoons, the shows essentially served as advertising, bringing in much more revenue than they cost. Production started to move overseas.

    The story segues into the early days of animation in Japan. In the late 1950’s, Japanese animation was just getting started. Hayao Miyazaki saw the first Japanese feature-length color animated feature in 1958. He was also heavily under the influence of Osamu Tezuka, “The God of Manga,” who himself was heavily influenced by Disney and had also gotten into animation, creating Tetsuwan Atom, known in the U.S. as Astro Boy.

    Television’s appetite for cartoons continued, unabated, as studios continued to try to keep up for less and less money. Interestingly, cartoons at this time were broadcast in prime time. It was not until the late 1960’s that a young Fred Silverman at CBS had the idea of making the Saturday morning block of time all kids’ programming. (I remember well the days of Saturday morning cartoons.) Silverman decided to commission original work, rather than rehashing old stuff. A tiny studio called Filmation created a Superman cartoon, and for a while, superheroes took over Saturday mornings.

    Superheroes eventually gave way to Scooby Doo and many, many more. To keep up with production, more and more animation work was sent overseas. And in the 1980’s, the ban against overt advertising in children’s programming was lifted, paving the way for the overt merchandising of cartoons. Animation was becoming less and less about animation and ways to disguise the fact that not much movement was happening. Production had spread overseas. The U.S. was no longer the citadel of animation.

    THE TIMES, THEY ARE A CHANGIN’

    Like the Saturday morning cartoons that feature strongly in this issue, The Comic Book History of Animation #4 features bright colors and so many references to characters. We already see iconic characters representing their creators or other important people. Here we move from one company to the next and we get a sense of the explosion of demand for cartoons. And even though we see hints of so many (Rocky and Bullwinkle, Top Cat, The Flintstones, Space Ghost, He-Man, Transformers), we know this is only the tip of a very large iceberg. It boggles the mind.

    The team is amazing as using the art to communicate some of the complex themes within this history. Words and pictures work hand in hand, the art not only illustrating the idea but communicating the emotions behind it. A small section discussing Japanese animation at the time shares a story about a finish inspector for cels who collapsed from exhaustion from the job. The art shows us her stress and Miyazaki’s concern, and illustrates Miyazaki’s observation about how animation in his country was taking advantage of good-natured young people who didn’t always fit in with society.

    BOTTOM LINE: THE WHIRLWIND KEEPS SPINNING

    The Comic Book History of Animation #4 is gripping but almost exhaustingly frenetic. Despite the wealth of information, it feels like we’re barely scraping the tip of the iceberg. Nonetheless, it is enough to give us some terrific perspective on the art and business of animation.


    Dear Spoilerite,

    At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.

    The Comic Book History of Animation #4

    80%
    80%
    So Much Information

    Grab a bowl of chocolate frosted sugar bombs and let’s discover Saturday morning cartoons!

    • Writing
      8
    • Art
      8
    • Coloring
      8
    • User Ratings (0 Votes)
      0
    Adam Guzowski Fred Van Lente IDW Publishing Review Riley Farmer ryan dunlavey The Comic Book History of Animation Tom Waltz
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleBOOM! Studios releases Magic #1 Ashcan edition next week!
    Next Article Buffy the Vampire Slayer #23 Review
    Ingrid Lind-Jahn

    By day, she’s a mild-mannered bureaucrat and Ms. Know-It-All. By night, she’s a dance teacher and RPG player (although admittedly not on the same nights). On the weekends, she may be found judging Magic, playing Guild Wars 2 (badly), or following other creative pursuits. Holy Lack of Copious Free Time, Batman! While she’s always wished she had teleportation as her superpower, she suspects that super-speed would be much more practical because then she’d have time to finish up those steampunk costumes she’s also working on.

    Related Posts

    Major Spoilers Podcast #1133: The Fight of the Century

    Read More

    Geek History Lesson – Wakanda MEGA EPISODE (Black Panther, Shuri, Dora Milaje, Ironheart)

    Read More

    Munchkin Land #726: Marvel Champions: Civil War

    Read More

    Comments are closed.

    AMAZON AFFILIATE

    Support this site by making a purchase through our Amazon affiliate links

    Reviews
    6.0
    July 8, 2025

    JSA #9 Review

    7.0
    July 7, 2025

    X-Men: Hellfire Vigil #1 Review

    5.7
    July 6, 2025

    Gehenna: Naked Aggression #1 Review

    7.0
    July 6, 2025

    Retro Review: Big Apple Comix (September 1975)

    6.0
    July 5, 2025

    Wolverines and Deadpools #1 Review

    Patreon Support
    Sponsor

    ComiXology Home Page

    Follow Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Twitch
    Major Spoilers Patreon
    • About
      • Major Spoilers Terms of Use
      • Major Spoilers Frequently Asked Questions
      • Major Spoilers Privacy Policy Statement
      • Major Spoilers Podcast Gear
    • Contact
    • Cookie Policy (EU)
    Major Spoilers is copyright 2006-2025 by Major Spoilers Entertainment, LLC

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    SAVE & ACCEPT