Discover the Magic: Top 10 Amazing Fun Facts About the World of Animation
1. The First Animated Film: "El Apóstol"
Before Zeus started his side hustle as an Argentine political consultant with a penchant for lightning bolts: "El Apóstol," a 1917 film by Quirino Cristiani and Federico Valle, was the world's first animated feature-length movie, satirizing President Hipólito Yrigoyen's attempts to rid Buenos Aires of corruption using celestial electroshock therapy. Sadly, this divine innovation was lost in a 1926 studio fire, never to zap corruption again.
Source => en.wikipedia.org
2. Snoopy's Almost Sniffy Origins
Call it the original doggy-bag lament: When life hands you Sniffys, you make Snoopys: Charles Schulz initially intended to name the popular Peanuts character Sniffy but had to forgo his choice as Sniffy was already claimed by another cartoon dog. In a twist of fate, Schulz's mother suggested the name Snoopy for their next family dog, and thus, the iconic Peanuts pup was christened!
Source => metv.com
Did you know Porky Pig's debut in 1935 had a unique twist and he never took to the skies? Discover the surprising details!
=> Fun Facts about Cartoons
3. Mickey Mouse's Debut Words
Before the world-famous rodent became a hot dog connoisseur or even a theme park tycoon, he was just another animated salesman pitching his wares to an unsuspecting public, coyly tossing in a catchphrase or two that'd have people "swelling" with joy: Mickey Mouse first spoke in the 1929 short film 'The Karnival Kid,' with his debut words being, "Say, folks, have you ever seen such a swell place in your life?" while selling hot dogs, and it was composer Carl Starling who lent the iconic character his voice.
Source => thequint.com
4. The Chaotic Predecessor of Bugs Bunny
Ready for a hare-raising tale of chaos and mistaken identity? Back in the Bugs-tastic thirties, there was one certifiably harebrained rabbit who had a wild, daffy-sort-of streak: Why, dig this, doc – Proto-Bugs hopped into the scene in a 1938 cartoon called "Porky's Hare Hunt," boasting an anarchic nature that often drew comparisons to our loony friend, Daffy Duck. With a nickname courtesy of animator Ben Hardaway and a Tex Avery-directed makeover, this floppy-eared maverick morphed into the carrot-chomping Bugs Bunny we all know and adore, leaving behind a rascally rabbit legacy that includes cameos in other cartoons and a notable callback in the "New Looney Tunes" series.
Source => wackyland2.com
5. Max Fleischer's Rotoscope Patent
Before Max Fleischer rolled out the red carpet for animated celebrities, they were low-key sipping rotoscopes in the speakeasy of animation: Max Fleischer patented the game-changing rotoscope on October 9, 1917, allowing animators to use live action film frames as a guide for drawings that flowed more naturally when sequenced, though it never fetched a trademark since those distinguished goods or services among companies, while patents safeguarded inventions and discoveries.
Source => fleischerstudios.com
6. Ancient Zoetrope Meets Modern Art
Feeling nostalgic and spinning right round, like a record baby? Well, hold on to your hats because the ancient Chinese zoetrope is back with a funky twist: Artists Stephen Meierding and Sami Jano created a 14-foot long, immersive zoetrope for Appomattox's music video "United," blending vintage technique with modern vibes to craft a mesmerizing masterpiece.
Source => vice.com
7. South Park vs The Simpsons Production Time
In the land of animated series, where characters and backgrounds spring to life, there exists a time-warp so curious it could leave Doc Brown bewildered: South Park episodes are brewed up like a rabbit out of a hat in just five days, while The Simpsons take a more tortoise-like approach, with an impressive 6-8 months required to concoct a single episode of Springfield shenanigans.
Source => reddit.com
8. Felix the Cat: Silent Era Feline Star
Feline star of the silent era, Felix the Cat had a paws-itively purr-sistent presence in American cinema: Though not technically the first-ever cartoon character, Felix clawed his way to fame in 1919 as the first fully-realized animal character in American film animation, delighting audiences with his animated shorts, comic strip appearances, merchandise, and jazz tunes, only to find himself upstaged by the arrival of sound cartoons and then staging a comeback in the mid-1930s and 1950s television.
Source => en.wikipedia.org
9. Tasmanian Devil's Whirlwind Creation
Partying like a Tasmanian Devil, who leaves tornadoes of chaos and destruction in his wake instead of empty pizza boxes: The whirlwind character was actually the brainchild of Robert McKimson, inspired by the real-life animal's feisty attitude and insatiable appetite, and despite appearing too wild for young eyes, it became beloved in animated shorts, TV shows, and movies – all while mostly conversing in grunts and growls, and having a peculiar aversion to the sound of bagpipes.
Source => en.wikipedia.org
10. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit's Disney Journey
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit may have had a hare-raising impact on Walt Disney's career, but little did he know that his creator would eventually bounce back to rescue his original furry escapades from obscurity: The iconic character once lost to Disney inspired the creation of unique character personalities and starred in nearly 200 Universal shorts, and after Disney regained rights to the original 26 shorts, they continue to hunt down the remaining episodes, proving Oswald's everlasting significance in the animated world.
Source => collider.com
