Journal Entry – Week 3

I believe the reason many early films were based on print comics was because they provided an easy starting point with existing characters. The art was simple, making it easier to animate since characters already had an established fanbase the animations already have an audience

Because comic strips were popular and widely seen in the newspapers across the U.S. it made logical sense to bring these same characters into the feild of animation. Since people would recognize them and the drawings were not overly complex to recreate many times over, the techniques to animate them were not unrealistic. It was almost like a natural progression of a simialr art form. Another factor I believe is that there was already a understanding of the general popularity of some of these characters from the comic strips.

I believe many early animated films, particularly in the US, were based on print comics for practical reasons. Those reasons involve: financial means, time saved, and subject material that was already widely accepted. Hand drawn animation or cut outs could be easily spliced together from print comics. Also, the often underlying unserious tone of print comics could be used to address a multitude of issues. The mask of playful or comical intent can easily be used to address issues with avoiding less controversy.

I think the reason why a lot of companies tend to base their movies off of printed media is because of the well known IP and the fact that the already existing source material gives filmmakers a better visual of how the movies should look like in live action, while also giving audiences an easier time to get familiar and be more comfortable watching the movies. Since comics and graphic novels are more visual mediums than regularly printed books, they already have the framework of what they could do, whether it’s a comedy, action, suspense, horror, slice of life, etc.

There is a wide pool of stories and characters that filmmakers and creators can pull from when talking about comics and graphic novels, some can be very well-known like Spider-Man, X-Men, Superman, Wonder Woman, or Batman. Others were not as well-known or very obscure, like Guardians of the Galaxy, Ms. Marvel, Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, Blue Beetle, etc. And there are some indie comics that have a cult following that has grown in popularity over time like the Archie stories, or Scott Pilgrim.

The utilization of printed comics as source material for early animated films, particularly in the United States, was a practical choice due to several reasons. The pre-existing content provided a pre-written storyline and established character designs, simplifying the complex task of creating early animated films. Additionally, the popularity and following of the comics ensured a built-in audience for the animated adaptations. This strategic decision was instrumental in the early success of animated films.

I think so many early animated films were based on print comics mainly because of popularity and familiarity. Comics, during that time, were top-rated in the US. And with the content contained in the comics, using them as a basis for an animated film would be an obvious choice. It’s a guaranteed success due to the fanbases that comics have curated.

I think the reason that alot of early films were based on print comics was because it was the easiest thing to use because of the existing characters. The art was also simple which it made it easier to animate and since the characters already existed i feel like it was easier to bring in the fanbase.

I think that many early animated films were based on print comics mainly due to their simplicity in style. Comic strips conveyed very animated expressions and motion, yet at the same time didn’t require too much detail. Simplified drawings are very helpful when animating, especially at a time when every frame was completely re-drawn by hand. The characters used from comic strips were also well-known by the audience, who would find it entertaining to see those characters come to life. Not to mention, comic strips are essentially short stories, which is perfect for an animated film.

Early animated films were based on print comics because they were recognizable. The public commonly read comic strips, so the chances of the film’s success were higher. The visuals for the comic strips were simple, making the production of props and movement much easier to translate onto the big screen. Not only were print comics familiar and simple to recreate, but the characters in the comics were established so the animators already had a headstart for the storyline. Comics made appropriate subjects for film because of the range they were able to have in terms of plot, characters, and settings. Print comics were a widely consumed art form as well.

Prompt 2:

I believe that many of the early American animated films were based off print comics for a few reasons. The first is that it was easy to use the already existing art and characters/ illustrations so that more focus could be put into the actual technical aspect of the animation. Another reason is that comics typically feature action and incorporate onomatopoeia along with visual illustrations in an attempt to bring the story to life. It would only make sense that the comic writers who try so hard to get their stories to pop and become lively would gravitate toward trying to animate them. Finally, from a business perspective if you are spending all this capital on this new technology and staff it’s less risky to use an established IP than risk the investment on something new. Much easier to just sell the existing fan base to a new format like Marvel comic readers will probably attend the Marvel movie screenings so it is a safer business move. 

Early animated films in the U.S. often adapted comics because both relied on visual storytelling and simple, recognizable characters. Comics provided pre-established characters, making them popular and marketable. Their humor and episodic formats also suited short films. In addition, the simplified art styles of comics were also easier to animate. Both comics and animation embraced a playful and exaggerated approach to storytelling, making comics ideal for early animated adaptations.

Today I watched two of the earliest animated films, Gertie the Dinosaur (1914) by Winsor McCay and Fantasmagorie (1908) by Émile Cohl. These animations are fascinating not only because they represent the infancy of the medium but also because of how different their artistic approaches and storytelling techniques are. Below, I reflect on their similarities, differences, and the ways they shaped early animation.

Prompt 2

I believe that early animation in the U.S were based on print comics because they might have been easier to produce because they were already drawn. All they had to do was fill in the in between frames. Another reason I believe early animation in the U.S was based on print comics is because they probably already had a fan base that would be willing to watch them on the big screen.

In Winsor McCay’s “Gertie the Dinosaur” and Emile Cohl’s “Fantasmagorie” these two styles of animation had difference and similarities.A Similarity were it was silence animation ,there were no noise.There were many differences in their approach one was the type of drawings that were made when doing these animation.In Emile Cohl’s he drew his drawings on a lightbox, photographed it in two then traced the drawing with adjustment,were Winsor McCay he learned techniques such as using registration marks and identifying key position.The lines are used different because Colh was actually drawing the imagines one by one then adjusted.McCay he used cel animation.”Gertie the Dinosaur” had more complex background and “Fantasmagorie” didnt it was less complex.

In my opinion , I think that most of the early animated films were based on print comics because of how easily it would be to develop in comparison to black and white . Following the 1890s and the addition of color being added to cartoon strips , it could have become much easier for the film producers to visualize and create more graphic scenery through comics .