The History of Animation Before Disney
Animation and cartoons had a long history before Disney. While Disney itself revolutionized the future of animation, a number of technological innovations and creators were the first to explore the concept of animation. The most notable advance in animation technology was the invention of the motion picture, which allowed animators to more easily expose their work to the public.
Early Technology
The earliest forms of animation were the zoetrope and the flip book. Both the zoetrope and the flip book gave the viewer the illusion of movement when operated by a user. A zoetrope was a cylinder that spun with pictures inside that could be viewed through slits. A flip book is a small book with pictures on each page, which appear to move as the pages are flipped.
Fantasmagorie
With the advent of motion picture technology, a director named Emile Cohl photographed 700 drawings into an animated feature. Called "Fantasmagorie," the film was released in 1908.
Gertie the Dinosaur
In 1914, the first major animated film was released. Called "Gertie the Dinosaur" and directed by Windsor McCay, the film pioneered the technology known as keyframe. Keyframe uses a combination of timing along with specific movements to create fluidity to the viewer.
Felix the Cat
Felix the Cat became the first cartoon star in the early 1920s, invented by Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer. In addition to short films, Felix the Cat was the first cartoon character to be merchandised to a variety of different mediums and product lines.
Rotoscope
Max Fleischer created the character of Koko the Clown using a device he developed called a rotoscope. A rotoscope allows animators to trace over frames of live-action film. Due to the fluid motion of live-action frames, rotoscope technology brought the illusion of even greater fluidity with the animation.
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