Prime-time Animation: Television Animation and American Culture

Paperback

Main Details

Title Prime-time Animation: Television Animation and American Culture
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Carol A. Stabile
By (author) Mark Harrison
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback
Pages:272
Dimensions(mm): Height 234,Width 156
Category/GenreAnimated films
Television
ISBN/Barcode 9780415283267
ClassificationsDewey:791.453
Audience
Undergraduate
General
Illustrations 25 b&w photographs

Publishing Details

Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint Routledge
Publication Date 27 February 2003
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

In September 1960 a television show emerged from the mists of prehistoric time to take its place as the mother of all animated sitcoms. The Flintstones spawned dozens of imitations, just as, two decades later, The Simpsons sparked a renaissance of primetime animation. The essays in this volume critically survey the landscape of television animation, from Bedrock to Springfield and beyond. The contributors explore a series of key issues and questions, including: How do we explain the animation explosion of the 1960s? Why did it take nearly twenty years following the cancellation of The Flintstones for animation to find its feet again as primetime fare? In addressing these questions, as well as many others, the essays examine the relation between earlier, made-for-cinema animated production (such as the Warner Looney Toons shorts) and television-based animation; the role of animation in the economies of broadcast and cable television; and the links between animation production and brand image. Contributors also examine specific programs like The Powerpuff Girls, Daria, Ren and Stimpy and South Park from the perspective of fans, exploring fan cybercommunities, investigating how ideas of 'class' and 'taste' apply to recent TV animation, and addressing themes such as irony, alienation, and representations of the family. Diane F. Alters, Alice Crawford, Rebecca Farley, Joy V. Fuqua, Wendy Hilton-Morrow, Allen Larson, David T. McMahan, Jason Mittell, Kathy M. Newman, Brian Ott, Kevin Sandler, Michael V. Tueth, P