The Animation Studies Reader brings together both key writings within animation studies and new material in emerging areas of the field. The collection provides readers with seminal texts that ground animation studies within the contexts of theory and aesthetics, form and genre, and issues of representation. The first section collates key readings on animation theory, on how we might conceptualise animation, and on some of the fundamental qualities of animation. New material is also introduced in this section specifically addressing questions raised by the nature, style and materiality of animation. The second section outlines some of the main forms that animation takes, which includes discussions of genre. Although this section cannot be exhaustive, the material chosen is particularly useful as it provides samples of analysis that can illuminate some of the issues the first section of the book raises. The third section focuses on issues of representation and how the medium of animation might have an impact on how bodies, gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity are represented. These representations can only be read through an understanding of the questions that the first two sections of the book raise; we can only decode these representations if we take into account form and genre, and theoretical conceptualisations such as visual pleasure, spectacle, the uncanny, realism etc.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures List of Contributors Acknowledgements Introduction Nichola Dobson, Annabelle Honess Roe, Amy Ratelle and Caroline Ruddell Section One: Theory, Philosophy, Concepts 1. Approaching Animation and Animation Studies Caroline Ruddell (Brunel University London, UK) and Lilly Husbands (University of Arts London, UK and Middlesex University, UK) 2. The Cinema of Attractions: Early Film, Its Spectator and the Avant-Garde Tom Gunning (University of Chicago, USA) 3. Re-Animating Space Aylish Wood (University of Kent, UK) 4. Realism and Animation Mihaela Mihailova (Michigan State University, USA) 5. The Uncanny Valley Lisa Bode (University of Queensland, Australia) 6. Animation and Performance Annabelle Honess Roe (University of Surrey, UK) 7. Animation and Memory Victoria Grace Walden (University of Sussex, UK) 8. Some Thoughts on Theory-Practice Relationships in Animation Studies Paul Ward (Arts University Bournemouth, UK) Section Two: Forms and Genres 9. Absence, Excess and Epistemological Expansion: Towards a Framework for the Study of Animated Documentary Annabelle Honess Roe (University of Surrey, UK) 10. Experimental Animation Paul Taberham (Arts University Bournemouth, UK) 11. Features and Shorts Christopher Holliday (King's College London, UK) 12. Advertising and Public Service Films Malcolm Cook (University of Southampton, UK) 13. Political Animation and Propaganda Eric Herhuth (Tulane University, USA) 14. TV Animation Nichola Dobson (Edinburgh College of Art, UK) 15. Animation and/as Children’s Entertainment Amy Ratelle (editor of Animation Studies) 16. Video Games and Animation Chris Pallant (Canterbury Christ Church University, UK) Section Three: Representation: Frames and Contexts 17. Race, Resistance and Violence in Cartoons Nicholas Sammond (University of Toronto, Canada) 18. We’re Asian. More Expected of Us: The Model Minority and Whiteness in King of the Hill Alison Reiko Loader (Concordia University, Canada) 19. Transformers Rescue Bots: Representation in Disguise Nichola Dobson (Edinburgh College of Art, UK) 20. Anime’s Bodies Rayna Denison (University of East Anglia, UK) 21. Disney Films 1989-2005: The “Eisner” Era Amy M. Davis (University of Hull, UK) 22. Taking an Appropriate Line: Exploring Representations of Disability within British Mainstream Animation Van Norris (University of Portsmouth, UK) Index