1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910782685803321

Autore

Wells Paul

Titolo

The Animated Bestiary : Animals, Cartoons, and Culture / / Paul Wells

Pubbl/distr/stampa

New Brunswick, NJ : , : Rutgers University Press, , [2008]

©2009

ISBN

1-282-03348-4

0-8135-4643-5

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (236 p.)

Disciplina

741.5

791.43

791.43/662

791.43662

Soggetti

Animals in motion pictures

Animated films - History and criticism

Animated films -- History and criticism

Animated films

Animals in motion pictures - History and criticism

Music, Dance, Drama & Film

Film

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di contenuto

Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- Introduction -- 1. The Bear Who Wasn't -- 2. Of Mice and Men -- 3. "I Don't Care What You Say, I'm Cold" -- 4. Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg? -- 5. Creature Comforted -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- FILMOGRAPHY -- INDEX

Sommario/riassunto

Cartoonists and animators have given animals human characteristics for so long that audiences are now accustomed to seeing Bugs Bunny singing opera and Mickey Mouse walking his dog Pluto. The Animated Bestiary critically evaluates the depiction of animals in cartoons and animation more generally. Paul Wells argues that artists use animals to engage with issues that would be more difficult to address directly because of political, religious, or social taboos. Consequently, and principally through anthropomorphism, animation uses animals to play



out a performance of gender, sex and sexuality, racial and national traits, and shifting identity, often challenging how we think about ourselves. Wells draws on a wide range of examples, from the original King Kongto Nick Park's Chicken Run to Disney cartoonsùsuch as Tarzan, The Jungle Book, and Brother Bearùto reflect on people by looking at the ways in which they respond to animals in cartoons and films.