First Published in 1998

Understanding Animation is a comprehensive introduction to animated film, from cartoons to computer animation. Paul Wells'' insightful account of a critically neglected but increasingly popular medium:

• explains the defining characteristics of animation as a cinematic form
• outlines different models and methods which can be used to interpret and evaluate animated films
• traces the development of animated film around the world, from Betty Boop to Wallace and Gromit

Part history, part theory, and part celebration, Understanding Animation includes:

• notes towards a theory of animation
• an explanation of animation's narrative strategies
• an analysis of how comic events are constructed
• a discussion of representation, focusing on gender and race
• primary research on animation and audiences

Paul Wells'' argument is illustrated with case studies, including Daffy Duck in Chuck Jones'' Duck Amuck, Jan Svankmajer''s Jabberwocky, Tex Avery''s Little Rural Riding Hood and King Size Canary, and Nick Park''s Creature Comforts. Understanding Animation demonstrates that the animated film has much to tell us about ourselves, the cultures we live in, and our view of art and society.