In continuing research of what makes a good animation, I decided to buckle down and watch some old cartoons. So I went on a quest to the college library and rented out a DVD containing mickey mouse shorts from 1928 to around the 1940′s. The first thing I noticed was how uncensored it was in terms of tobacco and alcohol, but I suppose parents weren’t into kid-proofing the world back then as they are now. A lot of the characters consisted of simple shapes that stretched and squashed to emphasize their actions. I really liked how the animation and sound worked together to keep the rhythm of the whole piece going. The only problem I had with Mickey was that after watching the cartoons for 2 hour straight, it was too much of the same mind-numbing humor. I did notice a huge improvement between 1928 and 1940 in which reoccurring characters started appearing besides Mickey and Minnie.
Next up: The Graphics in Tron
