Brooklyn Animation – History & Future
The Amazing and Incredible History and Future of Brooklyn Animation
One year ago , I hosted and curated an event titled “The Amazing and Incredible History and Future of Brooklyn Animation.” And that event was hosted at Brooklyn Historical Society. Surprisingly, it sold out!
Coincidentally, the event was held on the 150th birthday of the father of American animation, Brooklyn animator Winsor McCay. The evening was both educational and inspiring.
It began with a live performance of McCay’s most famous animated cartoon, Gertie the Dinosaur (1914). He produced it in Sheepshead Bay. As a 150th birthday present, John Canemaker performed the interactive parts and read the inter-titles live. Truly it was incredible. He is an Emmy and Oscar award-winning independent animator. Also, he is an author, professor, and animation historian at NYU. As part of the evening’s festivities, he also showed a powerpoint based on his book Winsor McCay: His Life and Art.
Making History
Film collector and curator Tommy Stathes also provided information and insight on some of the early Brooklyn animators. Throughout the evening, he projected clips focused on innovation and inventions in Brooklyn animation—primarily from Max Fleischer and Fleischer Studios. While Mr. Stathes showed clips utilizizng the rotoscope machines patented by Max Fleischer in Brooklyn in 1917, he also projected films from Fleischer Studio with KoKo the Klown, Betty Boop, and Popeye. There were some eye-popping and risque examples of animation at its best. As a special treat, he screened some of the earliest Fleischer Studios sound cartoons. Those were created in NYC prior to The Jazz Singer.
Max Fleischer with Betty Boop, courtesy of Fleischer Studio Archives
As curator, archivist David Kay also moderated and hosted the Q&A. His first-hand research and interviews helped uncover the pivotal role that Brooklyn played in creating the animation industry. With assistance from Max Fleischer’s granddaughter, he projected the image of the rotoscope patent that Max Fleischer filed in 1917. That patent changed the path of American animation. Years later it even changed video games!
This led to the creation of one of the largest and most productive animation studios in the nation—many years before Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse! Brooklyn’s animated stars include Koko the Clown, Betty Boop, Popeye, and even Superman. The evening showed that both the roots and the future of American animation are found in Brooklyn.
The Future
Consequently, the highlight of the event was the appearance of Brooklyn-based animator Jennifer Oxley. She is a multi-Emmy Award winning Producer of many children’s TV shows and a true visionary. She helped invent “photo-puppetry style” created for The Wonder Pets! TV show on Nick Jr. At this event, Ms. Oxley showed new styles and examples. She also spoke about her career and dreams to be an animator. Fortunately, she also shared new clips from Peg + Cat, the Emmy Award winning show she produces that airs on PBS Kids. Oxley also previewed a clip from her new animated series based on an imagined friendship between Amelia Earhart and Josephine Baker.
Afterwards, panelists participated in a brief question and answer period. Reviews were favorable and, at the end of the event, Ms. Oxley answered additional questions and signed books for a very large audience of shy, young aspiring animators.
We commissioned a poster from artist Tommy Yesterday to honor the event. And the writer, cartoon producer and author Jerry Beck even wrote a brief article about the evening.
If you would like more information on the next series, contact dkay@digitalarchivy.com.
