Animation: A World History

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Western Europe

The division of Europe into East and West by the Iron Curtain was reflected more strongly in animation than in live-action cinema or other forms of artistic expression.

In the free-market economies of Western Europe, the artistic and financial weakness of animated productions relegated animation to a subordinate position within cinema. In the attempt to reproduce Walt Disney’s successful formula, animators focused on feature films for children which were nothing more than frail imitations. Since the production of short films was not encouraged, just as in the United States at the time, only a handful of artists were able to build profitable careers in animation. Little new talent joined the field, and for many years production ...