The word cartoon has different meanings depending on the context. Initially this notion was used for the designation of an image drawn in special fashion. These cartoons were generally placed in magazines and newspapers at comic strips. At present the sense of the term cartoon is different. It stands for the animated cartoon films. The art of animation is a technology of creating the illusion of motion with the help of immobile objects. With the introduction of motion pictures the popularity of animated cartoon films has increased as they became available to a wide audience. The birthday of animated cartoon films is regarded to be the 30th of August, 1877, when Mr. Reynaud took out a patent for his innovation. It was a gadget called praxinoscope that permitted to create a performance out of a tape with animated pictures. At that time not only animated cartoon films were silent, but all the video films as well. Among the most popular animation characters of that period was Felix the Cat. The creation of cartoons films with the synchronized sound was an important move in the development of animated cartoons industry. From that moment on the cartoons were mostly targeted at children. The first animated cartoon with synchronized sound was produced by the Walt Disney organization. The title of the cartoon was “Steamboat Willie”. The main character of the film was Mickey Mouse who is amidst the most widespread personages now. The Walt Disney organization is still a leading organization in the animation industry. They have won countless number of awards for their contribution to the development of animated cartoons. In addition to the Walt Disney organization there are a lot of cartoon producers that have also taken a significant place in the history of cartoons. These are such well-known video production organizations like Warner Brothers, Hanna-Barbara and Walter Lantz. Animated cartoons are created in the form of short motion pictures, full-length movies and serials. They may be shown both in cinemas and on TV. Furthermore, you have a possibility to buy a CD or a DVD with your favorite cartoons in the nearest video shop. An excellent idea is to download animated cartoons from the World Wide Web. Cartoons are a reminder of the childhood and they always bring positive emotions both to the children and grown-ups. |
