A Reader in Animation Studies reflects a growing interest in animation as a medium that spans a far wider range of films than that of cartoons for children. Animation has emerged from its previously marginalised status both in terms of growing adult audiences for the heterogeneous range of films that come under the heading ‘animation’ and in terms of providing a corpus of work deserving serious academic analysis and study.

The serious study of popular culture has provided fertile ground for the development of sophisticated forms of critical commentary, and cartoons – both from the classic Hollywood era and from more contemporary feature films and television series – offer a rich field for detailed investigation and analysis. An even greater richness is provided by the growing Western appetite for Japanese anime. At the same time, animation has provided the stimulus for a wide range of analyses drawing from the traditions and theoretical engagements of many other disciplines, including film, television and media studies, art history and criticism, feminism and gender studies. All these fileds and modes of analysis are reflected in A Reader in Animation Studies, which also engages with the long tradition of art-animation – particularly in Eastern and Western Europe – which prompt different critical responses. A Reader in Animation Studies also engages with the fascinating issues about the very definition of animation raised with the fairly recent development of the use of computer technologies.

An indispensable tool for academics, researchers and students of film, television, media, art and cultural studies as well as offering a fascinating account for the general reader of this massively popular field of media entertainment.