New Cartoon Encyclopedia Celebrates the History of American Animation, Past and Present

Jan. 14, 2009 - PRLog -- Cartoons surely have changed from their crude pen-and-ink beginnings at the turn of the 20th century to the recent explosion of computer animation and new dawn of original blockbuster movies and Nielsen Top 20-rated cable network shows of today, as evidenced in a new book that celebrates the history of this lively art.

Jeff Lenburg’s “The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons, Third Edition” (Facts On File, $24.95) traces more than a century of animation’s amazing run. Thoroughly revised and updated, this lavishly illustrated 800-page tome surveys it all--from animators’ provocative and entertaining silent films of the early 20th century, to the era of “talking cartoons” and theatrical cartoon shorts starring Betty Boop, Bugs Bunny, Popeye, Tom and Jerry, Woody Woodpecker and others, to full-length color animated features, from Walt Disney’s breakthrough first, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” to today’s sensational computer-generated hits, to animated specials and television cartoon series, including every first-run syndicated, Saturday-morning, cable network and Japanese-imported show, that have dotted America’s social landscape since 1897.

Dubbed by one writer as the “titan of toons,” for nearly 30 years, Lenburg has been chronicling animation’s illustrious history, an interest that started out of his admiration for many of the legendary animators whose cartoons he was weaned on through daily television reruns as a child. “In the late 1970s, I realized that no definitive encyclopedia on this thriving art form existed,” Lenburg said. “So, as my tribute to the great masters of animation, I was inspired to write the very first cartoon encyclopedia.”

That first book, which took Lenburg three years to research and write, was “The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoon Series.” Published in 1981 by Arlington House Publishers, this popular reference, covering the history of every animated cartoon series—silent cartoon series, theatrical sound cartoon series and television cartoon series—became the first major encyclopedic reference published on the subject and was subsequently nominated by the American Library Association for its “Best Non-Fiction Award.”

“Being the first book of its kind, writing and researching it were a tremendous undertaking but I was up to the challenge as I wanted to create a fan lover’s guide to animated films and television shows that have entertained the ages,” Lenburg said. “I literally wore out the keys of my Smith-Corona typewriter typing the rewrites and final draft of the 800-page manuscript.”

Lenburg’s first encyclopedia was a popular seller for many years, including two editions, until 1989 when he decided to expand the book to be all-inclusive by adding full-length animated features and animated television specials to the mix—under a new title, “The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons,” for Facts On File Publishers. Totaling some 1,000 entries in all, his first Facts on File edition became instantly revered by fans and critics, calling it “the ultimate animation Bible.” Fans of the book range from people from all walks of life, from general cartoon fans and nostalgia buffs who love the book for its pure nostalgic value and linger over every page to film scholars, historians and serious students of animation who enjoy the book’s tremendous attention to detail and amazing breadth of information.

Since then, Lenburg has penned two more editions for Facts On File, including his latest, which, even he agrees, is the most exhaustive guide ever produced, detailing more than 3,100 animated cartoons. “The latest edition is unmatched in scope,” Lenburg notes, “and overall I am very pleased with the outcome.”

Lenburg added copious amounts of new material to the new edition, bringing the book up to date and broadening the scope of its coverage. An additional 900 new entries were added, including new full-length animated features, plus animated specials and television cartoon series that have aired on more than 60 television and cable networks and premium pay movie channels and their offspring in the U.S. alone. Coverage of increasingly popular anime has also been expanded.

Producing this volume, Lenburg says, was a 24/7 operation that involved painstakingly documenting, cataloging and tracking down every bit of information from hundreds of sources in the U.S. and abroad, including production studios, networks, syndicators, published articles and the animators and creators themselves. “I have solely researched and written every aspect of this and all previous editions and owe a great deal of thanks to many people who have supported me along the way,” Lenburg says.

Lenburg’s newest edition lives up to its reputation as the premier source on animation, brimming from cover-to-cover with a treasure trove of new fascinating facts, tantalizing tidbits or never-before published information. “My cartoon encyclopedia delves beyond anything cartoon fans can simply Google or look up on the internet,” he says, “providing information that can’t find anywhere else and everything they want to know about their favorite cartoons and characters.”

Arranged in an easy-to-read A-to-Z format, Lenburg’s cartoon encyclopedia fully chronicles every production, including creators, animators, directors, production studios, voice credits, plot summaries, character and program descriptions, complete filmographies (for silent cartoon series and theatrical sound cartoon series), dates of production, and release, original broadcast and rebroadcast dates, plus a concise history of the American animated cartoon. In addition to listing every Academy Award and Emmy Award winner and nominee and, for the first-time ever, a “Milestones of Animation,” charting the landmark achievements in animation’s more than 100-year history, the book also features a full 32-page color insert of the best and brightest animation art from around the world.

“Besides satisfying the hungriest fact-addict with wonderfully fussy details, this volume will bring back many fond memories for cartoon lovers of all ages,” Lenburg says.

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