NYC Event July 25th: “The Amazing and Incredible History and Future of Brooklyn Animation”

NYC Event July 25th: “The Amazing and Incredible History and Future of Brooklyn Animation”

July 17th, 2017

Jerry Beck

2017 is a momentous year for Brooklyn animation. Archivist David Kay is hosting an event next week to celebrate the 150th birthday of Winsor McCay and the 100th anniversary of Max Fleischer’s rotoscope patent).

The event is titled The Amazing and Incredible History and Future of Brooklyn Animation and it hopes to enlighten, inspire and appreciate the home-grown roots and development of American animation. The panel will include animation historian John Canemaker, Film Collector Tommy Stathes and Animator/Creative Director Jennifer Oxley (Peg + Cat).

• Long before Walt Disney’s name became synonymous with animated cartoons, American animation was born and bred in Brooklyn. Many significant technical and thematic innovations in animation that began in Brooklyn influence the animation industry to this day. When Winsor McCay created Gertie the Dinosaur in 1914, he created the first female protagonist in the history of cinema.

• In 1915, the Fleischer brothers invented and patented rotoscoping, a short-cut animation technique that simplified animation by tracing over motion picture film frame by frame when realistic action is required.

• More recently, Jennifer Oxley and Billy Aronson established 100 Chickens (formerly 9 ate 7) Productions in Brooklyn to produce PEG + CAT, an Emmy award winning TV program in which characters use math and logic and music to solve problems of all shapes and sizes.

These animators and studios represent the foundation, development, growth and continuation of Brooklyn’s animation legacy, one few people know. Ostensibly, this program will also explore the connections between Brooklyn history and American animation. And this is the first of hopefully several evening programs hosted by animation experts, archivists, and animation professionals who will examine the history and show examples from animated films and videos produced in New York City.

The event will be held at Brooklyn Historical Society (128 Pierrepont Street) on Tuesday July 25th at 6:30 PM. Reserve tickets HERE. For more information about this event: CLICK HERE.

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Jerry Beck

Writer, cartoon producer and author of more than 15 books on animation history. A former studio exec with Nickelodeon and Disney; currently on the faculty at both CalArts in Valencia and Woodbury University in Burbank, California.