Michael Barrier is a recognized authority on film cartoons. For many years he was the publisher and editor of Funnyworld, the most widely respected magazine devoted to the animated film. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia.
"Why is Marjorie Belcher the world's most durable film star?
Because she was the model for Walt Disney's Snow White and for the
Blue Fairy in 'Pinochio'....This is one of the many odd facts to be
gleaned from Michael Barrier's account of the development of
Hollywood animation. Bet you didn't know, for example, that Sneezy
the dwarf was originally to have been Deafy--until someone, long
before the days of political correctness, spotted the unconscious
slur. Or
that Pluto was at first to have been called Rover....His book is
rich in nuggets that bring the era, from roughly 1910 to the
mid-1960's, vividly to life."--The Economist
"This long awaited book by Michael Barrier, a pioneer in the field
of animation studies, raises the bar for serious analysis of
Hollywood animation and animators during the 'Golden Age' of the
30s, 40s, and 50s. Barrier's research is rich and impeccable, his
arguments articulate, and his uncompromising, astringent
conclusions will be a source of scholarly debate and discussion for
years to come."--John Canemaker, animator and author of Before the
Animation
Begins, Tex Avery: The MGM Years, Felix: The Twisted Tale of the
World's Most Famous Cat, and professor and head of animation
studies at New York University Tisch School of the Arts
"The highly readable result is neither weighted down with scholarly
discourse nor demeaned by trivial anecdotes. Hollywood Cartoons
might well become the standard survey in its area. All libraries
should consider for purchase."--Neal Baker, Library Journal
"Barrier's book is a major contribution to our understanding of the
work of not only the Disney animators, but also of men like Max and
Dave Fleischer, Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, John Hubley, and the
brilliant Warner Bros. crew, especially Tex Avery, Friz Freleng and
Chuck Jones....The book is likely to become a standard history of
American animation up to Disney's death in 1996."--Palm Beach
Florida News
"Hollywood Cartoons is the best book ever written about golden-age
animation."--The Wall Street Journal
"More than 30 years ago, Michael Barrier started interviewing
animation industry veterans for his Hollywood Cartoons....Unlike
most of us, who write about cartoons as if they were another kind
of movie, Mr. Barrier describes the development of the animated art
form from the guts outward. He convincingly illuminates how line
drawings evolved to the point where they could convey personalities
and emotions as vividly as the greatest film or stage
actor."--The New York Sun
"A substantial history of animated cartoons, both seven-minute
shorts and feature films, Hollywood Cartoons gives proper weight to
a subject often considered frivolous....Michael Barrier's Hollywood
Cartoons draws from the deepest reservoir of firsthand
recollections gathered from producers, directors, animators,
background artists, musicians, even ink-and-paint specialists from
roughly 1920 to 1966....Barrier makes palpable the rigors of an
animator's task, and thereby enhances our appreciation, indeed awe,
of their accomplishments."--The Plain Dealer
"A very detailed account of animated cartoons, strongly emphasizing
the influence and personality of Walt Disney....This genre's
history is still undercovered, so cartoon expert Barrier's book
should come as a welcome addition to researchers and fans....The
author takes an interesting tack in contrasting Disney's self-image
with views of his associates and friends."--Kirkus Reviews
"Michael Barrier's meticulously researched yet enchantingly
innocent Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in its Golden Age
restores much of the magic to the cartoon kingdom. This definitive
depiction of our most American medium will leave all but the most
hardened Disnophobe shouting Yabba-Dabba-Doo!"--Jacob M. Appel, The
Boston Book Review
"Barrier has given the reader a comprehensive--yet finely
detailed--survey of the American animated cartoon over the decades.
For the film buff, or more specifically, for the cartoon
enthusiast, his book will be a welome addition to the home
reference shelf."--Richmond Times-Dispatch
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