Table Of Content

The Animated Bestiary bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb The Animated Bestiary Animals, Cartoons, and Culture PAUL W ELLS bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb RUTGERS UNIVERSITY PRESS NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY, AND LONDON LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Wells, Paul, 1961– (cid:4)The animated bestiary : animals, cartoons, and culture / Paul Wells. (cid:4)(cid:4)(cid:4)p. cm. (cid:4)Includes bibliographical references and index. (cid:4)ISBN 978–0-8135–1– (hardcover : alk. paper)—ISBN 978–0-8135–15–1 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Animals in motion pictures.(cid:4)2. Animated fi lms—History and criticism. I. Title. (cid:4)PN1995.9.A5W5 2009 (cid:4)791.3662—dc22 200800776 A British Cataloging-in-Publication record for this book is available from the British Library. Jo Shapcott’s “Tom and Jerry Visit England” from Her Book: Poems 1988–1998, © 2000 by Jo Shapcott, is quoted by permission of Faber and Faber Ltd. Copyright © 2009 by Paul Wells All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Please contact Rutgers University Press, 100 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 0885–8099. The only exception to this prohibition is “fair use” as defi ned by U.S. copyright law. Visit our Web site: http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu Manufactured in the United States of America CONTENTS Acknowledgments vii Introduction: The Kong Trick 1 1 The Bear Who Wasn’t: Bestial Ambivalence 26 2 Of Mice and Men: What Do Animals Mean? 60 3 “I Don’t Care What You Say, I’m Cold”: Anthropomorphism, Practice, Narrative 93 4 Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg? Performance, Philosophy, Tradition 135 5 Creature Comforted: Animal Politics, Animated Memory 175 Bibliography 203 Filmography 207 Index 211 v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Leslie Mitchner and Rachel Friedman for patience and support beyond the call of duty. Animation Academy Staff and Research Students, Lough- borough University Aardman Animation Tim Fernee Vivien Halas Nick Park Simon Pummell Joanna Quinn Irene Rose Karen Scott Karolina Sobecka Suzie Templeton Run Wrake vii The Animated Bestiary

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Cartoonists and animators have given animals human characteristics for so long that audiences are now accustomed to seeing Bugs Bunny singing opera and Mickey Mouse walking his dog Pluto.The Animated Bestiary critically evaluates the depiction of animals in cartoons and animation more generally. Pau