This nicely written and generally informative account provides a
cursory though useful history of American animated cartoons.
Theater critic and former Time staffer Kanfer (The Last Empire: De
Beers, Diamonds, and the World, 1993, etc.) chronicles American
cartoons from the silent era to very recent efforts by the Disney
Studio, beginning with the primitive, surreal work of innovative
legend Windsor McCay, then moving on to document the contributions
of the Fleischer Studios (creators of Betty Boop and Popeye),
Warner Brothers (Merry Melodies and Loony Tunes), Hanna-Barbera
(the Flintstones and others), and, of course, Walt Disney. Kanfer
doesn't neglect such lesser known but influential figures as Otto
Mesmer (creator of Felix the Cat), Paul Terry (Farmer Al Falfa),
Walter Lanz (Woody Woodpecker), and Jay Ward (Rocky and
Bullwinkle). Serious Business is a solid introductory text,
particularly useful to those with little background in the history
and sociology of American animated cartoons, successfully
demonstrating Kanfer's proposition that "in their own eccentric
way, [cartoons] provide an extraordinary reflection of the society
and politics of their time." The problem is that Kanfer wants the
book to do more than that: His purpose is, finally, he says, to
demonstrate that cartoons also powerfully shape our attitudes, not
always for the better. Kanfer addresses such important issues as
racism in cartoons, cartoons as war propaganda, and the ways in
which cartoons reflect issues of identity, conformity, and even
anomie (for instance, Ren and Stimpy and Beavis and Butthead).
While certainly instructive, Serious Business's pockets of brief
analysis on such difficult issues fail to offer sufficient depth or
insight. Taken as the less ambitious but valuable work it truly is,
Serious Business offers a lively, thought-provoking introduction to
the fascinating complexity of seemingly simple animated cartoons.
(Kirkus Reviews)
As Roger Rosenblatt put it, "What makes "Serious Business" a
special treat is that it is like the best of the cartoons
itself--funny, touching, and infused with thoughtful joy." This
generously illustrated history of animation looks at the creation
and celluloid careers of such American icons as Felix the Cat,
Jiminy Cricket, Mickey and Minnie, Popeye and Olive Oyl, Goofy,
Yogi Bear, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Daffy Duck, Tom and Jerry, and
the Pink Panther. Art and commerce collide again and again as
Stefan Kanfer wittily probes the origins of such diverse cartoon
families as the Flintstones, the Jetsons, and the Simpsons and
looks at the phenomenal success of feature-length animated films
such as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" and "The Lion King," "Serious
Business" is itself a classic of animation, bringing to life an art
and an industry whose creations have now worked their way into
every corner of American life.
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