Nichola Dobson

Dobson and Ward's Animation examines animation as one of the most pervasive categories of television, introducing students - and the undergraduate reader in particular - to central debates about and approaches to studying television animation.

Dobson and Ward's Animation examines animation as one of the most pervasive categories of television, introducing students - and the undergraduate reader in particular - to central debates about and approaches to studying television animation.

Historical Dictionary of Animation and Cartoons is intended to provide an overview of the animation industry and its historical development. The animation industry has been in existence as long (some would argue longer) than cinema, yet it has had less exposure in terms of the discourse of moving-image history. This book introduces animation by considering the various definitions that have been used to describe it over the years. A different perception of animation by producers and consumers has affected how the industry developed and changed over the past hundred years. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Animation and Cartoons contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries on animators, directors, studios, techniques, films, and some of the best-known characters. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about animation and cartoons.

Shortlisted for the McLaren-Lambart Award 2019This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com.Animator Norman McLaren is best known for his experimental films using pioneering techniques and his work as founder of the animation department of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), but little mention is made of his Scottish heritage or his personal life. Nichola Dobson examines some of the key events and people in his life through a close examination of his key works and his personal papers, and discusses how influential they were. By using archive material to discover his personal identity and close readings of his films, Norman McLaren rediscovers one of the most important figures in animation history.Divided into thematic chapters of significant areas of influence, Dobson analyzes his formative years growing up in Scotland and his relationship with fellow Scot, John Grierson; the international travel which influenced him politically and creatively; the creative arts which played a vital part of his life; his collaborations with other artists and his complex, and rarely discussed, personal life. Each of these chapters considers his key films during those periods with a close detailed analysis and a further examination of his life through his correspondence with family and close friends. By featuring this previously un-published material, the book allows much of the consideration of the work to be in McLaren’s own words and offers a deep insight into his vast output of films over nearly 50 years.

Shortlisted for the McLaren-Lambart Award 2019This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com.Animator Norman McLaren is best known for his experimental films using pioneering techniques and his work as founder of the animation department of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), but little mention is made of his Scottish heritage or his personal life. Nichola Dobson examines some of the key events and people in his life through a close examination of his key works and his personal papers, and discusses how influential they were. By using archive material to discover his personal identity and close readings of his films, Norman McLaren rediscovers one of the most important figures in animation history.Divided into thematic chapters of significant areas of influence, Dobson analyzes his formative years growing up in Scotland and his relationship with fellow Scot, John Grierson; the international travel which influenced him politically and creatively; the creative arts which played a vital part of his life; his collaborations with other artists and his complex, and rarely discussed, personal life. Each of these chapters considers his key films during those periods with a close detailed analysis and a further examination of his life through his correspondence with family and close friends. By featuring this previously un-published material, the book allows much of the consideration of the work to be in McLaren’s own words and offers a deep insight into his vast output of films over nearly 50 years.

Animation was once a relatively simple matter, using fairly primitive means to produce rather short films of subjects that were generally comedic and often quite childish. However, things have changed, and they continue changing at a maddening pace. One new technique after another has made it easier, faster, and above all cheaper to produce the material, which has taken on an increasing variety of forms. The A to Z of Animation and Cartoons is an introduction to all aspects of animation history and its development as a technology and industry beyond the familiar cartoons from the Disney and Warner Bros. Studios. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, photos, a bibliography, and over 200 cross-referenced dictionary entries on animators, directors, studios, techniques, films, and some of the best-known characters.