Reference Reviews

Lawrence Looks at Books

The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons, 3^rd ed. Jeff Lenburg. 738p. New York: Facts on File, 2009. 978–0–8160–6599–8; 2007–25676. $85.

Jeff Lenburg continues his long-running love affair with animation with this substantial revision of his comprehensive survey of animated cartoons. In the 10 years since the last edition, Hollywood has responded to the huge market share commanded by such films as "The Lion King", "Shrek" and "Finding Nemo" by introducing an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Television has enjoyed a widening adult audience for cartoons with the continuing success of "The Simpsons", "South Park", "The Family Guy" and similar series. Both film and television have endured an onslaught of Japanese anime, as well as numerous American imitations. This same period has witnessed the debut of such highly popular series as "Spongebob Squarepants" and "The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius". Lenburg captures these developments in his historical introduction and the 3,100 entries of his encyclopedia. As in previous editions, he divides cartoons into five groups: silent film series, theatrical sound cartoon series, full–length animated feature films, animated specials for television, and television cartoon series. The contents of entries vary, but all note production personnel, cast of characters and voices, theatrical debut or broadcast dates and a summary of the premise of each film or series. Articles on theatrical series also include the titles of each episode. Entries for feature films and television frequently include notes on production. Numerous illustrations, including 32 pages of color images, complement the text. Supplemental materials include list of award–winning cartoons and a brief chronology of groundbreaking events in the history of animation. The result is an excellent guide to the history of animated cartoons in America. From Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny and Yogi Bear to The Simpsons, Rugrats and Dora the Explorer, this encyclopedia highlights the creative and commercial successes of a highly popular art form. For a biographical approach to the field of animation, see the author’s "Who’s Who in Animated Cartoons" (Applause Theatre and Cinema Books, 2006).