Animation, which can be defined as “a way of making a movie by using a series of drawings, computer graphics, or photographs of objects (such as puppets or models) that are slightly different from one another and that when viewed quickly one after another create the appearance of movement”, according to Merriam Webster. Such an example of animation, as we know it today, are animated movies, cartoons and television shows that utilize different animation, photo, and editing techniques to create the end product you see in theaters or on television. Animation began as a way to convey motion, and it evolved into a means of entertainment, with studios such as Walt Disney Productions, Warner Bros., Hanna-Barbera, etc., starting their businesses and providing the foundations for medium. One thing I would like to point out about these studios and their early works: along with how they operate now, is their lack of diversity. Whether it be in films dating from the 1920’s to present day, the representation of other races, primarily African Americans, seems to be lacking. In my paper, I plan to detail the lack of representation of different ethnicities in the animation industry (primarily African American) and the challenges they face in order to enter and navigate such an industry. Along with detailing the representation of black people in the cartoons as characters and/or caricatures.
Early cartoons from the early 1900’s (1900-1950) were made with adult audiences in mind. Animated shorts such as ‘Steamboat Willie’ (1928), which features iconic characters such as Mickey Mouse, to the first full hand-drawn animated film, ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ (1937). And these early animations occasionally depicted tropes and political topics relevant at the time. This is why some films feature character such as crow named ‘Jim Crow’ (from ‘Dumbo’, 1941), and short films/parodies such as ‘Coal Black’ and de ‘Sebben Dwarfs’ (1943), which obviously feature caricatures of African Americans based on prejudices at the time, such as from the character of the minstrel (McGill). These were some of the first instances on black people in animation. And these caricatures provide harmful stereotypes that were based on prejudices at the time. As animation is typically grouped with exaggeration of character traits, features, and ideas People have accused studio like Disney for making racist films in the past.
In more present day, the representation of black people and animated African American characters have improved. “You probably didn’t see many black men in animation until the 1970s and 1980s, when several cartoons were developed based on real people”, says Kelley Evans, a general editor at The Undefeated. The importance of representation in cartoons is a dire issue. As many children at the time started to watch cartoons more and more. And children are very impressionable, and tend to connect and associate themselves to the characters they see on TV and in movies. This is important as if children see harmful stereotypes in the media they consume constantly, it may affect how other people and/or themselves are perceived. Characters in shows like ‘Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids’ (1972-1985), created and produced by Bill Cosby, were one of the first to showcase this sense of diversity. Along with shorts at the time depicting celebrities like the Jackson Five. With kids watching and becoming engrossed in these cartoons and finally being able to reflect themselves onto a character with a positive influence, as ‘Fat Albert’ and the Cosby Kids’ (1972-1985) touched on issues in the black community, and to relate to it along with other shows at the time.
As the appearance of black characters improved over time, another issue came to light. On how people in African American communities may not see animation as a job for a viable career option. And even Art schools across the country tend to receive less applications from African American students, which lead to a lower enrollment of different ethnicities within the schools practically paying to get in more diversity. Black students may be pressured to pursue other career or job options. It's hard to pinpoint exactly the issue whether it be the lack of funds, overall lack of Interest, or lack of encouragement or determination. Perhaps even a lack of information available about the processes of animation, either way, there may be a lack of diversity in the field.
Other evidence I’ve found of this is how classes on animation tend to have low attendance of African Americans, an example of this would be how in the article ‘Celebrating ‘Coco’ and ‘Frozone’: Creating Space for Black Creatives and Leaning into Your Art with Pixar Animation’ by Frank Abney. Abney explains how in his classes he teaches on animation, that the even though he sees people from all over yet, “The percentage is VERY low, in terms of having black artists in my class”, and continues to explain his reasoning in the article how: “Depending on where you come from, it may not be seen as an actual career option, and in some cases, we may be pressured to not go after something like animation, because of the misconception that it’s for kids”.
Some black people in the field now say one of their leading drives to pursue animation was the lack of diversity. The little to no representation of themselves in the cartoons they grew up with, and the fact that it was time for change. Aphton Corbin, a Bay Area artist, currently working as a storyboard artist at Pixar Animation Studios and a freelance illustrator, illustrates a series of comic depicting her motivation for draw black characters. She illustrated this in one of her daily comics: “American cartoons vs. anime have gotten better at becoming more diverse but it is still extremely segregated and I can count on one hand how many shows of African American protagonist. But it's okay because if no one else will draw us, I will”.
It can be hard for artist coming into the business of animation and trying to make their mark and introduce a sense of diversity. Amid Amidi, a publisher and editor-in-chief of Cartoon Brew, writes in CalArts Animation Student ‘If I Don’t Draw Black Characters, Who Will?’ that: “For artists just coming into the business, it’s easy to fall into the trap of making more of what the industry already produces, but as Corbin’s comic and Gutierrez’s experiences remind us, the power to transform the industry is within the grasp of each individual artist” (Jorge Gutierrez is the director of the film ‘The Book of Life’ and co-creator of the animated TV show ‘El Tigre’, who often brings up issues with representation in animation). But the matter on fact is, there aren't many black animation and even just black artist out there who are trying to advocate for more representation in not only cartoons but and other media as well (whether it be something a Marvel movie for example or any other type of television show). Many that have been or are in the industry claim there is a need for more black people, especially women, in not only animation but in writing rooms. And there is a need form the few of these writers, illustrators, and animators to be taken seriously in their field and by the public and to be looked out for in terms of upcoming artist. Artis like Corbin mentioned above, or ones such as Tiffany Ford, who works with Cartoon Network, Pearl Low, a storyboard artist, and many others in similar fields.
I believe the one of the causes for the lack of diversity in animation is the lack of different ethnicities in the field. Artists typically reflect themselves in their works, so if they were moire black animations, they would try to showcase their struggles and experiences in their work, or at least be a voice of reason when it came to writing black characters. In the early days of animation studios like Disney, black people didn't really have to apply for jobs per se. It wasn't until 1956, when Disney hired their first African American animator, Floyd Norman, for example. Norman didn't see a reason not to apply. “We were just a bunch of kids looking for a job”, he said. His dedication to field is still in full swing, with Norman still working today. His credits ranging from classics like ‘Sleeping Beauty’ (1959), for example, to modern day films such ‘The Princess and the Frog’ (2009), the first Disney film to start an African American princess. I believe this was one of the first steps to introducing African Americans into the field, which led to the artist above exploring the field for their own. And has led to a catalyst of improvement in not only representation in the workforce but in the actual cartoons themselves.
In conclusion, I believe that as animation as a medium has vastly improved over the years with quality, as shown in movies from studios such as Pixar, and with cartoons made for television diversifying in style more and more. But one area it could still use work is in diversity. Comparing to past depictions, representation has greatly improved in media, with shows such as ‘The Proud Family’ (2001-2006), ‘The Boondocks’ (2005-2014), ‘Doc McStuffins’ (2012-), and ‘Craig of the Creek’ (2018-) to name a few, that feature black people as main characters and focus around their lives and problems for instance. And the use of black characters (whether it be as supporting characters or not) in other media like the character Frozone in ‘The Incredibles’ and ‘The Incredibles 2’ (2004 and 2018, respectively) or Susie Carmichael – ‘Rugrats’ (1991-2004). But it's still far from perfect. I think the best way to continue the improvement of this diversity is strive for the presence in writing rooms and on storyboarding teams. We need to be willing to work in the field and make our voices heard. Instead of waiting for it to get better, be the catalyst yourself, or at least advocate and support the ones in the field already and take them seriously as artists.