What would we do without cartoons and animation? Most likely, nothing. Animation has, in one way or another, made it into nearly every aspect of our daily living. Animation is not only what is seen on TV as cartoons. There is animation in many other areas of your daily routine, although you may never notice it.

History

Although we don't think much about it, cartooning has been around for thousands of years. It started with cave paintings that were not merely a source of entertainment for the primitive humans, but a very important form of communication. Drawings on cave walls would often tell a story.

Significance

Cartooning has, no doubt, evolved over time and there are many varieties of the art today. Part of that can be contributed to Otto Messmer, creator of "Felix the Cat," motion picture's first animated feature. "Felix the Cat" made its debut on the movie screen in 1919 as a silent short. It quickly became a sensation and moved to TV in 1928 when sound was added. This sparked a worldwide phenomena in the world of animation.

Television

While a cat was making history on the big screen, a rabbit was doing so on the tube. In 1950, "Crusader Rabbit," created by Jay Ward and Alexander Anderson, became the first animated TV series.

Types

Soon, many types of cartoons and animation hit the media, including the newspaper comic strips. Some types include political cartoons, sports cartoons and now anime. There are cartoons geared toward specific age groups, including adult cartoons.

Potential

From Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse to Charles Shultz's Peanuts, and from Bevis and Butt-Head to Family Guy, animation has become an integral part of today's entertainment and continues to grow with no end in sight.