Animation

In 1976, the critic Roland Barthes wrote a manuscript in appreciation of the artist Saul Steinberg, ultimately published in 1983 as All Except You. In this article, the author argues that this little-known volume demonstrates the utility of Barthes for the study of animation. With a focus on pre-cinematic media, including panoramas and optical toys, the author emphasizes Barthes’ reflections on animation, metamorphosis, and perspective. Reliant upon archival materials accessible only at the Beinecke Library and the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and including new translations of passages from All Except You, it is further proposed that a single missing typographical mark helps us to better understand Barthes’ animatic understanding of Steinberg.

This article argues that Pixar’s animated feature Inside Out (2015) is a film that rehearses the Disney animation creation processes and arrives at a critique of the normalcy of happiness of Disney. The article aims to further Pixar’s critique by first exploring the historical background, principles, and the production processes of Disney animation developed in the 1930s. Taking the normalcy of happiness as a form of self-alienation grounded in cultural history, the article will follow Adorno’s critique of the culture industry and customer service in Minima Moralia: Reflections from a Damaged Life (2005) to explore and further the critique of self-alienation in various forms.

Through a prosopography study of three studios – Bratři v triku (Brothers in Trick), Gottwaldov Studio in Czechoslovakia, and Se-Ma-For in Poland – this study reconstructs the creative capacities of animated film production in Czechoslovakia and Poland, examining how artistic, institutional, and political conditions shaped entry into the position of film director. The authors argue that, while both national industries eventually achieved international recognition, Czechoslovak animation developed a structured professional field earlier due to institutional and personal continuity with the period of German occupation. In contrast, Polish animation had to start from scratch after World War II, resulting in delayed consolidation. This difference in the capacity and prestige of animated production began to even out in the 1960s, as television broadcasting rapidly expanded distribution for animated films. The comparison of personnel capacities and professional paths in three animated film studios in two countries revealed elements of exceptionalism in development within the given comparative framework, i.e., the influence of the German occupation on the above-standard accumulation of young talent in Brothers in Trick Studio, and the demand from television stations as an opportunity for the smaller studio in Gottwaldov to grow its capacity. The thesis of exceptionality is open to future refinement through an extension of the comparative perspective to other countries.

Animation and games employ highly specialised terminology that can present linguistic access challenges for learners, professionals and interpreters navigating rapidly evolving industry language. This article presents preliminary findings from an exploratory study investigating potential gaps in British Sign Language (BSL) vocabulary within animation and games. Data were collected during a live interpreted animation-focused event where professional BSL interpreters submitted 122 terms they identified as unfamiliar, inconsistently signed, or potentially lacking established signs. A five-stage moderation process involving consultation with Deaf community members was used to assess whether widely recognised BSL equivalents exist for these terms. Approximately 60 percent were identified as potentially lacking commonly recognised signs, indicating areas where further vocabulary development may be required. The animated short New Signs for Animation: AnimSign (Mortimer, 2024) functions as a practice-based case study illustrating linguistic access challenges within educational and professional animation contexts. While the film did not generate the terminology dataset directly, it operates as a reflective and communicative tool supporting accessibility research. The study provides an initial methodological framework and preliminary evidence base to inform future Deaf-led terminology and glossary development. It contributes to wider debates on accessibility, inclusion, and practice-based research within the creative industries by positioning linguistic access as foundational to participation in animation and games.