Although the opinions and ideas expressed on this review site are my own, they are admittedly influenced by what I’ve read on the subject. The books mentioned below are my guides and references in understanding the art and history of animation.
Links go to the books on Amazon or similar sites.
Abraham, Adam: When Magoo Flew – The Rise and Fall of Animation Studio UPA. Wesleyan University Press, Middletown, Connecticut, 2012.
Adams, T. R.: Tom and Jerry – Fifty Years of Cat and Mouse. Crescent Books, New York, 1991.
Adamson, Joe: Tex Avery: King of Cartoons. Da Capo Press, New York, 1975.
_____: The Walter Lantz Story with Woody Woodpecker & Friends. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York, 1985.
_____: Bugs Bunny – Fifty Years and Only One Grey Hare. Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1990.
Allan, Robin: Walt Disney and Europe. Indiana University Press, Bloomington and Indianapolis, 1999.
Aloff, Mindy: Hippo in a Tutu – Dancing in Disney Animation. Disney Editions, New York, 2008.
Amidi, Amid: Cartoon Modern – Style and Design in Fifties Animation. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2006.
Apgar, Garry: A Mickey Mouse Reader. University Press of Mississippi, Jackson, 2014.
_____: Mickey Mouse – Emblem of the American Spirit. The Walt Disney Family Foundation Press, San Francisco, 2015.
Barrier, Michael: Hollywood Cartoons – American Animation in its Golden Age. Oxford University Press, 2003.
_____: The Animated Man – A Life of Walt Disney. University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles, London, 2007.
Baxter, John: Disney During World War II – How the Walt Disney Studio Contributed to Victory in the War. Disney Editions, New York, Los Angeles, 2014.
Beck, Jerry (ed.): The 50 Greatest Cartoons, as selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals. Turner Publishing Inc., Atlanta, 1994.
_____(ed.): Animation Art – from Pencil to Pixel, the History of Cartoon, Anime & CGI. Harper Design International, New York, 2004.
_____ (ed.): The Animated Movie Guide. Chicago Review Press, Chicago, 2005.
_____: Not Just Cartoons – Nicktoons!. Melcher Media, New York, 2007.
_____ (ed.): The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons. Insight Editions, San Rafael, California, 2010.
Beck, Jerry & Will Friedwald: Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies – A Complete Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1989.
Bendazzi, Giannalberto: Cartoons – One Hundred Years of Cinema Animation. John Libbey & Company, Ltd., London, 1994.
Blair, Preston: Animatietekenen – Technieken voor het maken van tekenfilms. Librero, Kerkdriel, 2004.
Brion, Patrick: Tex Avery. Schuler Verlagsgesellschaft Herrsching, 1986.
_____: Tom and Jerry – The Definitive Guide to their Animated Adventures. Harmony Books, New York, 1990.
Broos, Kees (ed.): Beeld voor beeld – Nederlandse en Internationale Animatiefilm. Stichting Holland Animation, Den Haag, 1983.
Cabarga, Leslie: The Fleischer Story. DaCapo Press, New York, 1988.
Canemaker, John: Winsor McCay – His Life and Art. Abbeville Press Publishers, New York, 1987.
_____: Felix – The Twisted Tale of the World’s Most Famous Cat. Pantheon Books, New York, 1991.
_____: Paper Dreams – The Art & Artists of Disney Storyboards. Hyperion, New York, 1999.
_____: Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men & The Art of Animation. Disney Editions, New York, 2001.
_____: Two Guys Named Joe – Master Animation Story Tellers Joe Grant & Joe Ranft. Disney Editions, New York, 2010.
_____: The Art and Flair of Mary Blair – An Appreciation. Disney Editions, New York, 2014.
Care, Ross: Disney Legend Wilfred Jackson – A Life in Animation. Theme Park Press, 2016.
Catmull, Ed: Creativity, Inc. – Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration. Random House, 2014.
Clarke, James: The Films of Pixar Animation Studio. Kamera Books, Harpenden, 2013.
Clements, Jonathan: Anime – A History. British Film Institute/Palgrave, 2017.
Colvig, Pinto: It’s A Crazy Business – The Goofy Life of a Disney Legend. Theme Park Press, 2015.
Cotte, Olivier: Secrets of Oscar-Winning Animation – Behind the Scenes of 13 Classic Short Animations. Focal Press, New York and London, 2013.
Crafton, Donald: Before Mickey – The Animated Film 1898-1928. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1993.
_____: The Talkies – American Cinema’s Transition to Sound 1926-1931. University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles, London, 1999.
_____: Shadow of a Mouse – Performance, Belief and World-Making in Animation. University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles, London, 2013.
Culhane, John: Walt Disney’s Fantasia. Abradale Press/Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, 1987.
_____: Disney’s Aladdin – The Making of an Animated Film. Hyperion, New York, 1992.
_____: Fantasia 2000 – Visions of Hope. Disney Editions, New York, 1999.
Culhane, Shamus: Talking Animals and Other People. St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1986.
Denison, Rayna: Anime – A Critical Introduction. Bloomsbury, London, Oxford, New York, New Delhi, Sydney, 2016.
Driessen, Paul: My Life in Cartoons. At Bay Press, Winnipeg, 2024.
Finch, Christopher: The Art of Walt Disney – From Mickey Mouse to the Magic Kingdom. Abradale, New York, 1983.
_____: The Art of Walt Disney – From Mickey Mouse to the Magic Kingdoms and Beyond (New Edition). Abrams, New York, 2011.
Fleischer, Richard: Out of the Inkwell – Max Fleischer and the Animation Revolution. The Universtity Press of Kentucky, 2015.
Furniss, Maureen: Animation – The Global History. Thames & Hudson, London, 2017.
Gabler, Neal: Walt Disney – The Triumph of the American Imagination. Vintage Books, New York, 2006.
Gerstein, David (ed.): Walt Disney’s Mickey and the Gang – Classic Stories in Verse – Vintage Magazine Art 1934-1944. Gemstone Publishing, Timonium, MD, 2005.
Ghez, Didier: They Drew As They Pleased Vol. 1- The Hidden Art of Disney’s Golden Age: the 1930s. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2015.
_____: They Drew As They Pleased Vol. 2- The Hidden Art of Disney’s Musical Years: The 1940s – Part One. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2016.
_____: They Drew As They Pleased Vol. 3- The Hidden Art of Disney’s Late Golden Age: The 1940s Part Two. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2017.
_____: They Drew As They Pleased Vol. 4- The Hidden Art of Disney’s Mid-Century Era: The 1950s and 1960s. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2018.
Gilliam, Terry: Animations of Mortality. Eyre Methuen Limited, London, 1978.
Glassman, Marc & Ton Gloudemans: Paul Driessen – beelden en bespiegelingen. Holland Animation Film Festival, 2002.
Gloudemans, Ton: Gerrit van Dijk – De kunst van de beweging. Stichting Animated People, Haarlem, 1990.
Goldmark, Daniel: Tunes for ‘Toons – Music and the Hollywood Cartoon. University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles, London, 2005.
Goldmark, Daniel & Charlie Keil (eds.): Funny Pictures – Animation and Comedy in Studio-Era Hollywood. University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles, London, 2011.
Goldmark, Daniel & Yuval Taylor (eds.): The Cartoon Music Book. Chicago Review Press, 2002.
Gottfredson, Floyd: Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse. Nine volumes in “The Floyd Gottfredson Library”, Edited by David Gerstein and Gary Groth. Fantagraphics Books, Seattle, 2011-2016.
_____: Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse: Color Sundays. Two volumes in “The Floyd Gottfredson Library”, Edited by David Gerstein and Gary Groth. Fantagraphics Books, Seattle, 2013.
Halas, Vivian & Paul Wells: Halas & Batchelor Cartoons – An Animated History. Southbank Publishing, London, 2006.
Hamonic, W. Gerald: Terrytoons – The Story of Paul Terry and his Classic Cartoon Factory. John Libbey Publishing Ltd., New Barnet, 2018.
Hauser, Tim: The Art of Up. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2009.
Hollis, Richard & Brian Sibley: Mickey Mouse – His Life and Times. Fleetway Books, London, 1986.
_____: The Disney Studio Story. Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, 1988.
_____: Sneeuwwitje en de Zeven Dwergen – of het Ontstaan van een Klassieke Film. Loeb/Oberon, Amsterdam/Haarlem, 1988.
il Luster & Vivi Films presenteren Trippel Trappel – dierensinterklaas Productie Werkboek. il Luster, Utrecht, 2014.
Iwerks, Leslie & John Kenworthy: The Hand Behind the Mouse – An intimate biography of Ub Iwerks, the man Walt Disney called “the greatest animator in the world”. Disney Editions, New York, 2001.
Johnson, Mindy: Ink & Paint – The Women of Walt Disney’s Animation. Disney Editions, Los Angeles, New York, 2017.
Johnston, Ollie & Frank Thomas: Bambi – The Story and the Film. Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1990.
_____: The Disney Villain. Hyperion, New York, 1993.
Jones, Chuck: Chuck Amuck – The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist. Simon & Schuster, London, 1989.
Kaufman, J.B.: The Fairest One of All – The Making of Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The Walt Disney Family Foundation Press, San Francisco, 2012.
_____: Pinocchio – The Making of the Disney Epic. The Walt Disney Family Foundation Press, San Francisco, 2015.
_____: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – The Art and Creation of Walt Disney’s Classic Animated Film. The Walt Disney Family Foundation Press, San Francisco, 2012.
Kaufman, J.B. & David Gerstein: Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse – The Ultimate History. Taschen, Köln, 2020.
Kinney, Jack: Walt Disney and Assorted Other Characters – An Unauthorized Account of the Early Years at Disney’s. Harmony Books, New York, 1988.
Kitson, Clare: Yuri Norstein and Tale of Tales – An Animator’s Journey. Indiana University Press, Bloomington and Indianapolis, 2005.
Klein, Norman M.: 7 Minutes – The Life and Death of the American Animated Cartoon. Verso, London/New York, 1994.
Komorowski, Thad: Sick Little Monkeys – The Unauthorized Ren& Stimpy Story. BearManor Media, Albany, Georgia, 2017.
Korkis, Jim: The Book of Mouse – A Celebration of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse. Theme Park Press, 2013.
_____ (ed.): How to be a Disney Historian. Theme Park Press, 2016.
_____ (ed.): Walt’s Words – Quotations of Walt Disney with Sources!. Theme Park Press, 2016.
Kothenschulte, Daniel (ed.): The Walt Disney Film Archives: The Animated Movies 1921-1968. Taschen, Köln, 2016.
Krause, Martin & Linda Witkowski: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – An Art in Its Making. Hyperion, New York, 1995.
Kurtti, Jeff: The Art of The Princess and the Frog. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2009.
Lehman, Christopher P.: The Colored Cartoon – Black Representation in American Animated Short Films 1907-1954. University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, 2007.
Lenburg, Jeff: Who’s Who in Animated Cartoons. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, New York, 2006.
Lesjak, David: Service with Character – The Disney Studio & World War II. Theme Park Press, 2014.
Lord, Peter & Brian Sibley: Creating 3-D animation – The Aardman Book of Filmmaking. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, New York, 2004.
MacLean, Fraser: Setting the Scene – The Art and Evolution of Animation Layout. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2011.
Maltin, Leonard: Of Mice and Magic – A History of American Animated Cartoons (Revised Edition). New American Library, New York, 1987.
_____: The Disney Films – Fourth Edition. Disney Editions, New York, 2000.
Mazurkewich, Karen: Cartoon Capers – The History of Canadian Animators. McArthur & Company, Toronto, 1999.
McCarthy, Helen: Hayao Miyazaki – Master of Japanese Animation. Stone Bridge Press, Berkeley, California, 1999/2002.
Merritt, Russell & J. B. Kaufman: Walt in Wonderland – The Silent Films of Walt Disney. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 2000.
_____: Walt Disney’s Silly Symphonies – A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series. Disney Editions, California, 2016.
Mertová, Michaela: Czech Animated Film I: 1920-1945. Národní Filmový Archiv, Praha, 2012.
Michaelis, Davis: Schulz and Peanuts – A Biography. Harper Perennial, New York, 2007.
Miyazaki, Hayao: Starting Point 1979-1996. VIZ Media LLC, San Francisco, 2009.
Moritz, William: Optical Poetry – The Life and Work of Oskar Fischinger. John Libbey Publishing, Eastleigh, 2004.
Neupert, Richard: French Animation History. Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester, West-Sussex, 2014.
Noake, Roger: Animatie – Een wegwijzer voor animatietechnieken. Uitgeverij W. Gaade bv – Unieboek bv, 1989.
Nowell-Smith, Geoffrey (ed.): The Oxford History of World Cinema – The definitive history of cinema worldwide. Oxford University Press, New York, 1996.
O’Brien, Flora: Walt Disney’s Goofy – The Good Sport. Ebury Press, London, 1985.
Odell, Colin & Michelle Le Blanc: Studio Ghibli – The Films of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. Kamera Books, Harpenden, Herts, 2014.
Osmond, Andrew: 100 Animated Feature Films. British Film Institute, Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2010.
Peri, Don: Working with Walt – Interviews with Disney Artists. University Press of Mississippi, Jackson, 2008.
_____: Working with Disney – Interviews with Animators, Producers, and Artists. University Press of Mississippi, Jackson, 2011.
Pilling, Jayne (ed.): A Reader in Animation Studies. John Libbey & Company Pty Ltd., 1997.
_____: From the series Animation – 2D and beyond. RotoVision SA, East Sussex, 2001.
Pointer, Ray: The Art and Inventions of Max Fleischer, American Animation Pioneer. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, Jefferson, North Carolina, 2017.
Polson, Tod: The Noble Approach – Maurice Noble and the Zen of Animation Design. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2013.
Price, David A.: The Pixar Touch – The Making of a Company. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2008.
Ring, Børge: Een weergaloos leven in muziek en tekenfilm – autobiografie. Uitgeverij Personalia, Leens, 2015.
Schneider, Steve: That’s All Folks! – The Art of Warner Bros. Animation. Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1990.
Shull, Michael S. & David E. Wilt: Doing Their Bit – Wartime American Animated Short Films, 1939-1945. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, Jefferson, North Carolina, and London, 1987.
Sibley, John: Chicken Run – Hatching the Movie. Boxtree, London, 2000.
Sito, Tom: Moving Innovation – A History of Computer Animation. The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts & London, England, 2015.
Solomon, Charles: Enchanted Drawings – The History of Animation. Wings Books, New York/Avenel, New Jersey, 1994.
_____: The Disney That Never Was – The Stories and Art from Five Decades of Unproduced Animation. Hyperion, New York, 1995.
_____: The Art and Making of Peanuts Animation – Celebrating Fifty Years of Television Specials. Chronicle Books, San Franscisco, 2012.
Studio Ghibli: The Art of Kiki’s Delivery Service – A Film by Hayao Miyazaki. VIZ Media, LLC, San Francisco, 2006.
_____: The Art of My Neighbor Totoro – A Film by Hayao Miyazaki. VIZ Media LLC, San Francisco, 2014.
_____: The Art of Ponyo – A Film by Hayao Miyazaki. VIZ Media LLC, San Francisco, 2009.
Susanin, Timothy S.: Walt before Mickey – Disney’s Early Years, 1919-1928. University Press of Mississippi, Jackson, 2011.
Thomas, Bob: Disney’s Art of Animation from Mickey Mouse to Beauty and the Beast. Hyperion, New York, 1991.
_____: Disney’s Art of Animation from Mickey Mouse to Hercules. Hyperion, New York, 1997
_____: Walt Disney – An American Original. Disney Editions, Glendale, California, 1994.
Thomas, Frank & Ollie Johnston: The Illusion of Life – Disney Animation. Disney Editions, 1984.
_____: Too Funny for Words – Disney’s Greatest Sight Gags. Abbeville Press Publishers, New York, 1987.
Tietyen, David: The Musical World of Walt Disney. Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1990.
Vries, Jan-Willem de: De Toonder Animatiefilms. Silvester Strips Uitgeverij, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, 2012.
_____: De kunst van Børge Ring. Uitgeverij Personalia, Leens, 2015.
Walt Disney Animation Studios:The Archive Series – Story. Disney Editions, New York, 2008.
_____: The Archive Series – Design. Disney Editions, New York, 2010.
_____: The Archive Series – Layout & Background. Disney Editions, New York, 2011.
Walther, Hans: Geanimeerde gesprekken – Interviews met animatiefilmers. Nederlands Instituut voor Animatiefilm, Tilburg, 2006.
Wells, Paul: Understanding Animation. Routledge, London, 1998.
Wiedemann, Julius (ed.): Animation Now! Taschen, Köln, 2004.
Yoe, Craig & Janet Morra-Yoe (eds.): The Art of Mickey Mouse. Hyperion, New York, 1991.
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