Animation Milestones
Innovation and creativity continue to make the world of animation an altogether fascinating and entertaining realm. Directors, artists and writers continue to show the way there is no limit to what can be created. As animation continues to evolve, we should recognize some important milestones along the way. These milestones may not have been the first of their kind, but they were certainly prolific enough to be recognized worldwide. Steamboat Willie Steamboat Willie is a black-and-white short debuted November 18th, 1928. It kick-started the “Golden Age of Animation.” Steamboat Willie is not noted for being the first animated cartoons combined with sound. Instead, it was the first animated short with a soundtrack of music and interactive dialogue between characters. It also had clever sound effects. It’s been almost a century since Steamboat Willie graced cinema screens around the country. It brought an end to silent animation. The animated piece was goofy and lighthearted. When you think about it though, it wasn’t the content of the animated cartoon, but rather what it represented. Steamboat Willie was one of Walt Disney’s earliest creations. Walt Disney, as you probably know, is still accredited as one of the most monumental animation studios. This was but a stepping-stone that would evidently lead to the great Mickey Mouse. Steamboat Willie is not known for the quality of its piece, but how ahead of the times it was. It was but the beginning of animated picture combined with sound to tell a story. The short was the first of its kind.