An Animated Awakening: Brad Bird and the Return of the Hand-Drawn Cartoon

It’s no revelation that the hand-drawn animated feature has become essentially non-existent, particularly where major studios such as Dreamworks and Disney are concerned. It’s a sad truth, but with the proliferation of CGI flicks throughout the noughties, the traditionally animated film has become increasingly obsolescent; it’s on life support until somebody comes to its aid. Despite some notable attempts to resurrect the genre, there are no hand-drawn features in the pipeline from any studio, which rather begs the question – is now the time to resuscitate the cartoon?

Director Brad Bird wants a hand-drawn animation revival

Disney have attempted, unsuccessfully, to bring about a reprisal in traditional techniques. For a long time, the mediocre Home on the Range (2004) marked their final feature utilising the arduous, hand-drawn technique as practised by Walt Disney. In 2009, they decided to return to the animation style that has become synonymous with the Disney company, with The Princess and the Frog; a film whose reception was decent, if somewhat unfairly lukewarm. Ironically, had the feature instead represented the final traditional animation, as opposed to a resurgence, the hand-drawn feature would have at least had the chance to go out on a more dignified high note. Since this release, Disney have also released the comparably low-key Winnie the Pooh (2011), a charming, if slightly rudimentary film by today’s complex standards. Few other companies have attempted to broach the threshold of reinstating traditional animation as a prolific medium. Dreamworks’ final hand-drawn feature was Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003), a film whose cold reception would imply that they bear little to no desire to return to the obsolescent art form. Indeed, what was once the ubiquitous cartoon has now faded into obscurity.

The Iron Giant (1999)

The sad truth is that traditional animation has potential that is yet to be explored and exploited – a notion acclaimed director Brad Bird condones (you can see his full interview with Collider by clicking on the link in the sources at the bottom of the page). Currently promoting the release of The Iron Giant: Signature Edition – a rerelease of his classic 1999 animated flick – Bird is of the opinion that the traditional bears far more validity in today’s modern age of CGI ventriloquy, even going so far as to proffer another genre yet to be explored by the animated genre: horror. Naturally, this has potential not only in the technological sense, but also in the sense of the animated film’s marketability, being as it represents a diverse concept, wholly disparate from your average family-friendly fodder. A problem presents itself, however, in that it also represents a fairly substantial risk, taking into account the unspoken alignment of cartoons and children – an audience an animated horror would surely set out to avoid. Regardless, it’s an interesting concept, and one that does indeed have validity.

Brad Bird is currently working on a sequel to The Incredibles (2004)

So, will we see a return to traditional animation? Possibly – particularly if even directors such as Brad Bird continue to maintain an interest in the medium. However, Bird’s forward-thinking notion concerning the possible resurrection of the hand-drawn feature is extremely ambitious. While the traditionally animated feature does indeed bear the potential for greater scope and a wider, more diverse dissemination, the general audience might think a little differently about the prospect of an animated horror. In any case, Bird is right: there is a great deal of ground that the animated film is yet to cover, and a hand-drawn feature, in some cases, might accomplish it more effectively. Whether the audience is ready is a separate matter, but Bird paints us a concept that is far too enticing to overlook.

Sources:

Collider: Brad Bird Hopes to Make another Hand-Drawn Animated Film: http://collider.com/brad-bird-wants-to-make-a-new-2d-animated-film/

Image Sources:

The Incredibles: 2-Disc Collector’s Edition. [DVD] (2004) Walt Disney Home Entertainment, Burbank, California.

The Iron Giant. [DVD] (2000) Warner Bros Family Entertainment, Burbank, California.