Cartoon Modern: Style and Design in 1950s Animation

Cartoon Modern documents the revolutionary shift in animation aesthetics during the 1950s, when studios moved away from Disney's naturalistic style toward modern art influences. The book showcases hundreds of production sketches, backgrounds, and film stills from this transformative period. The text examines key studios and artists who shaped this new direction, including UPA, John Hubley, and Mary Blair. Through archival materials and industry interviews, it reconstructs how limited animation techniques and graphic design principles merged to create a distinct mid-century style. The studios' embrace of modern art movements reflected broader cultural changes in post-war America. Their experimental approaches to color, line, and space challenged conventional animation rules while expanding the medium's artistic possibilities.

Readers highlight the book's collection of rare production artwork and behind-the-scenes materials from 1950s animation studios like UPA, Disney, and Warner Bros. Many note the high print quality of the images and layouts. Likes: - Detailed coverage of lesser-known studios and artists - Historical context for the mid-century modern animation movement - Over 250 color illustrations and photographs - Clear explanations of artistic techniques and style evolution Dislikes: - Some find the writing dry and academic - Limited coverage of certain studios/artists - High retail price ($40-60) - Print runs sold out quickly, making copies hard to find Ratings: Goodreads: 4.5/5 (239 ratings) Amazon: 4.8/5 (71 ratings) "This book filled a major gap in animation history" - Animation World Network reader review "Worth it for the artwork alone, but I wanted more analysis of the cultural impact" - Goodreads reviewer "Best documentation of this influential period in animation design" - Amazon reviewer

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🎨 Author Amid Amidi spent over six years researching and collecting materials for this book, traveling across the United States and Europe to interview animation artists and access rare archives 📺 The book highlights how 1950s animation design was heavily influenced by modern art movements, particularly the work of Picasso, Matisse, and Miró 🎬 UPA (United Productions of America) studio, featured prominently in the book, revolutionized animation by rejecting Disney's realistic style in favor of limited animation and bold, geometric designs ✏️ Many of the artists showcased in the book were trained in fine art and brought modernist sensibilities to animation after working on WWII training films and propaganda 🏆 Cartoon Modern won the Theatre Library Association Award for Outstanding Book in Film, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound in 2007