Brief Histories of

World Animation
Although this book is laying out a version of the global history
of animation, it is clear, at least until the explosion of Japanese anime
split off on its own trajectory, that the American animation industry has
been the driving force throughout most of that history; and that the history
of animation is largely the history of American animation. So we begin
this book with a brief overview of the development of the animation industry
in North America.
However, if American animation is the sun around which all other
animation has orbited, then it's also true that these other planets contain
weird and wonderful life-forms and mutations of their own that are worth
exploring. Western Europe led the way in the early days of cinema, and has
been a fertile area for experimental and avant-garde animation. For many
decades, Eastern European animation was funded by communist states,
which meant that animators had more financial security than their Western
counterparts, but also that they had less creative freedom. Although initially
taking inspiration from America and Europe, Japanese animators soon
developed their own distinctive traditions and styles, building a successful
industry that has attracted devoted fans around the world.