dossier

Comics, cartoons and animated movies

Collected essays on comics, cartoons and animated movies

Editor: Rudi de Vries

"It's almost got so you can't speak th' truth without commitin' an indiscretion." (february 2007). Throughout the early 20th century, Frank McKinney "Kin" Hubbard (1868-1930) was one of the most beloved cartoon artists of the USA. And yet, fans and students of comic art have overlooked Hubbard's considerable achievements. With this in mind, Kevin Howley here offers a concise reassessment of Hubbard's accomplishments.

Exploitation films in the severe style (december 2004). In his Dead Trilogy, director George A. Romero revived the Zombies as a gruesome image, looking back at us from the mirror of our times. Here, Marco Maurizi analyses this image from an Adornian perspective.

Queertoons (june 2003). Taking a long-term view on its history, sociologist Jeffery P. Dennis here describes the presentation of same-sex desire in the animated cartoon, ranging from Bugs Bunny and Yogi Bear, by way of The Smurfs, Ren and Stimpy, Pinky and the Brain, and Spongebob Squarepants, to The Simpsons, South Park and Dexter's Laboratory.

Ecce robot (february 2003). In 1972 Go Nagai developed his anime Mazinger Z. The series was soon televised and aired in Japan and many other countries, starting the super-robot trend that dominated anime television for over a decade. Taking an Adornian perspective, Marco Maurizi here tries to explain the worldwide fascination for Nagai's robot and its deranged universe.

Marten Toonder en de tijdgeest (juni 2001). Lange tijd hield Marten Toonder zijn eigen persoonlijkheid verborgen achter zijn stripkarakters. De laatste jaren liet hij evenwel meer over zichzelf weten. Veel meer zelfs. Onlangs verscheen een omvangrijke autobiografie en daarin vertelt hij vrijuit over zijn leven. Ger Tillekens las het boek en zocht daarbij naar de mens achter de striptekenaar.