You don’t have to be an anime-head to appreciate these early-career shorts by the founders of Studio Ghibli.
Animation
The Animated Biopic of Charlotte Salomon Is a Missed Opportunity
Charlotte fails to truly depict the famed artist’s work and pain. It may just be that no other artist can tell Salomon’s story better than she already did.
Searching for Hayao Miyazaki in the Details of His Films
Does the Academy Museum exhibition successfully plumb the depths of Miyazaki’s psyche?
Visit the Beautifully Bizarre Cryptozoo, a Sanctuary for Mythological Creatures
Married creative duo Dash Shaw and Jane Samborski collaborated on the vivid adult animated feature.
Ancient Greece and Rome Are Hot in Animation Right Now. Here’s Why.
Animation allows for creators to push the envelope in depictions of sex, violence, and other themes central to myth and history.
Experimental Animation Gems by Suzan Pitt, Walerian Borowczyk, and More
Here are some cartoons outside the mainstream, from a mischievously psychosexual short to an allegory for post-WWII Europe.
25 Years of Pixar’s Vibrant, Emotional Color Palettes
Revised and expanded, The Art of Pixar gathers color scripts from the studio’s short and feature films, mapping out the emotional beats of each story in lush hues.
Weird Animations About Infidelity, Warfare, and Quitting Smoking
Here are some highlights from the sizable collection of Bill Plympton cartoons on the Criterion Channel.
A Tale of Colonial Development Versus Primeval Magic
The gorgeous Irish animated feature Wolfwalkers is perfect holiday family viewing.
Animated Shorts About the Magic of the Everyday World
“Melting Animals,” an online program by the Memorial Art Gallery at the University of Rochester, presents works by Jodie Mack and other unconventional animators.
This Holiday, Stream the Best Movie Adaptations of A Christmas Carol
From an animation by Richard Williams to George C. Scott as Scrooge to the Muppets, there are countless variations on Charles Dickens’s classic.
An Elderly Painter Rediscovers His Passion in a Moving Animated Short
Canvas shows how art can connect different generations.