By Donna Walker
Lots of characters in animation feature films originated as one “born” and drawn by an artist or cartoonist to star in a comic strip. Examples include popular characters such as Popeye the Sailor, Rocky and Bullwinkle, superhero stars Superman and Batman, and the star of the recently released film The Garfield Movie (2024), who was introduced by comic strip creator Jim Davis back in 1976. Female stars Wonder Woman and Catwoman were introduced in comic books in 1941 and 1940, respectively. Charles Schulz’s Peanuts Gang includes popular and well-known characters such as Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, and Lucy Van Pelt, who were originally introduced to comic strip readers in 1950. The feature film The Peanuts Movie was released on November 6, 2015. It was the fifth full-length Peanuts film and the first in 35 years. These films were all based on the Peanuts comic strip created by Schulz.
However, characters in The Flintstones and The Jetsons were first introduced in animated television series programs that were then featured in comic books, animated feature films, and in video games. There are also themed amusement parks in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates based on Flintstones and Jetsons characters.
The Creative and Evolutionary Development of an Animated Character
Comic strip creator, writer, cartoonist, and producer Aaron McGruder introduced the characters Huey and Riley Freeman in 1996. His comic strip The Boondocks was made into a television series, which premiered on November 6, 2005, on Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. McGruder’s controversial comic strip and television series was similar to the popular show The Simpsons, which had been airing since 1987. Created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company, The Simpsons animated shorts started airing as a part of The Tracey Ullman Show. The sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show in 1989. A feature-length film, The Simpsons Movie, was released in theaters worldwide on July 27, 2007.
Family Guy is also an animated sitcom like The Flintstones, The Boondocks, and The Simpsons, that was created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It premiered on January 31, 1999. A spin-off series, The Cleveland Show, aired from September 27, 2009, to May 19, 2013.
Walt Disney’s most popular characters got their “big breaks” as stars of cartoon shorts. These are short, animated films released in theaters along with a feature film or aired on television in half-hour or hour-long segments. Television series cartoons are usually developed as “shorts” of about seven (7) minutes long where two or more are shown together to make up a half-hour or hour-long show. The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Scooby Doo, and the Woody Woodpecker Show fit into this category, as do the Looney Tunes, Tiny Toon Adventures, and Merrie Melodies cartoons.
The popularity of animated feature films and their characters such as those in Aladdin (1992), Frozen (2013), The Lion King (1994), Shrek (2001), and Toy Story (1995) can all lead to the creation of derived works, such as Broadway adaptations, prequels, sequels, spin-off films, television films, remakes, re-releases, video games, theme park attractions, and a variety of merchandise. A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. According to Wikipedia.org, Bob Iger, chief executive of The Walt Disney Company, defined the word franchise as "something that creates value across multiple businesses and across multiple territories over a long period of time".
This video published by ABC News on YouTube features an interview of The Walt Disney Company’s CEO Bob Iger as they participate in D23 events. D23 is the official fan club for The Walt Disney Company to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of Walt Disney animation.
Stay tuned for more lessons and information about comic strip creators, notable animators, and feature filmmakers and their characters.
Have fun learning!
Additional Reading
Who Was Charles Schulz? by Joan Holub, Who HQ, Tim Foley (Illustrator)
The Boondocks: Because I Know You Don't Read the Newspaper by Aaron McGruder
The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company (B&N Exclusive Edition) by Robert Iger
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse. The Ultimate History. 40th Ed. by Bob Iger, David Gerstein, J. B. Kaufman, Daniel Kothenschulte (Editor)
Dream Chasing: My Four Decades of Success and Failure with Walt Disney Imagineering by Bob Weis (Foreword by Bob Iger)
One Day at Disney: Meet the People Who Make the Magic Across the Globe by Bruce C. Steele (Foreword by Bob Iger)
(Sources – Pinterest, San Francisco Chronicle, Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, YouTube)