Alice’s Wonderland was produced in 1923 by Laugh-O-Gram Studio under Disney and is the first in a live-action/animated short in The Alice Comedies series. It demonstrates the use of Actual Hand by incorporating several animators working on the short and establishing that they will “draw some funnies”. The main character Alice visits the Laugh-O-Gram Studio and meets several animators including Walt Disney, who show her animated scenes at their drawing stations. It’s a cute, fantastical little setup that communicates that these animators are real people making these cartoons.
After seeing several fun animations (including what seems to be an obligatory cat-boxing scene) Alice goes home and goes to bed, where she has a delightful and whimsical dream. In the dream, Alice is welcomed to “Cartoonland” by a variety of cheery animated animals which the live actress Virginia Davis interacts with.
The Animators working on this short were Hugh Harman, Rudolf Ising, Ub Iwerks, Carman Maxwell, and Friz Freleng. Double dipping on layouts and backgrounds was Ub Iwerks and Carman Maxwell respectively.
✅ Curta – Alice`s Wonderland – 1923 🎥
Alice’s Wonderland – Wikipedia
James Baxter is a great example of a distinct figure who often goes unnoticed as a significant part of many famously beloved animated movies and series. Known for a wrenchingly beautiful sense of fluidity and 3-dimensionality in his traditional 2D animated work, upon seeing examples of it his work stands out from the crowd and is arguably Indexical in its natural state. A direct example of this, however, would be in the nineteenth episode of Adventure Time season five airing in 2013, titled “James Baxter the Horse”. In the episode, the titular character (who is a horse named James Baxter) frolics around the land of Ooo, cheering various characters up and making them happy with his ball-balancing act. James Baxter the Horse is both guest-animated and guest-voiced by the real-life James Baxter.
This episode has very indexical elements to it because of this delightful incorporation of a stand-out artist. Baxter’s work is recognizable enough for the trained eye, and incorporating his voice acting and a sweet little title card depicting the horse at an animation desk adds another layer of whimsy and involvement.
James Baxter the Horse – Wikipedia
James Baxter | Adventure Time | Cartoon Network
James Baxter the Horse | Adventure Time Wiki
Aside from the clip we’ll be observing as a stand-out example, Jason and the Argonauts 1963 is chock-full of amazing stop-motion effects. It’s well known for these effects and iconic creature design owed to stop-motion animation visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen. It attempts and debatably (for the time) succeeds in creating an illusion of life. In the famous skeleton fight scene, the skeletons feel very real in their movements, the stop-motion element adding to a sense of three-dimensionality, rivaling many effects of today’s industry in quality, relatability, organic motion, and appeal.
Fighting Off The Children Of The Hydra’s Teeth | Jason and the Argonauts | Creature Features
Jason and the Argonauts (1963 film) – Wikipedia