Brit Cartoons

The Guardian speculates that British feature animation might soon revive from its coma...

... Could British animation be on the verge of a new golden age? Warner Bros appears to think so: it has announced a multi-picture deal with Locksmith Animation, co-founded by Elisabeth Murdoch with Arthur Christmas director Sarah Smith and Shaun the Sheep Movie producer Julie Lockhart.

Locksmith is a sought-after outfit: its first film, Ron’s Gone Wrong, is in production under a previous deal with 20th Century Fox; however, the takeover of the latter by Disney appears to have prompted the switch to Warner Bros.

The reality is, though, that British feature-length animated releases are rarities. Bristol-based Aardman Animations has long been the dominant – indeed, only – creative force. Its most recent offering, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, was released two weeks ago. Otherwise, the landscape looks pretty bleak. The British Council’s animation catalogue for 2018 has 32 pages dedicated to short films, born in part out of the success of outlets such as Channel 4’s Random Acts series. Animated features run to a meagre two and a half pages. ...

With the arrival of an ambitious new studio in Locksmith, as well as new possibilities offered by streaming outlets and continued affirmation of the “British” style, we may be in for big things – if all goes to plan. ...

British animation suffers from the same malaise that British live-action has long-suffered: the United States became dominant in film production during and after two world wars, and has never surrendered its position.

Part of this was (is) cultural and part of it was (and remains) economic: the U.S. successfully exported much of its culture through mu h of the twentieth century: Elvis and rock and roll; Disney fairy tales and animation; Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Mickey-Donald-Goofy. American studios became successful, attracted talent, then grew more successful. And today American entertainment conglomerates dominate world box office with the product they create.

Which isn't to say current America dominance will last forever. Nothing does. Elvis was supplanted by the Beatles and Rolling Stones, after all.