Books like The encyclopedia of animated cartoons by Jeff Lenburg

An essential guide for artists and viewers alike, this book traces the evolution of animated cartoons from early optical toys to sophisticated filmmaking, explaining techniques, apparatus, and practical shortcuts for creating motion on screen.

Here, for the first time in print, is an accurate and complete guide to every animated movie ever released in the United States. This lavishly illustrated companion traces the origin of the art form, discusses what it takes to make a great animated feature, and guides the reader through all manner of hits and flops that make up this previously uncharted world. Every film listing includes reviews, four-star ratings, background information, plot synopses, accurate running times, consumer tips, and MPAA ratings.Disney's legendary output is fully represented, but hundreds of other films, many of them rarely discussed, are analyzed, compared, and catalogued. The book doesn't only cover classics such as Gulliver's Travels, Fritz the Cat, Yellow Submarine, and An American Tail, it also evaluates such recent hits such as Shrek, The Incredibles, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, and The Polar Express; examines art-house movies such as Waking Life, Spirited Away, and The Triplets of Belleville; and gives a clear perspective on the influence of Japanese animation, computer graphics, and stop-motion puppet techniques. Appendices include top-20 guides to made-for-TV movies, direct-to-video releases, foreign films that were never theatrically released in the United States, and live-action films with significant animation.The Animated Movie Guide is an entertaining overview for moviegoers of all ages, as well as an invaluable reference for film scholars, animators, cartoon enthusiasts, and video collectors.

An encyclopedic guide that explains and explores every major animation process and technique through case studies of leading animators.