In the article it goes into detail about the cartoon character Betty Boop. They describe the character almost like a robot or machine. She is portrayed almost as a programed character, she always follows a simple pattern and seems to be always making the wrong decision. The character is programed to not make hardly any facial movements and always has a flirty personality who makes the wrong decision and gets herself into trouble.
I think some of the best examples that compelled me were Laputa and and using machines in gags during the cartoons. In the case of Laputa, the floating island is not only entirely mechanic but its existence relies on a certain magic that could only have been truly visualized through animation. Cartoons have a way of creating another world, one that we can easily fall into without noticing all the gears and gadgets that are supporting that world. Having machines in gags or a floating world kind of brings us back to reality- a reality full of possibilites, or a willing suspension of disbelief. If we believe it can happen it can give us ideas to make other things, which can also be created with machines. I also like the theater reference because when I think of scene changes in a play it is like transitions in film today. Technology has come a long way, and as it says in the reading, cartoons are ahead of the curve.
The Fleischer Popeye cartoon provides a compelling example of the way cartoons give life to the imagination of the machine world. Not only is animation itself an act of mechanization, through the actual process of creating the cartoon, including the use of the projection machine, but the character of Popeye also becomes mechanized when he is strengthened by his magic spinach potion “(his arms turn into propellers, his body into a corkscrew),” Klein explains.
I think that Popeye is the best example of cartoons giving life to the imagination of a machine world. He is fueled like machines are fueled only with spinach instead of electricity or gasoline. And It is also given note in chapter 7 that his communication with his counterparts are like two machines communicating.
Several thoughts came to mind during this reading: *Bierce's "Moxon's monster", reminded me of early sci-fi films portrayal of robots. Clumsy, farcical yet potentially dangerous creating both senses of fear and fascination in onlookers. Bierce clearly characterized popular conceptions of machines and early industry. *Popeye's circular existence of protagonist vs. antagonist has parallels with very nature of animation in the observer; seeing the product "animation" pushes the mind to want to see how/what makes it happen (projection)- fascination with the end result (animation) will (for most) include a fascination for the process and the machine that gives it "life". *Not about the text directly, but inspired during its reading- The role of the machine seems to have a potentially duplicitous nature as exemplified in "the Matrix" trilogy: man provides reason for the machines existence, yet the machine gives man the ability to live virtually. Similarly, man's construction (the projector) is the medium that gives life to man's creation (the film). In other words man provides the machine with reason for it's existence, and in turn the machine gives life to man's "virtual" existence. *Early cartoons lampooned the need or role of machines in modern life, yet without the machine, the cartoon would be inanimate. The machine's role is integral. *The very act of creating an animation paralells the role of the machine in industrial production, by virtue of it's precise and repetitious production.
There were so many compelling examples of how cartoons give life to the imagination of the machine world. The most compelling example is Fleischer's Popeye. This is because he gives life to becoming machine like. His arms move in fury like a machine when he becomes angry (his arms turn into propellers, and his body into a corkscrew). Popeye seems trapped in his body, and the cartoon itself was built on Machina Versatalis. The Fleishcer studio became financial, organizational, and even military. These cartoon characters resembled theatrical machines used in 17th century or in other words, Machina Versatalis. Other compelling examples like Hercules, Jupiter, and Popeye were described as "the machina versatilis who worked behind the props like a horseless carriage bringing order into the world". Moreover animation emphasized its technology more "nakedly" then liveaction film. They were described as "cartoons are like moving wallpaper in an engine room" also referring to the machine like persona in comparison to Popeye.
My compelling example is machina versatile in the 3rd section of Gulliver’s Travels. The island of Laputa is floating in the sky turning the logic of the earth upside down. It looks have it’s own life but it’s really controlled by gears. “Animation emphasizes its technology far more NAKEDLY than live action film. In many ways cartoon are like moving wallpaper in an engine room.” while the flying island brings spectator’s false visual feeling that they are alive, but everything casting upon the screen is structurally instructed. The machine “like a horseless carriage” bring pictures into live, but the magic power was not held by themselves.
Paying homage to the Machine world within cartoons is illustrated in several instances throughout the reading.
One of the best is the machine like body of Popeye when fed spinach, another of the geared flying world. The machine in these instances reflects directly to the real world applications, and perhaps a kick to the industrializing nature of the time of the cartoons.
However as some one else mentioned, the machine could be a personality of a character, set in one way to act a certain way, then to achieve another result.
The most compelling example I find is when the author compares cartoons to the flying island of Laputa from "Gulliver's Travels." He creates the comparison by saying like the island cartoons taker on a life of their own, but they are still controlled by gears. There is a lot to be said about the machine and technology in general of how it gives live to seemingly static images. Programs like flash for example can break sown the components of a vector image and turn it into an animated cartoon. other programs such as photoshop and after effects can take a series of drawings and put them together in a sequence to create an illusion of movement
To me, the most compelling example of cartoons as homage to the machine world is Popeye. I grew up watching old episodes of Popeye and I have always had a soft spot for him. Even in the introduction of an episode, Popeye pokes his head onto the screen and blows into his pipe making a horn-like sound come out. When he eats his spinach, his frame become machine-like and it's like he's been filled with fuel. Essentially, he has been--we all are filled with fuel when we eat. But, it's instant with Popeye. Like when you fill your car's gas tank and it is instantly ready to go. When Popeye gets angry, his arms turn into spinning propeller-like weapons. Popeye is the epitome of a cartoon paying homage to the machine.
In the article it goes into detail about the cartoon character Betty Boop. They describe the character almost like a robot or machine. She is portrayed almost as a programed character, she always follows a simple pattern and seems to be always making the wrong decision. The character is programed to not make hardly any facial movements and always has a flirty personality who makes the wrong decision and gets herself into trouble.
ReplyDeleteI think some of the best examples that compelled me were Laputa and and using machines in gags during the cartoons. In the case of Laputa, the floating island is not only entirely mechanic but its existence relies on a certain magic that could only have been truly visualized through animation. Cartoons have a way of creating another world, one that we can easily fall into without noticing all the gears and gadgets that are supporting that world. Having machines in gags or a floating world kind of brings us back to reality- a reality full of possibilites, or a willing suspension of disbelief. If we believe it can happen it can give us ideas to make other things, which can also be created with machines. I also like the theater reference because when I think of scene changes in a play it is like transitions in film today. Technology has come a long way, and as it says in the reading, cartoons are ahead of the curve.
ReplyDeleteThe Fleischer Popeye cartoon provides a compelling example of the way cartoons give life to the imagination of the machine world. Not only is animation itself an act of mechanization, through the actual process of creating the cartoon, including the use of the projection machine, but the character of Popeye also becomes mechanized when he is strengthened by his magic spinach potion “(his arms turn into propellers, his body into a corkscrew),” Klein explains.
ReplyDeleteI think that Popeye is the best example of cartoons giving life to the imagination of a machine world. He is fueled like machines are fueled only with spinach instead of electricity or gasoline. And It is also given note in chapter 7 that his communication with his counterparts are like two machines communicating.
ReplyDeleteSeveral thoughts came to mind during this reading:
ReplyDelete*Bierce's "Moxon's monster", reminded me of early sci-fi films portrayal of robots. Clumsy, farcical yet potentially dangerous creating both senses of fear and fascination in onlookers. Bierce clearly characterized popular conceptions of machines and early industry.
*Popeye's circular existence of protagonist vs. antagonist has parallels with very nature of animation in the observer; seeing the product "animation" pushes the mind to want to see how/what makes it happen (projection)- fascination with the end result (animation) will (for most) include a fascination for the process and the machine that gives it "life".
*Not about the text directly, but inspired during its reading-
The role of the machine seems to have a potentially duplicitous nature as exemplified in "the Matrix" trilogy: man provides reason for the machines existence, yet the machine gives man the ability to live virtually. Similarly, man's construction (the projector) is the medium that gives life to man's creation (the film). In other words man provides the machine with reason for it's existence, and in turn the machine gives life to man's "virtual" existence.
*Early cartoons lampooned the need or role of machines in modern life, yet without the machine, the cartoon would be inanimate. The machine's role is integral.
*The very act of creating an animation paralells the role of the machine in industrial production, by virtue of it's precise and repetitious production.
There were so many compelling examples of how cartoons give life to the imagination of the machine world. The most compelling example is Fleischer's Popeye. This is because he gives life to becoming machine like. His arms move in fury like a machine when he becomes angry (his arms turn into propellers, and his body into a corkscrew). Popeye seems trapped in his body, and the cartoon itself was built on Machina Versatalis. The Fleishcer studio became financial, organizational, and even military. These cartoon characters resembled theatrical machines used in 17th century or in other words, Machina Versatalis. Other compelling examples like Hercules, Jupiter, and Popeye were described as "the machina versatilis who worked behind the props like a horseless carriage bringing order into the world". Moreover animation emphasized its technology more "nakedly" then liveaction film. They were described as "cartoons are like moving wallpaper in an engine room" also referring to the machine like persona in comparison to Popeye.
ReplyDeleteMy compelling example is machina versatile in the 3rd section of Gulliver’s Travels. The island of Laputa is floating in the sky turning the logic of the earth upside down. It looks have it’s own life but it’s really controlled by gears. “Animation emphasizes its technology far more NAKEDLY than live action film. In many ways cartoon are like moving wallpaper in an engine room.” while the flying island brings spectator’s false visual feeling that they are alive, but everything casting upon the screen is structurally instructed. The machine “like a horseless carriage” bring pictures into live, but the magic power was not held by themselves.
ReplyDeletePaying homage to the Machine world within cartoons is illustrated in several instances throughout the reading.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best is the machine like body of Popeye when fed spinach, another of the geared flying world. The machine in these instances reflects directly to the real world applications, and perhaps a kick to the industrializing nature of the time of the cartoons.
However as some one else mentioned, the machine could be a personality of a character, set in one way to act a certain way, then to achieve another result.
The most compelling example I find is when the author compares cartoons to the flying island of Laputa from "Gulliver's Travels." He creates the comparison by saying like the island cartoons taker on a life of their own, but they are still controlled by gears. There is a lot to be said about the machine and technology in general of how it gives live to seemingly static images. Programs like flash for example can break sown the components of a vector image and turn it into an animated cartoon. other programs such as photoshop and after effects can take a series of drawings and put them together in a sequence to create an illusion of movement
ReplyDeleteTo me, the most compelling example of cartoons as homage to the machine world is Popeye. I grew up watching old episodes of Popeye and I have always had a soft spot for him. Even in the introduction of an episode, Popeye pokes his head onto the screen and blows into his pipe making a horn-like sound come out. When he eats his spinach, his frame become machine-like and it's like he's been filled with fuel. Essentially, he has been--we all are filled with fuel when we eat. But, it's instant with Popeye. Like when you fill your car's gas tank and it is instantly ready to go. When Popeye gets angry, his arms turn into spinning propeller-like weapons. Popeye is the epitome of a cartoon paying homage to the machine.
ReplyDelete