Tex Avery: A Unique Legacy (1942-1955)

Dr Floriane Place-Verghnes

Heres an animation book i was reading and found quite interesting, Tex Avery: A Unique Legacy (1942-1955) by Dr Floriane Place-Verghnes. It goes through all the key concepts of animation from story boards to colour and early animations. She also mentions all the big animators that made the industry what it is such as Walt Disney and Winsor McCay as well as all the major studios like Warner Bros. and MGM. She talk about how some of the main animators came to be for instance William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and who created characters such as Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry and why they where created. But i only want to talk about one chapter called Structuring a Gag: Circularity and Analepses.

This chapter talks about how to make a gag and the different way Tex Avery did it to others. She about anticipation and how the audience can predict what something but how to use it to your advantage. This chapter also breaks down the animator techniques on how they use comedy in there animation.

Tex Avery technique with comedy is very different to Walt Disney. Tex cartoons are, as the book says, locked in a circle, the cartoon never moves. For example the Road Runner cartoons, the story is always the same and is doomed from the beginning but that is what makes it funny whereas Walt Disney's cartoons have an actual story in them and so has to move on once something has happened. The book also talks about how 'Model Spectators' can predicted whats going to happen but can not say when is will happen and how Tex has used this in his animations.

Tex Avery: A Unique Legacy(1942-1955) is a good book if your into animation or want to learn the basics of it. The book has some interesting points and shows the differences of each animator. If you like animation I think you should have a quite flick through it you might find something you like.