Studdy's War Cartoons

1915
Silent
6m

Animated WWI-era comic highlights from the innovative cartoonist George Studdy, creator of Bonzo the dog.

Cartoonist George Studdy was popular even before the creation of his iconic Bonzo dog character in the 1920s, as shown by his eponymous Studdy's War Studies series in newsreels. He quickly went beyond the self-promotional 'lightning sketch' to create truly innovative animated editorial cartoons - such as the WWI-era "Frightfulness vs Fairplay" here.

Early Animation

The dawn of a new celluloid art: Britain's animation pioneers at peace and war

When you're creating a new art form, everything is experimental. The pioneers of animation in Britain cast a range of subjects as the stars of their films - the toys of an Edwardian child; insects and animals; Kaiser Bill and John Bull. But even the richest of fantasies on display here offer a window into the turbulent era in which they were made. When the nation went to war, animation was conscripted to meet its propaganda needs. In peacetime, the industry sought success as an entertainer, but found a career in sales.