John Bull's Animated Sketch Book

1916
Silent
10m

The hand of the artist tweaks the nose of “Kaiser Bill” and friends in this episode from an early animated propaganda series

The British lion, bulldog, and old John Bull himself are joined by the hand of artist Anson Dyer in this episode from an early cartoon propaganda series. The mixture of lightning sketches and cut-outs may seem primitive, but it showcases the draughtsmanship of the artist and allows him some delightful interaction with his own drawings. Dyer even draws a caricature of himself, palette in hand, to make a joke about the blackout – a somewhat forgotten feature of the WWI home front.

The subjects of other gags in this short include “The Blues” of the British Navy - Admiral Sir John Jellicoe and Admiral Sir David Beatty. The “Knuts” at John Bull's coconut shy represent the Central powers: Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, Kaiser Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary, Sultan Mehmed V of the Ottoman Empire, and Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria. The fifth head is almost certainly Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany, who features as the bungling Kaiser's son in a number of similar cartoons of this period.

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.