You could also check the Society fro Animation Studies Experts Directory at <http://gertie.animationstudies.org/index.php?option=sasdir&Itemid=183>  for animation scholars specializing in this area or time period.

Richard Leskosky


---- Original message ----
>Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2011 11:11:35 -0400
>From: [log in to unmask]  
>Subject: Re: [SCREEN-L] historical "firsts" concerning preschool children's cartoons  
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>You might try contacting the people at Cartoon Brew (http://www.cartoonbrew.com/) who may be able to put you in touch with animation historians (if there aren't any already on Screen-L).
>
>
>LT
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Doc Britto <[log in to unmask]>
>>Sent: Aug 6, 2011 5:39 PM
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: [SCREEN-L] historical "firsts" concerning preschool children's cartoons
>>
>>Hello,
>>
>>I am trying to find some historical "firsts" concerning young/preschool 
>>children's cartoons (TV and film), both one-time or series, for the US. 
>>I"m defining preschool rather losely as younger than 7.
>>
>>Here is my difficulty so far: books usually employ simply the word 
>>"children" as in "children's program," children's film, etc., but only 
>>in recent decades has the division between older kids and preschoolers 
>>been emphasized. Before the late 60s (in particular with Sesame Street), 
>>I have not found a specific reference to a preschool cartoon, a 
>>preschool animation movie for theater release, or a preschool TV cartoon 
>>series in the US.
>>
>>What is considered to be the first preschool children's television 
>>cartoon series on (American) television?
>>
>>I am specifically looking for a series that was conceived for children 
>>under 7, so not an unspecified children's program that is geared to 
>>include all children (both preschool and elementary school children).
>>
>>The same for an animated movie in theaters-- is there anything in 
>>American film history that is equivalent to the German "Moonbeam Bear 
>>and His Friends," for example? This movie is aimed at younger children 
>>(losely defined).
>>
>>I am also interested in finding any hand-drawn cartoons (even if not 
>>series) or other animation techniques (like marionettes ) before the 
>>late 1960s that were conceived primarily for a preschool audience, or 
>>any articles on the subject.
>>
>>Thank you for any references or tips.
>>
>>Regards,
>>V. Britto
>>
>>----
>>Learn to speak like a film/TV professor! Listen to the ScreenLex
>>podcast:
>>http://www.screenlex.org
>
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=================================
Richard J. Leskosky                       	
Associate Professor Emeritus 
Department of Media and  Cinema Studies	
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	
810 S. Wright Street 
Urbana, Illinois 61801

		

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