Animation

I love animations, especially early Walt Disney films. The expertise and dedication required to produce the thousands of artistic drawings and paintings required to produce action are breathtaking. All this before computer generated animation. I have on DVD "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", including bits not used in the original viewing.( It makes for great viewing ).There was the time I took a prospective boyfriend to see "Fantasia". I sat enthralled whilst he fell asleep!

Originally animations were aimed at an adult audience and the likes of Mickey Mouse and Felix the Cat were rather suspicious looking characters and not the benign creatures that we associate with now.

Of course nowadays children are literally bombarded with 'cartoon characters ' and these are computer generated. I took my son to see "Avatar" in 3D and that was very exhilarating, and more recently I saw "Lion King" in 3D. It's so wonderful to drift into the make believe world of animation.

The piece of poetry I include today was written at a recent workshop in the Grundy Art Gallery where they had a giant blow-up replica of Felix the Cat.

Felix

Lying there prostrate with your over-inflated ego.
Assisted to an upright position, held by ropes.
Paraded through the streets of New York - where will he go ?
He went to greater and higher places. Still in focus
In the 21st century.

A face now benign, not grotesque as before.
Rotund and jolly, squishy squashy body,
But with daring do. Actions faded into lore.
Open his bag and repair the world's woes,
Defeat her enemies.

Able to grasp any situation (he has thumbs!)
No longer cat-like in appearance nor actions.
Look out world it's Felix that comes.
Would you believe it, now that he's an
Immobile animation on display.

To fully understand my written piece it may prove useful to find out the history of the aforementioned cat.....

Thanks for reading..Kath