Not Just for Kids: The Secret Adult History of Animation

We tend to put animation in a box, one neatly labeled "for children." For decades, this assumption caused confusion and even outrage when shows like The Simpsons or South Park hit the airwaves. The audience saw cartoons and expected children's content, only to be confronted with things that were anything but. Today, however, we are witnessing a remarkable renaissance. Animation for adults is flourishing, not as a shocking novelty, but as a powerful medium where animation is simply a tool to tell profound, mature, and complex stories.

It might be surprising to learn that animation began its life more as adult amusement than as family fare. If early animated plots seem simple, it’s worth remembering that the plots of the first silent films were also quite straightforward. The reality was that few saw animation as its own distinct cinematic art form. For the directors of the time, it was a frontier for experimentation, one of the few ways to create special effects, often serving as a supplement to live-action cinema.

The Forgotten Adult Origins

In the 1930s, cartoons were incredibly popular and aimed squarely at adults. In the early days, characters like Mickey Mouse could be seen smoking and drinking on screen—an ironic fact given that it was the Disney empire that would later steer animation so decisively toward family entertainment. The audience for animation was so significant that it even produced its own Hollywood-style sex symbol, Betty Boop, who was more popular than many living actresses of her day. Clearly, her audience was far from juvenile.

Even early animated works from the former Soviet bloc were often intensely political, employing avant-garde techniques unsuitable for a young audience. It was only after World War II that Disney's family-friendly model truly conquered the world. As live-action cinema technology improved and required fewer animated special effects, cartoons were gradually relegated to the realm of children's entertainment.

A Rebellion in Art and Ideas

Despite this shift, visionary directors continued to experiment. The famous comedy troupe Monty Python frequently integrated animation into their work. Masterpieces for adult audiences continued to be made, tackling themes usually reserved for serious cinema. In 1973, French animator René Laloux released Fantastic Planet, a film that stood in open defiance of the Disney standard. Its surreal story raises deep questions about freedom, humanity, and oppression.

Across Europe, animation became an outlet for those seeking more than just fairy tales. The great Czech animator Jan Švankmajer, inspired by the surrealists, created animations across every genre, including horror. Animators in Eastern Europe also produced works that were not intended for children. They often hid mature themes within folk tales, creating layered stories like the legendary Hedgehog in the Fog, where both children and adults could find their own meaning. At the same time, they produced many satirical films on topical issues, such as Film, Film, Film and I'll Give You a Star, which could only be understood by an adult viewer.

The Modern Renaissance

By the 1990s, animators were continuing to work in non-commercial techniques. Alexander Petrov’s adaptation of The Old Man and the Sea, created with the painstaking technique of painting on glass, went on to win an Academy Award. At the turn of the millennium, animation finally broke back into the mainstream adult format with projects like The Simpsons and South Park.

Renowned live-action directors began to embrace its possibilities. Richard Linklater directed the philosophical dreamscape Waking Life, Charlie Kaufman penned the poignant animated drama Anomalisa, and Wes Anderson created the delightfully clever, not-so-childish tale Fantastic Mr. Fox. Then, in 2008, the animated war documentary Waltz with Bashir was released. After watching a film like that, it becomes impossible to think of animation in the same old way.

This evolution was happening globally. In many ways, Japan has completely redefined what animation can be. The genre diversity of local animation, or anime, surpasses that of the rest of the world combined. There are violent dramas about the future like Akira, philosophical reflections on humanity and technology like Ghost in the Shell, and the mind-bending thriller Paprika, which explored themes of shared dreaming years before Christopher Nolan's Inception. And, of course, there are the films of Hayao Miyazaki, which gently but powerfully address complex issues of gender equality, environmentalism, and war.

Today, with the rise of streaming platforms, animation is finally breaking all its old boundaries. Modern animated series have long since outgrown the satirical corner they were once assigned. Shows like the phenomenal Rick and Morty successfully balance wild entertainment with serious commentary on our world, proving that animation allows creators to build worlds and tell stories without the constraints of a film set. We are living in a new, amazing era where animation has come full circle, reclaiming its place as one of the most versatile and vital art forms for any audience.

References

• Wells, Paul. Understanding Animation. Routledge, 1998.

  This foundational text explores animation not just as a sequence of techniques but as a unique cultural form. It delves into the historical divide between the dominant "Disney-esque" style and more experimental or adult-oriented animation from Europe and beyond, supporting the article's discussion of figures like Jan Švankmajer and the broader European resistance to purely family-friendly content. (See Chapter 2, "The Dominant Discourse: The 'Disney-esque'," pp. 19-38, for context on the model that alternative animators were reacting against).

• Bendazzi, Giannalberto. Animation: A World History, Volume II: The Birth of a Style - The Three Markets. CRC Press, 2015.

  This volume of Bendazzi's comprehensive history details the period after World War II when animation markets solidified. It provides extensive background on the rise of auteur animation in Europe and Japan, which is central to the article's claims about a global renaissance. It offers detailed accounts of studios and directors who created politically charged, satirical, and artistic films for adults, moving beyond the American commercial model. (See Part Five, "Europe," and Part Seven, "Japan," for extensive examples).

• Furniss, Maureen. Art in Motion: Animation Aesthetics. John Libbey Publishing, 1998.

  This book treats animation as a serious art form, analyzing its aesthetic principles in detail. It provides the academic framework for the article's assertion that animation is "merely a tool for creating a story." Furniss discusses a wide range of works, including experimental and abstract films, which reinforces the idea that animation’s potential has always extended far beyond simple narrative cartoons for children. (See Chapter 7, "Challenging the Conventions of Character and Narrative," pp. 157-184).