In the past, Kotaku has shown how Japanese animation has changed (here and here). But we haven’t really had a look at how Western animation designs have evolved over the years. So let’s do that.
A while ago, animator Harry Partridge drew this wonderful and fascinating comparison. If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth a look:
And what it would be like if the two styles were mixed:
The full evolution:
But what caused this sudden change? Some think it was The Simpsons or The Family Guy, and I’d add King of the Hill to that list. But there is a clear move away from the house styles of Warner Bros. and Hanna-Barbera.
Wonder where Western animation will go from here...
Harry Partridge is a very talented animator, and you can follow him on Twitter here or check out his work on YouTube here.