Three Early Cartoonist Filmmakers
Willis H. O'Brien was also a cartoonist before he turned to filmmaking. He created figures from a type of flexible rubber called india rubber for his films animated with puppets. These films were an early form of "claymation" (a style of animation using clay figures). O'Brien created one of the most famous animated figures of all time--King Kong. In this film, "The Dinosaur and the Missing Link," made 16 years before "King Kong," a giant ape-like character is the villain. It's interesting to see that almost from the beginning of animation, cartoonists were intrigued by prehistoric animals. What other famous cartoon does this film remind you of?
VIDEO CREDIT: O'Brien, Willis, animator and story. "The Dinosaur and the Missing Link, A Prehistoric Tragedy." Thomas A. Edison, Inc. 1917. Origins of American Animation, Library of Congress.
