Of Mice and Men. Is a valuable historical artifact

 For literally years, I kept seeing references to Leonard Maltin’s Of Mice and Magic when reading about the history of animation. Up and to a certain point, it was (perhaps is) considered the definitive history. Finally, I hunted down a copy so I could read the darn thing.

Of Mice and Magic is an examination and history of theatrical animation with a number of major provisions. First of all, it barely touches on television animation. Second, it focuses almost exclusively on American animation. I am aware that a lot of revolutionary animation happened all over the world but that isn’t covered in this book. (What is generally accepted to be the first feature length animated work is a lost 1917 political satire from Argentina, for instance) 

Finally, and this is huge, the edition I read was published in 1980. There was a later, updated version in 1987, which would be interesting to look at. But, either way, Maltin ends before many, many incredible events that changed the world of animation. Really, the first edition was written at one of the lowest ebbs in the world of cartoons.

Taking all that into account, Of Mice and Magic is a fascinating, engaging and (perhaps most importantly) educational look at the history of making cartoons. And, within the limitations that I’ve already laid out, it is pretty darn comprehensive.

After a pretty solid introduction to the origins of American animation, Maltin breaks his history down by the major studios that produced cartoons. Each studio gets its own chapter and includes detailed lists of personnel. Over a quarter of the book is the filmography of all the studios.

(Honestly, in a pre-internet world, Of Mice and Magic had to have been an invaluable resource)

Maltin definitely has strong opinions about cartoons and also clearly knows what he likes. However, the book has so much factual information that it’s still useful even if (or when) you disagree with him.

I learned quite a bit about the actual mechanics of hand animation from the book, read about studios I’d only vaguely heard of, and now know a lot more about the golden age of American animation.

While it’s not a flaw, the fact that the book is over forty years old means it cannot cover many, many events that changed the landscape of animation. In 1980, Disney was pretty much the only studio making feature length work and some of their best years were still ahead of them. Television cartoons hadn’t even been deregulated, let alone become a place for cutting edge work. It amazes me how much has changed since the book was written.

At the same time, it was written when many people who were part of the golden age were still alive and could still tell their story. Within the scope it covers, it’s pretty comprehensive. It’s a book that has been a resource for so many books and articles that followed it. 

If you are interested in the history of animation, Of Mice and Men is an essential read.