The history of animation dates back to the 1890s, yet the medium as we know it was deeply shaped by the events of the First World War. In this talk, Donna Kornhaber – Assistant Professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin and author of numerous articles on the history of animation and the book Charlie Chaplin, Director – explores the role that the Great War played in the modern development of animation in terms of its subject matter, style, humor, and relationship to violence. Works to be considered range from animated shorts of the pre-war period to cartoon serials of the 1920s and 1930s.
This lecture is part of the Baker-Nord Center’s World War One Centennial Series.
Free and open to the public. Registration recommended. 
About the speaker
Donna Kornhaber
Donna Kornhaber is Assistant Professor in the Department of English at the University of Texas at Austin. She holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University (2009) and an MFA in Dramatic Writing (2001) and BFA in Film and Television (1999) from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. She has published academically on subjects ranging from British film noir to literary adaptation to early animation and has also served as a contributor to the Arts & Leisure section of The New York Times. Her latest book, Charlie Chaplin, Director, was published in March 2014 from Northwestern University Press.
Cosponsored with:
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture