Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003

by Hal Erickson

This comprehensive reference to TV cartoon shows covers some 75 years. In the decade or so since the first edition, the industry has grown and expanded to previously unimagined heights, thanks in great part to the upsurge of cable TV services catering to animation fans. In the ten-year period from 1993 through 2003, nearly 450 new cartoon series have premiered in the U.S. Alphabetically arranged by title, the book discusses each cartoon show in detail, providing full production credits and offering commentary on such elements as development, characters, style, and the show’s significance in the overall scheme of television animation. The encyclopedia is published as a set of two volumes. Volume 1 includes the preface, introduction, and entries from “A” through “L.” Volume 2 includes entries from “M” through “Z,” the bibliography, and index. Replacement volumes can be obtained individually under ISBN 0-7864-2255-6 (for Volume 1) and ISBN 0-7864-2256-4 (for Volume 2).

1054 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1995

Reviews

[Pete R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Costs a small fortune in hardcover on the used market these days, but if you have any comprehensive interest at all in cartoons of the later half of the 20th century, Hal Erickson (who you might know from AllMovies Guide) did some titanic work here. In fact, I have no idea how he did it in the age before torrents and video streaming, where that rare cartoon is a search or two away (although he partially explains how he did it in the introduction). Two thick volumes covering just about every English language cartoon of the era from A-Z. A tidal wave of useful information. If I have one nitpick, listing the full roster of voice actors for each show takes up considerable space, and I'm not sure it was necessary beyond listing the main cast. This is the type of quality reference book I'll read now and then for the rest of my life.