Cartoon Creativity

We always hear the word creative. By it, we mean anything that's new and unprecedented. When it comes to cartoons, I believe it is somehow different.
When can you call a cartoon 'creative'? Well, I think that it's not that the cartoon is new or up to date that makes it creative. A cartoon show may be using the latest graphics or technology, yet the story line or plot is just an imitation of some other cartoon.

So, it's mainly the story plot that makes a cartoon stand out and be creative, not the graphics, year of production, or fashionable look of its characters. For example, I believe that a movie like "Snow White" which has been made in the 1930s with very primitive technology is far more creative than a movie like Antz. Why? Because while Snow White was the first animated feature and about a story that has been written and modified to suit all audiences, Antz felt like a variation on Disney's A Bug's Life. Although Antz is more visually stunning and attractive than Snow White, thanks to 3D animation, yet when you feel that the cartoon show is about something new, then the graphics and techniques come later.



Another example of a creative cartoon show is Detective Conan. It is a Japanese cartoon about a young detective who solves mysteries in each episode of the show. While many Japanese cartoons at that time were about space and robots, this show came with a totally new concept. The action in Detective Conan is a "mental" action and not bombs and spaceships. To create a cartoon show with so many human angles, like the Romeo Blue Skies anime is another reason why I call this show a creative one. It chose a totally new area, the tragedy of chimney cleaners who are forced to work in such a profession, and dedicated a cartoon show to explain their suffering. The show had no fast paced action or visually attractive graphics, but this 100% human story was a hit because children needed a story that addresses their emotions first and their eyes second.



So, creativity of a cartoon show, I believe, is about what you say in it and not how you say it. Say something new, in a very simple manner and you'll be creative. Similarly, if you have the same old story and use the latest graphics and technologies, your cartoon show won’t be creative.