Centaur, Cyclops, Mermaids have been the subject of popular culture for thousand of years. A brief report on how anthropomorphism has taken the animation industry to greater summit where it is full fledging beyond one's imagination.

1. Anthropomorphism in Animation
Anthropomorphism in Animation
Raj Laxmi Soy
M.Des, Animation, IDC, IIT Bombay
Guided by Prof. Nina Sabnani

2. Anthropomorphism in Animation
Abstract
Anthropomorphism is increasingly being used in the film industry and is now a common trend to grab
the viewer’s attention. The term Anthropomorphism is used to define the attribution of human
characteristics to animals, plants, non-living beings, phenomena and abstract concepts. This paper gives
an insight about how anthropomorphism is being used in anecdotes, comics, television, movies, and
specially animated films. It also reasons the questions why anthropomorphized characters are so
popular among people.
Introduction
In today’s scenario if one goes to watch animated movie he or she will observe a common feature, be it
Pixar’s “the Cars” or Walt Disney’s “Chicken Little” or be it Dream Works Animation “the Madagascar”.
They all revolve around anthropomorphic characters. Anthropomorphism comes from two Greek words
anthropos meaning “human” and morph means “shape” or “form”. So it is the depiction of human traits
in objects and animals. For example these characters can talk in a language like humans, they can show
emotions like happiness, anger, depression and do everything a normal human being does. In all, they
depict the concept of anthropomorphism which is huge in itself and have its existence since ancient
times. This paper aims to show how anthropomorphism have influenced the stories, fables and movies
from the prehistoric period till today and how it is being used in animation field. Later on the question
“why anthropomorphism?” will be analyzed from different aspects.
Anthropomorphism in different vicinity
In Cave Paintings and Sculptures
Anthropomorphism existed from very beginning since the Paleolithic age. The examples can be seen in
the pre-historic cave paintings of Les Trois Frères in the foothils of the Pyrénées in France. “The
Sorcerer” is the anthropomorphic painting portraying a character which has different animal parts. The
body is of the lion, the legs are of a man, the eyes are of an owl , has antlers of a stag and the placement
of the genitalia is feline. It is not possible for such an animal to exist. It’s a representation of how ancient
humans perceive the animals and themselves. The cave paintings are a source of debate still today.
Other cave paintings such Fumane cave paintings in Italy (35,000 BCE), Tito Bustillo Cave in Spain
(14,000 BCE), Les Combarelles Cave Engravings (12,000 BCE), the Guennol Lioness in Iraq also portray
the anthropomorphism. Along with paintings the sculptures such as Lion Man of Hohlenstein Stadel, Ain
Sakhri Lovers sculpture, The Shigir Idol - the oldest known wood carving and Fish God of Lepenski Vir all
represent the same subject.

3. Anthropomorphism in Animation
In Religion and Mythology
People all over the world follow different religion, different Gods and deities. The common element in
all the deities is the anthropomorphic character. The Idols worshiped from the earliest Mesopotamian
civilizations to the later Ancient Egyptian culture depicts a wide variety of deity figures with both human
and animal attributes. Egyptian deity, Anubis, depicted as the protector of graves and embalming is a
man with canine head. Another deity is the Thoth , man with head of an ibis, played many roles in
Egyptian mythology.
In Greek mythology, anthropomorphism was seen as a form of personification that give human
characteristics to non humans primarily the god or the animals. The Gods and Goddesses are idealized
mortals with superhuman powers. They can perform extraordinary tasks, change shape, become
invisible and fly.
In India, in the Hindu religion Ganesh is worshiped as God of intellect and wisdom , remover of
obstacles, is a deity with elephant head. Hanuman, the devotee of Lord Ram is human with traits of a
monkey.
In Literature (Fables, Fairytales, Short Stories)
Anthropomorphism is one of the main ingredients in fables and fairytales. The most well known are the
Aesop’s fables which include "The Crow and the Pitcher", "The Tortoise and the Hare" and "The Lion and
the Mouse". These fables illustrates stories of animals having human traits and may or may not provide
with moral lessons. Many of the fables originally attributed to Aesop most likely had their start in India.
The fables of Panchatantra have a broader way of telling stories. They mostly illustrate the principles of
good life or the five principles. It is a series of interwoven fables dated to be around 3rd
century BCE. The
Panchtantra shares common stories with Buddhist Jataka tales. Famous stories are the “Murkh
Kachuwaa”(the tortoise and two geese) and “bunder aur Magarmach” (The monkey and the crocodile) .
So, even from very early childhood we are used to imagining animals thinking and behaving like
humans. Moreover many of the added nursery rhymes and folktales have anthropomorphic themes. i.e.
This little Piggy, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Goosey Goosey Gander, etc.
In Films and Television
The film industry is packed with animated and live action films where the plot revolves around the
anthropomorphic characters. Gertie the Dinosaur is the earliest short animated movie created by Walt
Disney. In 1928 , Steamboat Willy was released with its protagonist being a small mouse. It became
popular as Mickey Mouse. Along with Mickey, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto were released
and they became very popular among the public. In response to Disney’s Mickey mouse, Warner bros.
came out with “Looney Tunes” in 1930. Like Disney, Looney Tunes also have anthropomorphic
characters such as the “Bugs Bunny” and the “Daffy Duck”. This character does things most humans do,
but most animals do not. They are not humans so they are therefore free from human cultural
constraints like wearing pants and many other human norms.

4. Anthropomorphism in Animation
The Madagascar, Ice Age, Chicken Little are the animated movies of 21st
century which continue the
legacy of anthropomorphic characters in animation.
Television became available in late 1920’s and with this a new channel for animated films were
recognized. Two of the most well known pioneers of cartoons for television were William Hanna and
Joseph Barbera. The famous Tom and Jerry series shows the nuisance of a cat chasing a mouse. There is
no continuity among the stories they represent. They are just for gags. The success of anthropomorphic
gags paved way for the creation of Yogi Bear, Scooby Doo and Huckleberry Hound.
Why anthropomorphism is used in animation ?
There are various factors contributing in the use of anthropomorphism to tell stories.
1) First reason being that animals have pre defined characteristics of their own. A fox may
represent cunning behavior, or a snake can signify mystical traits. A bull may represent a
stronger masculine figure or a tiger may symbolize evilness. It’s a time saver and the viewer can
quickly grasp the personality of the characters in the story. The cartoon gag Tom and Jerry
shows endless chase throughout the film. There is no need to explain why the characters are
mortal enemies: the premise of cat and mouse already describes this relationship to the viewer.
2) The common idea in fables, fairytales, writing a book, comic, making cartoon series and movies
is the story. The story can be represented using any character be it a human or animal. But as
animals have no particular race or cast, they are the universal beings therefore it’s easy for
viewers in any part of the world to relate to these stories and characters.
3) Humans have connection with animals since ancient times. As explained before humans
worshiped Gods who in some way show animal traits. The animals also served as ‘vahana’ for
the Hindu deities. Goddess Saraswati's vehicle, the peacock denotes that she is the controller of
the pursuit of performing arts. Vishnu sits on the primal serpent, which represents the desire of
consciousness. Shiva rides the Nandi bull, which stands for the brute and blind power. His
consort Parvati, Durga Kali rides on a lion, which symbolizes mercilessness, anger and pride.
4) Humans have used animals from ancient times either as prey or domesticated them for various
purposes. So there is a rooted bond between humans and animals.
5) Another reason we may be drawn towards animal is that humans see some animals as object of
adoration while on the other hand some animals are just for labor work and providing meat.
Dogs and cats are cute and appealing to humans whereas pigs and cows are considered only for
farming. There is little sympathy for these animals. The same is being carried on to screen.
Though with emergence of industrial revolution the animals are being less used, they persist in a
metaphorical and mental state in the form of language, visuals, religion, games, stories and
many other examples.

5. Anthropomorphism in Animation
6) Animated films are more popular among the children than adults. This statement can be
attributed to the fact that children have curiosity about animals in general.
7) Humans are intensely social and seek emotional relationships. People who live far from their
family often keep pets to avoid loneliness. Pets are comforting companions. People may keep
pets to substitute relationship with partners, children or family members.
8) Animals are mediums by which insightful aesthetic, political and cultural statements are being
made on behalf of animals. They can reflect traits such gender, race, generation, identity etc.
and be used as a means to state things in a subversive manner.
9) From the animator’s point of view creating a character as anthropomorphic gives the creator
the freedom to design the character in number of ways. He can explore his creativity and
experiment with different animal traits. They can have different colors, shapes and sizes and can
be put into any situation.
Conclusion
The animal kingdom has influenced us in many ways. The traits and characteristics found in one animal
cannot be replicated in another species. They are all unique and so interesting that we are drawn
towards them and incorporate them in our stories, films and fables.
Anthropomorphism has taken the animation industry to greater summit where it is full fledging beyond
one’s imagination. It can be seen that there lies a huge difference in the anthropomorphic films created
in earlier period such as “Steamboat Willey” and “Robin Hood” and the films made in today’s time such
as “Ice Age” and “The Madagascar”. The early movies demonstrate the problems in their time period, so
they were mostly light with humorous content. Movies of today portray problems related to
environment such as, climate change, global warming, continental drift, floods etc. Extinction of
particular animal species or hunting of animals by hunters and poachers are some of the issues raised in
the animated films.
The anthropomorphic characters in the past portrayed the usual traits of that particular animal. For
example the tiger “Sher Khan” in the film “The Jungle Book” represented a dark villainous character.
Whereas present anthropomorphic characters may or may not depict the animals they portray. They
might represent the opposite behavior or entirely new character that depends on the plot of the film.
For example, in reality the monkey are deemed to be uncivilized, loud and dirty but in the film
“Madagascar” the audience get to see a sophisticated and calm monkey. This opposite behavior works
as it plays to the audience’s sense of irony.
Anthropomorphism has become deeply rooted in the animation business. This concept is not going to
be emphasized just for some decades but will continue to fledge over the ages because humans and

6. Anthropomorphism in Animation
animals share the bond from primitive period. The anthropomorphic character is a part of human
psyche and is here to stay.
References
 Oldest stone age art: The Top 100 Artworks:http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/prehistoric/oldest-art-top-
50.htm
 The Animated Bestiary: Animals, Cartoons, and Culture: https://books.google.co.in/
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropomorphism
 The Use of Anthropomorphism in the Animation of
Animals:http://ncca.bournemouth.ac.uk/gallery/files/innovations/2006/Atkinson_Nicola_6/NAtkinsonInn
ovations.pdf
 Animals as character: Anthropomorphism as personality in
animation:http://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/jspui/bitstream/10539/13614/2/TimothyJardim_0702651P_Anthr
opomorphism_as_personality_in_animation.pdf
 Animals with attitude- Gill Bliss: http://www.academia.edu/3214110/Animals_with_Attitude_Essay