p17 part5

PRESENTER: Hello and welcome to today's programme about the history of cartoons. Here to tell us all about this interesting subject is Peter Jones.

PETER: Hello, thanks for having me.

PRESENTER: Who was the first popular cartoon character?

PETER: Well, the first cartoon character that people liked in different countries was Felix the Cat.

PRESENTER: Felix the Cat?

PETER: That's right. Felix the cat started in the 1920s and was very popular. The only problem was that Felix didn't speak.

PRESENTER: Do you mean that there wasn't any sound?

PETER: Yes.

PRESENTER: So what was the first cartoon with sound?

PETER: That was a cartoon in 1928 called Steamboat Willie, and it was by Walt Disney.

PRESENTER: Walt Disney, really, and who was in it?

PETER: The star of the cartoon was Mickey Mouse. Over the next ten years Walt Disney also made cartoons with Pluto the dog and Donald Duck.

PRESENTER: There are a lot of ‘animal' cartoon characters, aren't there?

PETER: Er, yes! Yes, there are. Anyway, in 1932 they made the first cartoons in colour.

PRESENTER: 1932! Wow! Are cartoons today very different from the first ones?

PETER: Well, yes they are. But the biggest change was in the 1990s when people started to use computers to help them make cartoons. The first 3D computer film was Toy Story, and that came out in 1995.

PRESENTER: That's right and then in 2001 Shrek won a prize for the best animated film, didn't it?

PETER: Yes, it did, and that really was a great film! Now there are lots of fantastic new animated films every year. It's an exciting time for cartoons!

PRESENTER: Well, Peter, thank you very much for being here today.