Thick Line Animation: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
{{trope}}{{Page should be category}}
[[File:Clearly not a lineart to be trifled with.png|link=Word Girl|frame|Clearly not a lineart to be trifled with.]]
[[File:Clearly not a lineart to be trifled with.png|link=Word Girl|frame|Clearly not a lineart to be trifled with.]]


⚫
Animation style characterized by visible heavy black borders around characters and objects. This style began being used by a few animation companies in the early 1950s (mostly UPA, of ''[[Gerald McBoing-Boing]]'' and ''[[Mr. Magoo]]'' fame), and became dominant in American TV animation during the 60's and 70's, eclipsing the more naturalistic style used in most animation during earlier decades. It was phased out during the early 80s, when more naturalistic styles again became dominant in American animation, but then became the standard ''yet again'' (on television at least) during the late 90s, and so it remains to this day. Shows animated in [[Adobe Flash|Flash]] tend to look good in this style.


⚫
This is sometimes considered to be among the most defining traits of early 21st-Century American animation, mostly when contrasted with the similar "[[Anime]]=big eyes" notion to emphasize the differences between U.S. and Japanese animation.
⚫
Animation style characterized by visible heavy black borders around characters and objects. This style began being used by a few animation companies in the early 1950s (mostly UPA, of Gerald McBoingBoing and Mr. Magoo fame), and became dominant in American TV animation during the 60's and 70's, eclipsing the more naturalistic style used in most animation during earlier decades. It was phased out during the early 80s, when more naturalistic styles again became dominant in American animation, but then became the standard ''yet again'' (on television at least) during the late 90s, and so it remains to this day. Shows animated in [[Adobe Flash|Flash]] tend to look good in this style.


⚫
Compare and contrast [[Limited Animation]], [[Web Animation]], [[Super-Deformed]].
⚫
This is sometimes considered to be among the most defining traits of modern day American animation, mostly when contrasted with the similar "[[Anime]]=big eyes" notion to emphasize the differences between U.S. and Japanese animation.


⚫
Compare and contrast [[Limited Animation]], [[Web Animation]], [[Super-Deformed]].
{{examples}}
{{examples}}
== Played straight ==

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
=== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ===
* Used in the ''[[Dragonball Z]]'' film Fusion Reborn. Especially apparent during Goten and Trunks' fight with Hitler.
* Used in the ''[[Dragonball Z]]'' film Fusion Reborn. Especially apparent during Goten and Trunks' fight with Hitler.
* Applied at times on the character designs in ''[[Samurai Champloo]]''.
* Applied at times on the character designs in ''[[Samurai Champloo]]''.
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* Some episodes of ''[[Digimon Savers]]'' animate the child-level [[Mons]] in this style, particularly in the series' tail end. It's very inconsistently done and is probably a product of the [[Off-Model]] [[Art Shift]]s which plague the series.
* Some episodes of ''[[Digimon Savers]]'' animate the child-level [[Mons]] in this style, particularly in the series' tail end. It's very inconsistently done and is probably a product of the [[Off-Model]] [[Art Shift]]s which plague the series.


== Film ==
=== [[Film]] ===
* ''[[A Scanner Darkly]]''
* ''[[A Scanner Darkly]]''
* ''[[The Secret of Kells]]'', though it was [[Invoked]] purposely to resemble medieval illustrations.
* ''[[The Secret of Kells]]'', though it was [[Invoked]] purposely to resemble medieval illustrations.


== [[Web Animation]] ==
=== [[Web Animation]] ===
* ''[[Pucca]]'' is a non-American example.
* ''[[Pucca]]'' is a non-American example.
* ''[[Homestar Runner]]''
* ''[[Homestar Runner]]''
* ''[[Happy Tree Friends]]''
* ''[[Happy Tree Friends]]''


== [[Western Animation]] - Television ==
=== [[Western Animation]] ===
* [[Hanna-Barbera]]'s resurrection after several years in the wilderness in the 90s led to the renaissance of the style and its increased use in modern animated series.
* [[Hanna-Barbera]]'s resurrection after several years in the wilderness in the 90s led to the renaissance of the style and its increased use in modern animated series.
** ''[[Two Stupid Dogs]]''
** ''[[Two Stupid Dogs]]''
** ''[[Dexter's Laboratory|Dexters Laboratory]]''
** ''[[Dexter's Laboratory]]''
** ''[[Powerpuff Girls]]''
** ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]''
** ''[[Johnny Bravo]]''
** ''[[Johnny Bravo]]''
* ''[[Clerks the Animated Series]]''
* ''[[Clerks the Animated Series]]''
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* ''[[Atomic Betty]]''
* ''[[Atomic Betty]]''
* ''[[Kappa Mikey]]'': Played with, where only Mikey is drawn this way; his Japanese costars have thin outlines and are [[Animesque]].
* ''[[Kappa Mikey]]'': Played with, where only Mikey is drawn this way; his Japanese costars have thin outlines and are [[Animesque]].
* The Henry and June shorts on ''[[KaBlam!]]!'' (though more often in later seasons)
* The Henry and June shorts on ''[[KaBlam!]]'' (though more often in later seasons)
* ''[[Xiaolin Showdown]]''
* ''[[Xiaolin Showdown]]''
* ''[[Yin Yang Yo!|Yin Yang Yo]]''
* ''[[Yin Yang Yo!]]''
* ''[[Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!]]''.
* ''[[Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!]]''.
* ''[[Class of 3000]]''
* ''[[Class of 3000]]''
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* ''[[Teamo Supremo]]''
* ''[[Teamo Supremo]]''
* ''[[Total Drama Island|Total Drama Island/ Action/ World Tour/ Reloaded]]''
* ''[[Total Drama Island|Total Drama Island/ Action/ World Tour/ Reloaded]]''
* ''[[Batman: The Brave And The Bold|Batman the Brave And The Bold]]''
* ''[[Batman: The Brave and the Bold]]''
* ''[[Blazing Dragons]]'' (The cartoon not the video game) Season 2 had thick lines (along with some radical changes in character design) that was a sharp contrast to the cleaner look of season 1.
* ''[[Blazing Dragons]]'' (The cartoon not the video game) Season 2 had thick lines (along with some radical changes in character design) that was a sharp contrast to the cleaner look of season 1.
* ''[[Word Girl]]''
* ''[[Word Girl]]''
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* ''[[Trollz]]''
* ''[[Trollz]]''
* All of the marine animals from ''[[Fish Hooks]]''.
* All of the marine animals from ''[[Fish Hooks]]''.
* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'' uses a variation with colored outlines instead of plain black.
* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' uses a variation with colored outlines instead of plain black.
* ''[[Sym-Bionic Titan]]''
* ''[[Sym-Bionic Titan]]''
* ''[[Invader Zim]]'', uses this in a few episodes; Zim's antennae are noticeably thicker than usual in them.
* ''[[Invader Zim]]'', uses this in a few episodes; Zim's antennae are noticeably thicker than usual in them.
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* ''[[Almost Naked Animals]]''
* ''[[Almost Naked Animals]]''
* Some of the cel-animated characters from ''[[The Amazing World of Gumball]]''
* Some of the cel-animated characters from ''[[The Amazing World of Gumball]]''
* ''[[Clone High]]'' almost looks like it shares the same character designers as ''[[Dexter's Laboratory|Dexters Laboratory]]'' and ''[[Powerpuff Girls]]''.
* ''[[Clone High]]'' almost looks like it shares the same character designers as ''[[Dexter's Laboratory]]'' and ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]''.
* Any season one episode of ''[[Tiny Toon Adventures]]'' animated by [[Wang Film Productions]] and -due to inconsistency- [[Kennedy Cartoons]].
* Any season one episode of ''[[Tiny Toon Adventures]]'' animated by [[Wang Film Productions]] and -due to inconsistency- [[Kennedy Cartoons]].
* ''[[Good Vibes]]''
* ''[[Good Vibes]]''
* [[101 Dalmatians|''101 Dalmatians: The Series'']]
* [[101 Dalmatians|''101 Dalmatians: The Series'']]
* ''[[Eliot Kid]]''
* ''[[Boj]]''
* ''[[Doodlebops Rockin' Road Show]]''
* ''[[Oddballs]]'': While the art style is usually thin-line, some of the characters and objects have thick black borders around them.


== [[Video Games]] ==
=== [[Video Games]] ===
* ''[[Cel Shading]]'' tends to look like this
* ''[[Cel Shading]]'' tends to look like this
* Due to Capcom [[They Just Didn't Care|porting her sprite straight from Vampire Savior/Darkstalkers 3]], Morrigan was this in [[Capcom vs. Whatever|Capcom vs. SNK 2 and Marvel vs. Capcom 2]] in comparison to the other newer sprites.
* Due to Capcom [[They Just Didn't Care|porting her sprite straight from ''Vampire Savior/Darkstalkers 3'']], Morrigan was this in ''[[Capcom vs. Whatever|Capcom vs. SNK 2 and Marvel vs. Capcom 2]]'' in comparison to the other newer sprites.
* ''[[Borderlands]]'' uses this effectively for comic like graphics.
* ''[[Borderlands]]'' uses this effectively for comic like graphics.
* A majority of sprites from video games made specifically for the NES, such as ''[[Super Mario Bros 3]]''.
* A majority of sprites from video games made specifically for the NES, such as ''[[Super Mario Bros 3]]''.
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* ''[[Rayman Origins]]''
* ''[[Rayman Origins]]''


=== Inversions ===
== Inversions ==
⚫
=== [[Advertising]] ===

⚫
== [[Commercials]] ==
* Esurance insurance commercials.
* Esurance insurance commercials.


== [[Web Comics]] ==
=== [[Web Comics]] ===
* Ditto for later installments of the webcomic ''[[Mac Hall]]''.
* Ditto for later installments of the web comic ''[[Mac Hall]]''.
* Faye's flashbacks in [[Questionable Content]].
* Faye's flashbacks in ''[[Questionable Content]]''.
* The entire run of [[Garanos]].
* The entire run of ''[[Garanos]]''.
* Cast of ''[[Homestuck]]'' is normally represented by chibi-like "sprites" with outline, but lose it and gain normal human proportions when in [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|Hero Mode]].
* Cast of ''[[Homestuck]]'' is normally represented by chibi-like "sprites" with outline, but lose it and gain normal human proportions when in [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|Hero Mode]].


== [[Western Animation]] - Television ==
=== [[Western Animation]] ===
* ''[[Samurai Jack]]'' sported ''no'' outlines. Genndy Tartakovsky once mentioned how this contrasted with his last work, ''[[Dexter's Laboratory|Dexters Laboratory]]''.
* ''[[Samurai Jack]]'' sported ''no'' outlines. Genndy Tartakovsky once mentioned how this contrasted with his last work, ''[[Dexter's Laboratory]]''.
* Same with ''[[Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends]]''.
* Same with ''[[Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends]]''.
* ''The X's''
* ''[[The X's]]''
* ''[[6teen]]''
* ''[[6teen]]''
* ''[[Stoked]]''
* ''[[Stoked]]''

Latest revision as of 01:35, 8 October 2022

Clearly not a lineart to be trifled with.

Animation style characterized by visible heavy black borders around characters and objects. This style began being used by a few animation companies in the early 1950s (mostly UPA, of Gerald McBoing-Boing and Mr. Magoo fame), and became dominant in American TV animation during the 60's and 70's, eclipsing the more naturalistic style used in most animation during earlier decades. It was phased out during the early 80s, when more naturalistic styles again became dominant in American animation, but then became the standard yet again (on television at least) during the late 90s, and so it remains to this day. Shows animated in Flash tend to look good in this style.

This is sometimes considered to be among the most defining traits of early 21st-Century American animation, mostly when contrasted with the similar "Anime=big eyes" notion to emphasize the differences between U.S. and Japanese animation.

Compare and contrast Limited Animation, Web Animation, Super-Deformed.

Examples of Thick Line Animation include:

Played straight

Anime and Manga

Film

Web Animation

Western Animation

Video Games

Inversions

Advertising

  • Esurance insurance commercials.

Web Comics

  • Ditto for later installments of the web comic Mac Hall.
  • Faye's flashbacks in Questionable Content.
  • The entire run of Garanos.
  • Cast of Homestuck is normally represented by chibi-like "sprites" with outline, but lose it and gain normal human proportions when in Hero Mode.

Western Animation

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