Gerald McBoing Boing and his Impact

Gerald McBoing Boing is, in my opinion, one of the most creative, inventive, aesthetically pleasing, and fun animations I have ever seen. It features a little boy, Gerald McBoing Boing, who, rather than speaking normally, is only able to speak in sound effects. This proves to have it's challenges, but it also brings Gerald success and fame. Produced by United Productions of America (UPA) and released on November 2, 1950, the short was based off of an original story by Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss) and directed by Robert "Bobe" Cannon. It received critical acclaim from the Academy as well as the Library of Congress.

Critical Acclaim and Impact

Gerald McBoing Boing was widely received by audiences and in 1950, the short won the Oscar for Best Animated Short. Forty-four years later in 1994, Gerald McBoing Boing earned the number 9 spot on the list of "The 50 Greatest Cartoons" by animation field members, making it the highest ranked UPA film on this list. A year later, the short was chosen by the Library of Congress to be preserved in the United States Film Registry because it's "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" nature, which it indeed does have. It was one of the first cartoons to gain widespread attention because of its usage of "limited animation," which is an animation technique in which entire frames are not redrawn, but rather reuses common parts between frames.

UPA Style and Aesthetic

Gerald McBoing Boing is very much created in the UPA style. UPA was founded in the aftermath of the Disney animators' strike in 1941. Chief among these animators was John Hubley, who was unhappy with the Disney style of animation. He felt that animation was not intended to be lifelike and mimic cinema, but rather was a medium to create anything the artists desired however they desired it. With Chuck Jones' 1942 cartoon The Dover Boys, it was demonstrated that animation could freely experiment with character design, perspective, etc. to create a stylized look that complimented and was appropriate for the subject matter. Hubley felt the Disney realism was too constraining on the animation process as a whole, and he and his colleagues created UPA. 

Gerald McBoing Boing is very unique in its visual style. It is very much in line with the UPA style of animation, but when compared to other animation studios, it is very different than what the standard for animation was. This was something radically different. It was an artistic attempt to break away from the strict realism in animation that had been developed by the Disney animation studio. Cartoons no longer had to obey the rules of the real world, and instead could experiment with form, color, perspective, etc. The result is a cartoon that features minimalist backgrounds, caricatured characters instead of realistic looking ones, and vibrant, vivid colors. 

Another aspect that sets Gerald McBoing Boing apart is the sound design of the cartoon. After all, the title character does only speak in sound effects. Although the visual elements and animation are important, the cartoon almost relies on aural effects just as much if not more than the visuals. Many of the punchlines and plot elements stem from the wacky sounds that Gerald makes. In addition the narration and dialogue throughout rhymes, almost exactly like a Dr. Seuss children's story.

Popularity and More Gerald

Gerald McBoing Boing was so popular that UPA produced three follow-up shorts: Gerald McBoing Boing's Symphony (1953), How Now Boing Boing (1954), and Gerald McBoing! Boing! on Planet Moo (1956), the later of which earned itself an Academy Award nomination. Gerald McBoing Boing's Symphony and How Now Boing Boing kept with the Dr. Seuss style of rhyming like a children's book, but Gerald McBoing! Boing! on Planet Moo did not. 

My Personal Opinion

I really enjoy Gerald McBoing Boing. I think the animation style is timeless, but not in a Disney way. It is simple, clean, effective, and pleasing to look at. I think the sound design of the cartoon is exceptional. This might be a little biased, but I love good sound design. I think the goal of UPA, to have fun with animation and experiment with different styles, was more than fulfilled through this cartoon. It quickly became one of my favorite animated shorts and exposed me to the UPA animation style.

Bashara, D. (2015). Cartoon Vision: UPA, Precisionism and American Modernism. Animation, 10(2), 82–101. https://doi.org/10.1177/1746847715587421

“Complete National Film Registry Listing  :  Film Registry  :  National Film Preservation Board  :  Programs  :  Library of Congress.” The Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/

“Gerald McBoing-Boing Analysis.” Gerald Mcboing-Boing Analysis - 923 Words | Internet Public Library, https://www.ipl.org/essay/Gerald-Mcboing-Boing-Analysis-P3GETQMUXPV 

“Gerald McBoing-Boing.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Mar. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_McBoing-Boing#UPA

“United Productions of America.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Mar. 2022,    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Productions_of_America