ANIMAFEST SCANNER X | SYMPOSIUM FOR CONTEMPORARY ANIMATION STUDIES | PANEL 4 – SCI-FI IN ANIMATION

DANCING ON THE MOON. THE BEAUTIFUL AND SOMETIMES WEIRD AND STRANGE HISTORY OF SCIENCE FICTION IN ANIMATION Jens Meinrenken (M.A., Independent Researcher, Berlin, Germany)

PANEL 4 – SCI-FI IN ANIMATION
Theatre &TD
07/06 WED 16:10-16:40

In the face of the vast and ground breaking examples of science fiction in global animation it is quit astonishing that nearly no comprehensive study about that topic exists in the academic world. Or to quote from a 2017 article by Istvan Csicsery-Ronay Jr., the co-editor of Science Fiction Studies,: ‘Histories of science fiction animation have yet to be written.’ Popular TV-Series like The Jetsons, Futurama or Rick & Morty and cult movies like Fantastic Planet or Ghost in the Shell shaped not only the taste of the audience and inspired generations of younger and adult viewers but also set high standards for the aesthetic, originality and storytelling of the genre. If we understand animation as an art form where everything is possible, we still have to ask what specific role does play science fiction in the history of animation? The presentation wants to give a brief historic overview of the fascinating world of science fiction in animation by answering the following three main questions: 1. What are the general topics of science fiction in animation? 2. How did the development of new technology influence the style of science fiction animation? 3. In which way is the beauty and often weird and strange fantasy of science fiction animation influenced by the imagination of other art forms or even assisting them?

Jens Meinrenken is an art historian, lecturer and curator. He studied art history, philosophy and German language as well as literature in Bamberg and Berlin. He is the co-founder of Deutscher Comicverein and has published numerous articles on a wide range of subjects including animated movies, computer games, and comics. His work as a curator includes for example Heroes, Freaks, and Super-Rabbis. Jewish Dimension of Comic Art, Jewish Museum Berlin (2010) and Comics from Berlin. Pictures of a City, Haus der Berliner Festspiele (2013). He also curated a film programme about the intersection of comics and animation for Animafest Zagreb 2017.