Animated Souls

The Thinking Behind Cartoons, From Disney to Japanese Anime, and Beyond

A classic landmark for cartoon lovers

Corriere della Sera

Animated Souls is a jewel of popular criticism

Libero

Unmissable

Stilos

This book attempts to unravel the mysteries, the myths, and the underlying truths of the world's most popular animated cartoons, living breathing stories that have been flowing through our homes - and our minds - for decades. The author describes how these cartoons are made and what they really mean, ranging from the cartoon epics of Walt Disney to the tales of Popeye the Sailor, Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird and Sylvester Cat, and Huckleberry Hound, and moving right up to the present day, with the Simpsons, South Park, and Japanese Anime. This book was first published in 1994 (it has now been revised, updated, and expanded), and has long been sought after by collectors and cartoon fans, after three Italian editions and a number of international editions. Animated Souls was pioneering in its appreciation of Mazinga and Heidi & c., becoming a major landmark for all fans of the genre, and for general readers as well. This book is unique, a reference encyclopaedia that is as absorbing as a brilliant novel: the indispensable last word on animated cartoons.

Luca Raffaelli is Italy's most respected authority on comics and cartoons.
He is a screenwriter (Johan Padan, starring Dario Fo) and the artistic director of major international comics festivals. He is a contributor toLa Repubblica, and the editor of the popular series "Classici del fumetto" (Classic Comics).