Probably the oldest published book of animation instruction is Preston Blair’s little booklet, Advanced Animation, which according to the animation archive was first printed in 1947. Information on the history of this book can be found online at the animation archive website. http://www.animationarchive.org/?p=2091
Versions of this book have been photocopied, printed, reprinted, uploaded and downloaded for over 50 years now and it is still a must-have for every animator. The most current print version of the book is called Animation 1: Learn to Animate Cartoons Step by Step (Cartooning, Book 1), a hefty title for a 32 page book, but if the length of the title reflected the worth of the content then the title would prove to be an accurate description! In other words, it’s worth far more than the $8.95 cover price.
Similar to the classic Advanced Animation booklet is Preston Blair’s Cartoon Animation. The version I own of this book was first published in 1994. It was the first book on animation I ever read. It’s 224 pages long and has a lot more detailed information and drawings. Some of the pages from Advanced Animation are included in the book, but not all. If you are someone just starting to learn animation the 32 page version will give you the basics without confusion and keep you from becoming overwhelmed. Either version is a great resource to have, so one way or another make sure you have something that says “by Preston Blair” sitting on your shelf!
Here are some of the different faces the book has taken on over the years:
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