ABSTRACT

Scholars of cinema history have long identified the variety-theater tradition of lightning artistry among the most crucial influences upon the emergence of motion-picture animation. This article looks specifically at the work of the prominent illustrator and animator Winsor McCay, and examines his popular vaudeville routine entitled “The Seven Ages of Man”, first performed in June 1906, both as an innovative lightning-sketch routine and as a proving ground for his trailblazing techniques of motion-picture animation. The article surveys the history of the lightning-sketch performance mode prior to McCay, then considers what can be gleaned about McCay’s own theatrical career as a lightning artist from written descriptions of his vaudeville appearances, and concludes with a discussion of how McCay’s years of frequent lightning-sketch performances may have influenced his approach to cinematic animation.

摘要

电影史学者早就认为，闪电艺术的综艺传统是对电影动画出现的最重要影响之一。本文专门研究了著名插画家和动画师 Winsor McCay 的作品，并考察了他于 1906 年 6 月首次上演的名为“人类的七个时代”的流行杂耍表演，既是一种创新的闪电素描，又是一个试验场以表彰他开创性的电影动画技术。这篇文章调查了麦凯之前闪电小品表演模式的历史，然后考虑了麦凯作为闪电艺术家的戏剧生涯可以从他的杂耍表演的书面描述中收集到什么，