History Analysis / SlidingScaleofAnthropomorphism

in the 1930s, the {{Funny Animal}}s created (like MickeyMouse, WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck, and PorkyPig) were basically humans who happen to be drawn as animals for the most part. They live like humans, they act like humans, they own animals as pets. Goofy is [[FullyDressedCartoonAnimal fully dressed]] and even more humanlike. His anthropomorphism reached its zenith in the 1950s, when more animal like cartoon animals were created.

* Sometimes have NonMammalMammaries
* Having back legs or back and middle legs located on the abdomen instead of having all legs being located the thorax like they are in RealLife insects.
* Have legs on the abdomen and a head instead of having all legs and head located on the cephalothorax and an abdomen like they are RealLife arachnids.

* Sometimes has a vaguely humanoid torso

* Ken the weevil and Grubby from ''DirtGirlWorld'' have faces that look awfully like human faces.

The cartoon stars who emerged in the 1940s and 1950s were [[http://zvbxrpl.blogspot.com/2008/12/critter-casts-in-cartoons.html often animals who actually lived and/ or acted like animals]]. For example, WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry acted like a cat and mouse, BugsBunny lives in a hole in the ground, eats carrots, and is menaced by hunters, and WesternAnimation/ChipAndDale live in a tree and crave nuts. These characters are, for the most part, naked, whereas Mickey, Porky, and Donald wear [[HalfDressedCartoonAnimal partial outfits]]. With a character like Bugs, his adversaries have to be human. When they're not, they have to be animal-like animals, like hunting dogs or Tasmanian Devils.

Before the rise of the modern FurryFandom, the PettingZooPeople type of animal was few and far between and the HumanoidFemaleAnimal and NonMammalMammaries tropes were less common. The most notable early examples of this are various female animals in some Creator/TexAvery cartoons and most of the cats that Tom of ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' swoon over.

* Zipper from ''ChipAndDaleRescueRangers'', as well as any other insect characters the Rangers came across.
* The entire population of ''Santo Bugito''.

in the 1930s, the {{Funny Animal}}s created (like MickeyMouse, DonaldDuck, and PorkyPig) were basically humans who happen to be drawn as animals for the most part. They live like humans, they act like humans, they own animals as pets. Goofy is [[FullyDressedCartoonAnimal fully dressed]] and even more humanlike. His anthropomorphism reached its zenith in the 1950s, when more animal like cartoon animals were created.

The cartoon stars who emerged in the 1940s and 1950s were [[http://zvbxrpl.blogspot.com/2008/12/critter-casts-in-cartoons.html often animals who actually lived and/ or acted like animals]]. For example, WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry acted like a cat and mouse, BugsBunny lives in a hole in the ground, eats carrots, and is menaced by hunters, and ChipAndDale live in a tree and crave nuts. These characters are, for the most part, naked, whereas Mickey, Porky, and Donald wear [[HalfDressedCartoonAnimal partial outfits]]. With a character like Bugs, his adversaries have to be human. When they're not, they have to be animal-like animals, like hunting dogs or Tasmanian Devils.

* ChuckJones' ''The Cricket in Times Square'' averts the body design issues with [[http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/reviews/81/1195336096_3.jpg Chester Cricket]], though he has a cartoonishly-stylized face.

Before the rise of the modern FurryFandom, the PettingZooPeople type of animal was few and far between and the HumanoidFemaleAnimal and NonMammalMammaries tropes were less common. The most notable early examples of this are various female animals in some TexAvery cartoons and most of the cats that Tom of ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' swoon over.

* The insects in the ''DisneyFairies'' books and movies have CartoonyEyes.

* In ''JamesAndTheGiantPeach'', the giant insects inside the peach have noticably humanlike faces.

Animators tend not to pay attention to what a flea actually looks like, often drawing them as [[InformedSpecies nondescript cartoon "bugs" or even tiny human-like creatures]]. This is especially evident in ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoons. Some exceptions to this include {{Droopy}}'s Dixieland flea band, the fleas in ''WesternAnimation/CatDog'', the fleas in the ''MoxyPirateCartoonShow'', the fleas in the ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoHeaven'' TV series, and P.T. Flea in ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife''. They were still at least a little anthropomorphic, but they looked very reasonably flea-like.

Animators tend not to pay attention to what a flea actually looks like, often drawing them as [[InformedSpecies nondescript cartoon "bugs" or even tiny human-like creatures]]. This is especially evident in ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoons. Some exceptions to this include {{Droopy}}'s Dixieland flea band, the fleas in ''WesternAnimation/CatDog'', the fleas in the ''MoxyPirateCartoonShow'', the fleas in the ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoThHeaven'' TV series, and P.T. Flea in ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife''. They were still at least a little anthropomorphic, but they looked very reasonably flea-like.

* Similarly, the ants in ''Film/{{Antz}}''.

When people talk about the term "anthropomorphic," they usually refer to an animal (fictional or nonfictional species), plant, alien, mythical or fantasy creature, robot, inanimate object, or other non human that acts human or is humanoid in shape. However, the word, "anthropomorphic," technically means "of human shape or form."

* Averted with the cockroach from ''WesternAnimation/{{WALL-E}}'', [[AllAnimalsAreDogs despite his propensity to behave like a dog]].

* In ''{{Bug}}'' and ''Bug Too'', there are several insects with mammalian-looking characteristics. Two notable examples are Bug's girlfriend from the first game and several enemies from the sequel.

** The PlutoThePup cartoon "SpringtimeForPluto" had a butterfly that looked more like a '40s PinUp with wings.

** The PlutoThePup cartoon "SpringtimeforPluto" had a butterfly that looked more like a '40s PinUp with wings.

** The PlutoThePup cartoon "Springtime for Pluto" had a butterfly that looked more like a '40s PinUp with wings.

** The PlutoThePup cartoon "Pluto in Springtime" had a butterfly that looked more like a '40s PinUp with wings.

Animators tend not to pay attention to what a flea actually looks like, often drawing them as [[InformedSpecies nondescript cartoon "bugs" or even tiny human-like creatures]]. This is especially evident in ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoons. Some exceptions to this include {{Droopy}}'s Dixieland flea band, the fleas in ''WesternAnimation/CatDog'', the fleas in the ''MoxyPirateCartoonShow'', the fleas in the ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoThHeaven'' TV series, and P.T. Flea in ABugsLife. They were still at least a little anthropomorphic, but they looked very reasonably flea-like.

Animators tend not to pay attention to what a flea actually looks like, often drawing them as [[InformedSpecies nondescript cartoon "bugs" or even tiny human-like creatures]]. This is especially evident in ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoons. Some exceptions to this include {{Droopy}}'s Dixieland flea band, the fleas in ''WesternAnimation/CatDog'', the fleas in the ''MoxyPirateCartoonShow'', and P.T. Flea in ABugsLife. They were still anthropomorphic, but they looked very reasonably flea-like.

Animators tend not to pay attention to what a flea actually looks like, often drawing them as [[InformedSpecies nondescript cartoon "bugs" or even tiny human-like creatures]]. This is especially evident in ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoons. Some exceptions to this include {{Droopy}}'s Dixieland flea band, the flea in ''WesternAnimation/CatDog'', the flea in the ''MoxyPirateCartoonShow'', and P.T. Flea in ABugsLife. They were still anthropomorphic, but they looked very reasonably flea-like.

Animators tend not to pay attention to what a flea actually looks like, often drawing them as nondescript cartoon "bugs" or even tiny human-like creatures. This is especially evident in ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoons. Some exceptions to this include {{Droopy}}'s Dixieland flea band, the flea in ''WesternAnimation/CatDog'', the flea in the ''MoxyPirateCartoonShow'', and P.T. Flea in A Bug's Life.

Animators tend not to pay attention to what a flea actually looks like, often drawing them as nondescript cartoon "bugs" or even tiny human-like creatures.

* Averted with the cockroach from ''WallE'', [[AllAnimalsAreDogs despite his propensity to behave like a dog]].

There is a much greater tendency to actually add facial and bodily features to insects and arachnids that simply aren't present on their real counterparts in order to anthropomorphize them even slightly. Other animals are much less commonly subject to this when they are anthropomorphized pr otherwise drawn in a non-lifelike manner. Typically, those facial and bodily features are human or otherwise mammalian.

* Noses shaped either like human noses or like the generic jellybean shape that looks vaguely like a dog's nose. RealLife insects and arachnids don't even ''have'' noses to begin with.
* [[CartoonyEyes Vertebrate eye structure with sclerae, pupils, the ability to blink, and even irides]].
* Often has [[FourLeggedInsect four legs]] instead of the correct six if an insect.

* Have legs on the abdomen and a head instead of having all legs and head located on the cephalothorax and an abdomen like they are RealLife arachnids.

* Two eyes instead of the eight eyes that RealLife spiders have.

* Sometimes have a shortish, doglike muzzle

* Jiminy Cricket from ''Disney/{{Pinocchio}}'' is an extreme example; he looks a little man with a nose and head like a rabbit.

* Similarly, the ants in ''Film/{{Antz}}''.
* In ''JamesAndTheGiantPeach'', the giant insects inside the peach have noticably humanlike faces.

* MagicTheGathering tends to be inconsistent in this, DependingOnTheArtist : artists with a clear wildlife illustration background will do [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83102 well referenced work]]; others will [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129678 just wing it]].

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

* The moth and butterfly from the Animaniacs episode, "Wings Take Heart" are this. The moth has four legs, a light facial "mask" marking, and a red, doglike nose and the butterfly looks basically like a human with antennae and wings.

Animal anthropomorphizing has evolved over time. In the 19th century and in earlier decades of the 20th century, [[http://feministdisney.tumblr.com/post/20831661927/what-are-you-feelings-on-bambi-and-gender-coding animals were usually presented as less humanlike than they are now]]. This can be seen in the 1942 Disney movie, ''Disney/{{Bambi}}''. Even though the animals can speak, they still move pretty realistically as animals, and what they think about/talk about is more focused on “animal” concerns and uses animal logic. Animals were also seen as less “gendered” creatures.

In the last 30 years however, the anthropomorphized animated animals have grown in their roles to become much more human like, both in movement, speech, and thought. Compare the animals in ''Disney/{{Bambi}}'' (NearlyNormalAnimal) to the animals in ''Disney/TheLionKing'' (NearlyNormalAnimal, PartiallyCivilizedAnimal) and the mice in ''Disney/{{Cinderella}}'' (CivilizedAnimal) to the mice in ''Disney/TheGreatMouseDetective'' (FunnyAnimal, PettingZooPerson). 

When that happened (animals being animated, drawn, rendered, or written to be more humanlike) they also began to reflect more a lot of “human” socialization, like more intensified gender coding (through behavior, speech, as well as assigned roles).  The PettingZooPeople, NonMammalMammaries, and HumanoidFemaleAnimal tropes grew more common.

The cartoon stars who emerged in the 1940s and 1950s were [[http://zvbxrpl.blogspot.com/2008/12/critter-casts-in-cartoons.html often animals who actually lived and/ or acted like animals]]. For example, TomAndJerry acted like a cat and mouse, BugsBunny lives in a hole in the ground, eats carrots, and is menaced by hunters, and ChipAndDale live in a tree and crave nuts. These characters are, for the most part, naked, whereas Mickey, Porky, and Donald wear [[HalfDressedCartoonAnimal partial outfits]]. With a character like Bugs, his adversaries have to be human. When they're not, they have to be animal-like animals, like hunting dogs or Tasmanian Devils.