Line #7 Main/ThickLineAnimation


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4	[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thicc_1.png]]
5	[-[[caption-width-right:349:[[WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack "Yes, I would like to place an order for cartoons. I'd like the art style... Extra thick!"]][[note]]L-R, top to bottom: ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', ''WesternAnimation/KickButtowskiSuburbanDaredevil'', ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'', ''WesternAnimation/MrMagoo'', ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'', ''WesternAnimation/WordGirl'']][[/note]]-]
6
7	An animation style characterized by visible heavy black borders around characters and objects.
8
9	This style began being used by a few animation companies in the early 1950s (mostly UPA, of WesternAnimation/GeraldMcBoingBoing and WesternAnimation/MrMagoo fame), and became dominant in American TV animation during the [[TheSixties '60s]] and [[TheSeventies '70s]], eclipsing the more naturalistic style used in most animation during earlier decades. It was phased out during the early [[TheEighties '80s]], when more naturalistic styles again became dominant in American animation, but then became the standard ''yet again'' (on television at least) during the late [[TheNineties '90s]], and has remained in active use to this day -- shows animated in MediaNotes/AdobeFlash and UsefulNotes/ToonBoom tend to look especially good in this style. However, as of the TheNewTwenties, most mainstream television animation in the US has switched to its less detailed, more expressive cousin: ThinLineAnimation.
10
11	This is sometimes considered to be among the most defining traits of modern day American animation, mostly when contrasted with the similar "{{anime}}=[[BigAnimeEyes big eyes]]" notion to emphasize the differences between U.S. and Japanese animation. When this art style does show up in Japanese media, it tends to have uneven lines and crayon shading in imitation of children's doodles (''rakugaki'').
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13	Compare and contrast LimitedAnimation, WebAnimation, SuperDeformed, MismatchedAtomicExpressionism.
14
15	----
16	!!Example subpages:
17
18	[[index]]
19	* ThickLineAnimation/WesternAnimation
20	[[/index]]
21
22	!!Other examples:
23
24	[[foldercontrol]]
25
26	[[folder:Advertising]]
27	* A Jell-O commercial featuring [[WesternAnimation/AliceInWonderland Alice]] talking with the Griffin and the Mock Turtle used this. The animation recycled from Alice's movie even had the outlines thickened to match.
28	* Some Pokemon artwork on the newer ''{{Franchise/Pokemon}}''-related advertisements are depicted in this manner, with Pikachu being depicted with an oval head in this artstyle.
29	[[/folder]]
30
31	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
32	* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'': It's not of uniform thickness, though, giving the impression of a brush pen.
33	* ''Anime/{{Aggretsuko}}'' used the thick-lining anime style.
34	* Close-up shots in ''Anime/CasshernSins'' usually have this.
35	* Some episodes of ''Anime/DigimonDataSquad'' animate the child-level {{mons}} in this style, particularly in the series' tail end. It's very inconsistently done and is probably a product of the OffModel {{Art Shift}}s which plague the series.
36	* Used in the ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' film ''[[Anime/DragonBallZFusionReborn Fusion Reborn]]'' during the comedic scenes set on Earth. It's particularly noticeable during Goten and Trunks' fight with The Dictator and his army. For all other scenes, such as those set within the Other World, the art style reverts to the standard used throughout the rest of the franchise.
37	* ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'' often uses thick lines in some shots and comedic takes.
38	* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' has done a couple {{Art Shift}}s to this type of style for some comical moments.
39	** The first ending of ''Brotherhood'' is entirely animated in thick lines and crayon colors, representing drawings made by Ed and Al before they lost their bodies.
40	* ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'' is different in how the anime and OVA series averts it when the manga has very noticeable thick line drawing.
41	* The mochi segments in the fifth season of ''WebComic/HetaliaAxisPowers'' use this.
42	* The anime adaption of ''Literature/SamuraiGirls'' uses this in the character designs and weapons. The general art style resembles traditional ink painting.
43	* ''Manga/{{Kaiji}}'' and ''Manga/{{Akagi}}'' both the works of Nobuyuki Fukumoto and both animated by Madhouse.
44	* Appears in episode 7 of the ''Literature/{{Katanagatari}}'' anime, which is closer to the art style of the original light novels' illustrations.
45	* ''Manga/KoeDeOshigoto'' uses this as an artistic direction; it's used to emulate the look of {{Eroge}} CG's.
46	* The western animation-like anime ''Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt'' by Gainax. In fact it uses the same art style as ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls''.
47	* The western animation-like anime ''Anime/SpacePatrolLuluco'' by Studio Trigger.
48	* Applied at times on the character designs in ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo''.
49	* Used in ''Anime/SuperMilkChan'' making it look a lot like a mix of ''WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpy'', ''Creator/DrSeuss'', and ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls''.
50	* The fourth episode of ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' is full of this, particularly the scenes with Emperor Pilaf.
51	* ''Anime/YuGiOh'' features this from time to time. Notably during closeups of the characters' faces.
52	* Any work of ''Creator/KoutaHirano'', where it's used to accentuate the angular, dynamic designs of his NoodlePeople characters, though it's less pronounced in the TV version of ''Anime/{{Hellsing}}''. [[Manga/{{Hellsing}} OVAs]] and ''Manga/{{Drifters}}'', OTOH...
53	* The anime for ''Manga/ToiletBoundHanakoKun'' consistently depicts characters and objects with thick outlines.
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Asian Animation]]
57	* The characters in ''Animation/HappyHeroes'' have always been drawn with noticeable outlines, but the outlines become thicker in the art style from Season 10 onwards.
58	[[/folder]]
59
60	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
61	* ''Literature/AScannerDarkly''
62	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfKells'', though it was {{invoked}} purposely to resemble medieval illustrations.
63	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' utilizes this sort of style to mimic the inking of Al Hirschfeld's drawings.
64	* In ''WesternAnimation/Fantasia2000'', the Rhapsody in Blue segment utilizes this to an even greater extent, being more directly based on Hirschfeld.
65	[[/folder]]
66
67	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
68	* ''Series/{{Llanargollen}}'': All of the RogerRabbitEffect animals are animated in this style, with any accessories they may be wearing being a darker colored outline.
69	* The Joey Ahlbum animations from ''Series/SesameStreet''.
70	[[/folder]]
71
72	[[folder:Softwares]]
73	* The Windows 10 emoji art [[https://emojipedia.org/microsoft/windows-10-anniversary-update/ since the Anniversary Update]]. Besides fitting with the flat Metro look, it also helps it show up better on backgrounds of any color.
74	[[/folder]]
75
76	[[folder:Video Games]]
77	* Early cel-shaded games such as ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'' and ''VideoGame/CelDamage'' utilized bold outlines.
78	* ''VideoGame/AlienHominid'', ''VideoGame/CastleCrashers'', and ''Super VideoGame/MeatBoy'', all made by the Platform/{{Newgrounds}}.
79	* ''VideoGame/AngryBirds'' (mainly from 2009 to 2012)
80	* ''VideoGame/{{Awesomenauts}}''
81	* ''VideoGame/AmongUs''
82	* ''VideoGame/BattleToads2020'' And this is the part most criticized for this ugly and simplistic art style. everybody cross out this style as it were ThinLineAnimation, But it is actually not, because it has too angular shapes and outlines are thicker.
83	* ''VideoGame/BendyAndTheInkMachine'' gives most objects scratchy outlines of varying thickness to look like a black-and-white cartoon from the 30s. The characters notably have ''no'' outlines, although ''VideoGame/BendyAndTheDarkRevival'' gave them thin glowing white outlines for a more convincingly hands drawn appearance.
84	* ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'' uses this animation style to take the edge off of just how screwed up everything is.
85	* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' uses this effectively for comic like graphics.
86	* ''VideoGame/{{Brawlhalla}}''
87	* ''VideoGame/ClamMan''
88	* ''[[VideoGame/CookieRun Cookie Run: OvenBreak]]''
89	* ''[[VideoGame/CookieRunKingdom Cookie Run: Kingdom]]''
90	* ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'' used the 1930's cartoon-esque art style to make it look like the ''WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Popeye}}'' cartoons.
91	* ''VideoGame/ChampionsOnline'' has a graphics option for this.
92	* ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin'', given its heavy inspiration from 2000s-era Flash games and animations, which also used thick-line animation.
93	* ''VideoGame/HellYeahWrathOfTheDeadRabbit''
94	* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight''
95	* ''VideoGame/IttleDew'', a twisted ''[[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Zelda]]'' tribute game, utilizes an artstyle resembling ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Wind Waker]]'''s 2D artworks.
96	* The first three ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'' games had somewhat of a graffiti-style to it, with (you guessed it) thick outlines. It was dropped for the fourth game in favor of pseudo-3D sprites.
97	* ''VideoGame/NinjabreadMan'' The cover art of the game uses this. Along with the loading screen.
98	* ''VideoGame/PaperMario''
99	* ''VideoGame/PaRappaTheRapper''
100	* ''VideoGame/{{Rakugakids}}'' has character sprites drawn this way, clashing with the realistically drawn backgrounds.
101	* ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins''
102	* ''VideoGame/RhythmHeaven''
103	* ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}''
104	* The GBA game ''VideoGame/SonicBattle'', which sported a thick-lined graffiti style.
105	* ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]'' adds black borders around characters to make them more visually distinct on the handheld's relatively small screen, although the option to make them thin or remove them entirely is included.
106	* ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}''
107	* ''VideoGame/{{Scribblenauts}}''
108	* ''VideoGame/WarioWare''
109	* ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland'' has this as a large part of the distinctive art style, though the thick lines are most noticeable on background objects.
110	* ''VideoGame/YoshisStory'' uses this in cutscenes.
111	[[/folder]]
112
113	[[folder:Web Animation]]
114	* ''WebAnimation/AlphabetLore''
115	* ''Animation/{{Pucca}}'' is a non-American example.
116	* ''WebAnimation/BloodyBunny'' is a Thai example.
117	* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner''
118	* ''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends''
119	* ''WebAnimation/TheMostEpicStoryEverToldInAllOfHumanHistory''
120	* ''WebAnimation/BattleForDreamIsland'', however, this is more for the early episodes. Later episodes have the assets refined and thinner, as well as the outlines being thinner and hand drawn in TPOT.
121	* ''Website/BrainPop''
122
123	[[/folder]]
124
125	[[folder:Webcomics]]
126	* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'': As the artwork began to improve, the outlines became thicker.
127	* ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' used to have thick outlines (''especially'' in the 2000-2003 strips), up until about 2008-2009, in which the outlines slowly became thinner.
128	* 2004-2006 ''Webcomic/VGCats'' comics. Almost nowhere to be seen in later comics.
129	* ''Webcomic/YumeHime''
130	* ''Webcomic/CyanideAndHappiness''
131	[[/folder]]

Context Main / ThickLineAnimation