Search with Subject Headings in the Library Catalogue

1. Go to UTL LibrarySearch Advanced Search
2. Enter any of the Subject Heading found below exactly as it appears in the Search Box 
3. Choose Subject from the Search Filters drop-down menu on the left
4. Press Enter or click on the Magnifying Glass icon

For additional information on subject headings in LibrarySearch, visit How can I use subject headings to improve my searching?

Note: The main heading for animation is animated films which is subdivided by country/region, topic, theme, etc. For books about anime, use animation (cinematography) japan; for books about genre itself, use film genres.

For Individual directors (Search as above; use last name, first name)

• e.g., Avankmajer Jan, or Miyazaki Hayao, etc. NOTE: Use Brothers Quay rather than Quay brothers; use Disney Walt for books about Walt Disney as director.

For books about specific films (Search as above, choosing either Title or Subject from drop-down menu):

• e.g., Snow white and the Seven Dwarfs, or Spirited Away
• If you know the title, surround it with quotations to search for the exact wording, e.g. "Spirited Away"

For Animation Studios (Search as above). Note: Use Walt Disney for books about the Walt Disney studio or company.

• e.g., Pixar, "Walt Disney"

UofT Libraries has the option to browse the book shelves virtually (LibrarySearch -  shelf browse), but if you prefer to physically browse the shelves in the libaries:

• books about anime and animation are shelved within the Call Number range NC1764 - NC1766. Both Innis and Robarts libaries have substantial holdings in their respective collections;
• books about film studios (Disney, Warner Brothers, et al) are shelved within the Call Number range PN1999; and
• books about graphic novels and comic books are shelved within the Call Number range PN6700

Bibliographies - Animation & Film

• AnimaFilm 
  • (1994-1997). (print only), available at Robarts Library 
  • International Animated Film Association's journal is an "international quarterly for animated film"
• Animation: an interdisciplinary journal
  • (2006 +).
• Animation journal
  • (Fall 1992-2016). (print only) available at Innis Library.
• Animation magazine
  • ​​​​​​​(1987 +). but selective coverage back to 1994), covers all aspects of the animation industry
• Animation practice, process & production
  • (2011 +). Peer-review. 
• Animation studies 
  • (2006 +). Peer-review. It is published by Society of Animation Studies on animation history and theory.
• Cartoon brew
  • (2004 +). Cartoon Brew is a website for industry news covering trends in commercial animation, interactive apps, blockbuster Hollywood features, crowdfunding, and independent filmmaking. Use the "Cities" tab to explore Animation in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. 
• The comics journal
  • (1997-2009, 2011-2019). (print only) available at E.J. Pratt, Victoria College 
• Computer animation and virtual worlds (2004 +).
• Image & narrative: online magazine of the visual narrative
  • Peer-review, Open Access. It examines "... visual narratology and word and image studies...".
• Imagetext: interdisciplinary comics studies
  • Peer-review, Open Access. U. of Florida journal dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of comics and related media.
• Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society 
  • ​​​​​​​(2017 +). Peer-review. 
• International journal of comic art
  • (1999 +), UofT has online access issues from 2005-2010. 
• Journal of graphic novels & comics
  • (2010 +). Peer-review.
• Marvels & tales 
  • (1997 +). Peer-review. This international and multidisciplinary journal publishes scholarly work dealing with the fairy tale in any of its diverse manifestations and contexts. It provides a central forum for fairy-tale studies by scholars.
• Mechademia: An Annual Forum for Anime, Manga and the Fan Arts.
  • (2006 +). Mechademia’s subject area extends from manga and anime to game design, fashion, graphics, packaging, and toy industries, as well as a broad range of fan practices related to popular culture in Japan.
• Studies in comics
  • (2010 +). Peer-review. 

How to Find Journal Articles

• How do I find an article by title in LibrarySearch?

Interdisciplinary databases

• Google Scholar (incl. substantial film content)
• ProQuest (incl. substantial film content)
• JSTOR
• Project MUSE

Film-specific databases

• *American Film Institute (AFI) Catalog (1893-1975) contains detailed production information about specific films, as well as citations to contemporaneous reviews from newspapers (i.e. New York Times), trade & industry publications (i.e. Variety), popular magazines (i.e. Motion Picture Herald, Photoplay), and review publications (i.e. Monthly Film Bulletin) among others.
• FIAF international Index to Film Periodicals (1972+) 
• *Film Index International (1900-present) includes directors who a) have made a fiction film shown theatrically that is over 50 minutes in duration and was released between 1928 and 1965, and b) have made a fiction film over 60 minutes in duration, post-1965.
• Film Literature Index (1976-2001)
• Film & Television Literature Index (1913-present)

*There are no direct links to online content from these sources. See How to Find Journal Articles above, for instructions on how to use a citation to find a journal article.

Rarebit Early Animation Wiki

The Early Animation Wiki is a collaboration between faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates at the University of Toronto and Animation Resources. A project for gathering and sharing information on the early years of animation, its initial focus is on the United States but expanding to international materials. The wiki offers biographical information on animators, historical data on animation studios, and an extensive bibliography of sources on animation and related topics.

Animation Kiosk 

Innis College Library is fortunate to house an Animation Kiosk that is a joint venture with ASIFA Hollywood (www.asifa-hollywood.org) and Stephen Worth (animationresources.org), the kiosk contains biographies of animators, producers, and comic book artists, as well as rare animation, drawings, cels, and other artwork.

Accessing the Animation Kiosk

The Animation Kiosk can only be accessed onsite during the Innis College Library's hours of operation, please check the Library's website to learn more about accessing the space and contact library.innis@utoronto.ca with questions about accessing the resources. 

Primary Sources

• Underground & Independent Comics, Comix, and Graphic Novels is the first ever scholarly, primary-source database focused on adult comic books and graphic novels. 
• Origins of American Animation a collection of 21 21 animated films and 2 fragments, which spans the years 1900 to 1921.
• Rarebit - Early Animation Wiki is a collaboration between faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates at the University of Toronto and Animation Resources which gathers and shares information on the early years of animation, with an initial focus is on the United States.
• Silent Animated Films at the Library of Congress is a research guide including "more than 250 silent animated films produced in 1929 or earlier."
• UCLA Preserved Silent Animation is a collection of animation at UCLA Film & Television Archive that spans from the years 1930-1950. 
• Japanese Animated Film Classics is operated by the National Film Archive of Japan, this site provides free access to digitized versions of early animated films in their collection.

Dissertations

• Ivins-Hulley, L. (2015). Cinema as surrealist tool: The films of Jan Svankmajer