We Even Have A Word For It
We usually call this anthropomorphism. It comes from the Greek title above meaning "human form." The word though is misleading as its roots are connected with the notion of giving human characteristics and form to anything non-human. So, for e.g., Homer's inclusion of Zeus in human form is anthropomorphism. Monsters Inc., Luxo Jr., Toy Story, MVP (where they have this chimp dolled up in Poochie inspired threads) and on and on and on...are all anthropomorphic films.

Now visual interpretations of animals can be traced back to Ice Age cave paintings (no...not that Blue Sky film). The paintings seemed to be a mix of religious or magical (animals were often seen as mythological creatures) symbols or as diagrams for hunting (see Joseph Campbell The Power of Myth). The hunting paintings were almost like rehearsals for the actual kill. There were apparently even marks found on some of these drawings suggesting that perhaps the hunters felt that what they did to the rendering would also occur in reality. The paintings were often skilful re-creations of the movement and form of the animals. Other images depicted animals doing the nasty or even human-animal characters. For Jungians the crossbreed portraits were linked to the primitive animal instinct within humans. There were accompanying ceremonies with masks, dances based on animal movements. Human identity submerged into animal during these rituals. Maybe it was felt that one could vanquish all animalistic rage from within? Maybe it was just some guilt release for killing? Maybe they just like the friggin shape of the animals? Perhaps there was some weird sex shit happening? Whatever. Either way, there was an aspect of spiritual awe and respect connected with these early paintings.

And of course if we turn to religions, we can find all sorts of animal symbols. Apu's Ganesh monument is human-elephant. Ol' perv Zeus would often take the form of an animal when he sought to vanquish some seed...and yadda yadda yadda...that Christian superstud, J.C. is connected with animals right from the get go.

In Greek literature, Aristophanes actually mocked men's desire to emulate animals in his farce, The Birds where two men, tired of the rigours and tyranny of Athenian society decide to bail and join with the birds. Eventually the two twits take over the bird race and turn it into the very society they fled. And Aesop's Fables are perhaps the most enduring, although today most of us know only the sanitized versions courtesy of those fun-loving Ivy League-Victorian-pull over wearing Christians. Aesop's Fables also provided material for animation, notably Walt Disney's Tortoise and The Hare.

And rather than trace through the whole history of art and animals (including live-action animal films like Benji, bizarre cross-breeding epics like the Shaggy D.A., Disney nature films, Fairy Tales...and my favourites, The Master and Margarita and Heart of The Dog, two fine books by Mikhail Bulgakov), let's skip ahead and focus on animation. Animation, perhaps more than any other art, has relied heavily on the use of animals to transmit perceptions of human behaviour and form. Why animals? It's likely a combination of the influence of comic strips, photographs and fairy tales. And as Linda Simensky (Cartoon Network) told me, a need/desire/pressure in 1920s animation to do the most absurd things...like making animals and objects talk. Now most of this stuff (Felix, Gertie, Bugs, Daffy) was not aimed at children, but adults. Disney was maybe the first to tailor animal (and hell, animation) toward children.

An Enduring Love
Why are kids so taken with animals? Well one schlub named Dan Acuff noted: "Research has shown that as much as 80 percent of children's dream content is of animals up to the age of about six. It appears through animal dreams children work on the resolution of a variety of issues and fears that they are dealing with in their young lives." Seems to me this is a crock; children's dreams are filled with animals likely because they are surrounded by them via television, movies, books and toys. Naturally they're gonna dream about animals.

Children's toys are often mini-versions of objects and animals in the natural world. The stuffed wild animals like bears are easily controllable within the child's world. Animals become silent, tame, friendly and predictable. The bears don't bite, the dolls don't talk back. The trucks, trains, planes and cars go when and where the child wants. It makes the world less intimidating and allows children the opportunity to practice and articulate their social and mechanical tools. And there certainly seems to be a case for the belief that children better absorb what they're learning through their toys. They are often on their own, out of the spotlight, like a rehearsal. It's also an issue of control. Difference is harnessed.