Congratulations to LSFM Senior Lecturer and author Jane Batkin on the publication of her new book Identity in Animation: A Journey into Self, Difference, Culture and the Body (Routledge, 2017). She looked into the meaning behind some influential characters in the history of animation to explore who they are and how they were formed.

Jane said: I began researching into the psychology of animated characters and found that my interests lay within this approach to the topic. The book grew out of the question: ‘can a tool have a soul?’ and was a 2 year study, fuelled initially by a passion for Looney Tunes and the identity struggles of Daffy and Bugs. The book has been a real journey for me and I’ve enjoyed the challenges it has presented. My own journey into identity in animation continues, with a chapter in an anthology on Toy Story, and a forthcoming paper presentation on Looney Tunes, focusing on life in the arena and how dignity is preserved among animated characters.  Identity in Animation is available here. 

A reviewer summed up the book as “Essential reading for anyone interested in animation, identity politics, and social history.” Identity in Animation will be available soon in the University of Lincoln library. In the meantime, a (in-house) book launch will be held next month at LSFM, with Lecturer Dr Marie Thompson who also has a new book, so staff please RSVP by 1st March via email to Katie Dorr.