2001 in animation

The year 2001 in animation involved some animation-related events.

Years in animation:	1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Centuries:	20th century · 21st century · 22nd century
Decades:	1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s
Years:	1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Events

January

• January 1: The first episode of Horrible Histories airs, which features occasional animated sequences.[1]
• January 12: The first episode of Lizzie McGuire airs.[2]
• January 13: The first episode of Disney's House of Mouse airs.[3]
• January 23: Richard Linklater's Waking Life premiers.[4]

February

• February 2: John Callahan's Quads!, based on John Callahan's cartoons, is first broadcast.
• February 11: In The Simpsons episode Tennis the Menace Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Venus Williams and Serena Williams are special guest voices.[5]
• February 23: Henry Selick's Monkeybone, which combines animation with live-action, is released, but to bad reviews and low audience attendances.[6]

March

• March 25: 73rd Academy Awards: Father and Daughter by Michaël Dudok de Wit wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.[7]
• March 30:
  • The first episode of The Fairly OddParents airs.[8]
  • The first episode of Invader Zim airs.[9]

April

• April 1: The Simpsons episode Simpsons Safari is broadcast, in which the family travels to Africa.[10]
• April 4: The first episode of Titeuf airs, based on the eponymous comics series.[11]
• April 19: Bill Plympton's Mutant Aliens is released.[12]
• April 29: The Simpsons episode Trilogy of Error is first broadcast, in which three connected stories from different viewpoints are told, inspired by the film Lola Rennt, all based around Homer Simpson accidentally cutting off his thumb.[13]

May

• May 18: The film Shrek premiers and becomes an unexpected box office hit.[14]
• May 26: Rintaro's Metropolis is first released, based on Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis.[15]

June

• June 2: The first episode of Braceface is broadcast.[16]
• June 3: Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise's Atlantis: The Lost Empire, produced by the Walt Disney Company, is released. It is a box office flop, but becomes a cult film later.[17] During its 25-week theatrical run, Atlantis: The Lost Empire grossed over $186 million worldwide ($84 million from the United States and Canada).[18] Responding to its disappointing box-office performance, Thomas Schumacher, then-president of Walt Disney Feature Animation, said, "It seemed like a good idea at the time to not do a sweet fairy tale, but we missed."[19]
• June 8: The first episode of Time Squad airs.[20]
• June 27: In the South Park episode Cripple Fight Jimmy Valmer makes his debut.[21]
• June 28: The Rugrats receive a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[22]
• June 30: The first episode of What's with Andy? is broadcast.[23] and ended on March 4, 2007.[23]

July

• July 20:
  • The Portuguese film The Happy Cricket is released.[24]
  • Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away premiers.[25]

August

• August 7: Osmosis Jones is first released.[26]
• August 8: In the South Park episode Towelie Towelie makes his debut.[27]
• August 10: The first episode of Samurai Jack airs.[28]
• August 24: The first episode of Grim & Evil airs.[29]

September

• September 2: The adult oriented block Adult Swim is launched and debuts on Cartoon Network.[30] The first episodes of two long-running series air the same day:Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law [31] and Sealab 2021.[32][33]
• September 3: The first episode of The Legend of Tarzan, produced by the Walt Disney Company, is broadcast.[34]
• September 9: The first official episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force airs, almost over a year after airing the pilot episode.[35]
• September 14: The film The House of Morecock is released, the first gay pornographic adult animated feature film. It is directed by comics artist Joe Phillips.[36]
• September 15: The first episode of Stanley is broadcast.

[37]

• September 15: The first episode of The Proud Family is broadcast, produced by the Walt Disney Company.[38]
• Hanna-Barbera is absorbed into Warner Bros. Animation.

October

• October 14: The first episode of the animated TV show 2DTV is broadcast, which ridicules celebrities.[39]
• October 20: The first episode of Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action! airs, an animated version of TV actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (voicing themselves) which is cancelled after only one season.[40]
• October 25: The film Die Abrafaxe - Unter schwarzer Flagge is released, based on Lona Rietschel and Lothar Dräger's comic strip Die Abrafaxe.[41]
• October 28: The film Monsters, Inc. by Pixar and the Walt Disney Company is released.[42]

November

• November 3: The first episode of Totally Spies! airs.[43]
• November 7: The South Park episode Osama bin Laden Has Farty Pants first airs, famous for referencing the September 11 attacks and ridiculing Osama bin Laden in the style of World War II propaganda cartoons.[44]
• November 17: The first episode of Justice League is broadcast.[45]
• November 18: In The Simpsons episode Homer the Moe, the rock band R.E.M. perform as special guest voices.[46]

December

• December 9: The film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius is released.[47]
• December 15: The Hong Kong film My Life as McDull is released.[48]
• December 16: In The Simpsons episode She of Little Faith Lisa Simpson becomes a Buddhist. Richard Gere is special guest voice.[49]
• December 18: The Tell-Tale Heart is added to the National Film Registry.[50][51]
• December 21: The film Momo alla conquista del tempo, an adaptation of Michael Ende's Momo is first released.[52]
• December 23: The first episode of Cédric, an animated series based on the comics series Cédric airs.[53]

Specific date unknown

• The film The Jar: A Tale from the East is released.[54]

Awards

• Academy Award for Best Animated Feature: Shrek
• Animation Kobe Feature Film Award: Spirited Away[55]
• Annecy International Animated Film Festival Cristal du long métrage: Mutant Aliens
• Annie Award for Best Animated Feature: Shrek
• César Award for Best Foreign Film: Spirited Away
• Golden Bear: Spirited Away
• Goya Award for Best Animated Film: El bosque animado
• Japan Media Arts Festival Animation Award: Spirited Away and Millennium Actress
• Mainichi Film Awards - Animation Grand Award: Spirited Away
• Mainichi Film Award for Best Film: Spirited Away[56]
• Japan Academy Prize for Picture of the Year: Spirited Away

Films released

Main article: List of animated feature films of 2001

Television series debuts

Main article: List of animated television series of 2001

Date	Title	Channel	Year
January 12	Gary & Mike	UPN	2001
January 13	Disney's House of Mouse	ABC, Toon Disney	2001–03
January 15	Bob the Builder	Nick Jr.	2001–04
	Outlaw Star	Cartoon Network	2001
January 27	The Zeta Project	Kids' WB	2001–02
February 3	Lloyd in Space	ABC, Toon Disney	2001–04
February 11	Animated Tales of the World	HBO	2001–03
March 30	The Fairly OddParents	Nickelodeon	2001–17
	Invader Zim		2001–02
April 1	The Oblongs	The WB
	Undergrads	MTV	2001
April 2	The Big O	Cartoon Network	2001–03
June 2	Braceface	Fox Family	2001–04
June 3	Baby Looney Tunes	Kids' WB, Cartoon Network	2001–06
June 8	Time Squad	Cartoon Network	2001–03
June 10	Tiny Planets	Noggin	2001–02
August 10	Samurai Jack	Cartoon Network	2001–04; 2017
August 11	Cubix	Kids' WB	2001–04
August 20	Oswald	Nick Jr.	2001–03
August 24	Grim & Evil	Cartoon Network	2001–02
September 1	Digimon Tamers	Fox Kids
	The Legend of Tarzan	UPN, ABC	2001–03
September 3	Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat	PBS Kids	2001–02
September 8	Medabots	Fox Kids, Jetix	2001–04
	Transformers: Robots in Disguise	Fox Kids	2001–02
September 13	Sitting Ducks	Cartoon Network	2001–04
September 15	Alienators: Evolution Continues	Fox Kids	2001–02
	The Ripping Friends
	The Proud Family	Disney Channel, Disney+	2001–05; TBA
	Stanley	Playhouse Disney	2001–04
September 22	What's with Andy?	Fox Family	2001–07
September 29	The Mummy	Kids' WB	2001–03
	Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters		2001–06
October 20	Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action!	ABC	2001–02
November 3	Totally Spies!	Cartoon Network	2001–10
November 17	Justice League		2001–04
November 19	The Popeye Show		2001–03

Television series endings

Date	Title	Channel	Year	Notes
January 13	Buzz Lightyear of Star Command	ABC and UPN	2000–01	Cancelled
February 16	Outlaw Star	Cartoon Network	2001
March 1	Madeline	The Family Channel, ABC, Playhouse Disney	1993–01	Ended
March 21	Generation O!	The WB	2000–01	Cancelled
	Oh Yeah! Cartoons	Nickelodeon	1998–01
March 31	Spider-Man Unlimited	Fox Kids	1999–01
April 13	Gary & Mike	UPN	2001
May 27	Mike, Lu & Og	Cartoon Network	1999–01
June 7	Zoboomafoo	PBS Kids	1999–01
June 11	The Angry Beavers	Nickelodeon	1997–01	Ended
June 25	Daria	MTV
June 30	Men in Black: The Series	Kids' WB
August 12	Undergrads	MTV	2001	Cancelled
November 5	Recess	UPN	1997–01	Cancelled; was supposed to end after the fifth season, but ratings gave the show one more season, witch only lasted for 3 half-hours due to the show passing the 65-episode rule.
November 22	Maisy	Nickelodeon	1999–01	Cancelled
November 30	ReBoot	Cartoon Network	1994–01	Ended
December 18	Batman Beyond	The WB	1999–01	Cancelled
December 28	Timothy Goes to School	PBS Kids	2000–01

Births

Deaths

January

• January 2: Alison de Vere, British animator, background designer (worked for Halas and Batchelor, The Beatles, Yellow Submarine, The Animals of Farthing Wood) and director (The Black Dog, Psyche and Eros), dies at age 73.[57]
• January 25: Sam Singer, American animated film director and producer (The Adventures of Pow Wow, The Adventures of Paddy the Pelican, Bucky and Pepito), dies at age 89.[58]

February

• February 17: John Sutherland, American animator (Walt Disney Company, voice actor (voice of Bambi in Bambi) and animated film producer (Daffy Ditties), dies at age 90.

March

• March 1: Torsten Bjarre, Swedish animator and comics artist, passes away at age 85.[59]
• March 9: Richard Stone, American composer (Animaniacs, Tiny Toon Adventures, Pinky and the Brain), dies at 47.[60]
• March 16: Norma MacMillan, Canadian voice actress (voice of Sweet Polly Purebred in Underdog, continued the voices of Gumby, Davey in Davey and Goliath and Casper the Friendly Ghost), dies at age 79.[61]
• March 22: William Hanna, American animator, director, producer, and cartoonist (Tom & Jerry, The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, The Jetsons, Wacky Races, Scooby-Doo,...), co-founder of Hanna-Barbera, dies at age 90.[62]

April

• April 3: Ray Osrin, American cartoonist, animator and comics artist, dies at age 72.[63]

May

• May 18: Maurice Noble, American animator, film director, background, lay-out and animation designer (Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros. Animation, Chuck Jones), dies at age 90.[64]

June

• June 1: Hank Ketcham, American comics artist and animator (Walt Disney Company, Walter Lantz), dies at age 81.[65]
• June 19: Lee Mishkin, American animated film director and animator (Is It Always Right to Be Right?) dies at age 74.[66]
• June 26: Paul Berry, British animator and director (The Sandman, worked for Cosgrove Hall and Henry Selick), dies at age 40.[67]
• June 27: Joan Sims, British actress (Mrs. Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, the Witch in The Thief and the Cobbler), dies at age 71.

July

• July 7: Toni Pagot, Italian comics artist, cartoonist and animator (Calimero), dies at age 79.[68]
• July 15: Ted Berman, American animator, film director and screenwriter (Walt Disney Company), dies at age 81.
• July 16: Morris, Belgian comics artist and animation director (co-director of Daisy Town and The Ballad of the Daltons), dies at age 77.[69]

August

• August 16: Dave Barry, American radio host and voice actor (celebrity impersonations in Mother Goose Goes Hollywood and various Looney Tunes cartoons, voice of Bluto in the Popeye cartoon Seein' Red, White 'N' Blue, voice of Elmer Fudd in Pre-Hysterical Hare), dies at age 82.[70]

September

• September 30: Bjørn Frank Jensen, Danish animator and comics artist (co-founder of Ring, Frank & Jensen, worked for Marten Toonder's animation department), dies at age 81.[71]

October

• October 5: Jan Lenica, Polish graphic designer, cartoonist, poster illustrator and animator (Dom, A, Adam 2, Ubu et la grande gidouille), dies at age 73.

November

• November 21: Seymour Reit, aka Sy Reit, American animator (Fleischer Studios, creator of Casper the Friendly Ghost), writer, screenwriter, comics writer and comics artist, dies at age 83.[72]
• November 29: George Harrison, British rock singer and film producer (voiced himself in The Simpsons episode Homer's Barbershop Quartet), dies at age 58.[73]

December

• December 2: Chase Craig, American animator, scriptwriter and comics writer (Warner Bros. Cartoons, Walter Lantz Productions), dies at age 91.[74]
• December 7: Faith Hubley, American animator, storyboard artist (Mr. Magoo co-founder of Storyboard Studios), dies at age 77 from breast cancer.[75]
• December 11: Beverly Hope Atkinson, American voice actress (voice of Carol in Heavy Traffic), dies at age 66.[76][77]
• December 26: Nigel Hawthorne, British actor (voice of Captain Campion in Watership Down, Dr. Boycott in The Plague Dogs, Fflewddur Fflam in The Black Cauldron, Professor Porter in Tarzan), dies at age 72. [78]
• December 30: Ray Patterson, American animator, animated film director and producer (worked for Screen Gems, Walt Disney Animation Studios, MGM Animation, Grantray-Lawrence Animation, Hanna-Barbera), dies at age 90. [79]
• December 31: David Swift, American writer, animated film director and producer (Walt Disney Company), dies at age 82.[80]

See also

• 2001 in anime

References

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