2004 in animation

Years in animation:	2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Centuries:	20th century · 21st century · 22nd century
Decades:	1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s
Years:	2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Events in 2004 in animation.

Events

January

• January 5: The first episode of Dragon airs.[1]
• January 25: In The Simpsons episode "Diatribe of a Mad Housewife", the Olsen Twins and novelists Tom Clancy and Thomas Pynchon are special guest voices.[2]
• January 28: The first episode of Winx Club is broadcast.[3]

February

• February 7: The 31st Annie Awards are held.
• February 11: Jean-François Laguionie's Black Mor's Island premiers.[4]

March

• March 4: The first episode of Tripping the Rift airs.[5]
• March 6: Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence premiers.[6]
• March 20:
  • Immortal, directed by and based on Enki Bilal's comic book La Foire aux immortels premiers.[7]
  • The Danish film Terkel in Trouble airs.[8]

April

• April 2: Home on the Range, produced by the Walt Disney Company, is released.[9]
• April 3: The first episode of Danny Phantom is broadcast.[10]
• April 12: The first episode of Peep and the Big Wide World airs.[11]
• April 17: Bill Plympton's Hair High is first released.[12]
• April 18: In The Simpsons episode My Big Fat Geek Wedding Matt Groening is special guest voice.[13]

May

• May 10:[14] Voice actor Greg Burson is arrested after barricading himself inside his home, holding three female roommates hostage while being drunk and carrying a gun.[15][16][17]
• May 11: The pilot for Invader Zim makes its debut on DVD.[18]
• 12-31 May: 2004 Cannes Film Festival: Jonas Geirnaert, a young Belgian film student, sends in a not entirely completed animated short, Flatlife, to the festival, which promptly wins the Jury Prize for Best Short Film. This launches his media career in Flanders.[19]
• May 15: Shrek 2 premiers during the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.[20]
• May 16: The Simpsons episode Bart-Mangled Banner first airs, which causes controversy in the United States for satirizing the U.S. Patriot Act.[21]
• May 17: The first episode of Kikoriki airs.[22]
• May 31: The first episode of Peppa Pig airs.[23]

June

• June 17: Kim Jun-ok's Tentacolino, a sequel to the notorious animated film The Legend of the Titanic, is released.[24]

July

• July 17: Katsuhiro Otomo's Steamboy premiers.[25]
• July 31: The first episode of Justice League Unlimited airs.[26]

August

• August 1: The final episode of Rugrats airs.[27]
• August 9: Donald Duck receives a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[28]
• August 13: The first episode of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends airs.[29]
• August 16: The first episode of LazyTown airs.[30]

September

• September 5: Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle is first released.[31]
• September 6: The first episode of Atomic Betty, The Tofus airs.[32]
• September 7: The first episode of Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends is broadcast.[33]
• September 9: SIP Animation and the newly rebranded Jetix Europe announce the work of a new co-production tentatively titled The Insiders.[34] The show would eventually premiere as A.T.O.M. - Alpha Teens on Machines in 2005.
• September 11: The first episode of The Batman airs.[35]
• September 13: The first episode of Higglytown Heroes airs.[36]
• September 19: Piet De Rycker and Thilo Rothkirch's Lauras Stern (Laura's Star) premiers.[37]
• September 22: The first episode of Bro'Town airs.[38]
• September 25: Samurai Jack is cancelled.[39]

October

• October 1: The first episode of The Koala Brothers is broadcast.[40]
• October 11:
  • The first episode of The Backyardigans is broadcast.[41]
  • The first episode of Maya & Miguel airs.[42][43]
  • The first episode of Postcards from Buster airs.[44]
• October 12: Episodes 21-26 of Invader Zim make their debut on DVD in the U.S.[45]
• October 21: Robert Zemeckis' The Polar Express is first released.[46]
• October 24: The first Nicktoons Film Festival is broadcast and organised.[47]
• October 27:
  • The Walt Disney Company and Pixar release The Incredibles.[48]
  • The first episode of Drawn Together is broadcast.[49]

November

• November 5: The first episode of Cartoon Alley airs.[50]
• November 7:
  • The first episode of Perfect Hair Forever is broadcast.[51]
  • The first episode of 6teen airs.[52]
• November 8: The first episode of ToddWorld airs.[53]
• November 11: The first episode of Naughty Town airs.
• November 14:
  • 9th Animation Kobe is held.
  • The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie is first released.[54]
• November 19: The first episode of Hi Hi Puffy Amiyumi

December

• December 1: The first episode of Poko airs.[55]
• December 9: Áron Gauder's The District! premiers.[56]
• December 28: Duck and Cover and Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor are added to the National Film Registry.[57][58]
• December 31: The final episode of Loeki de Leeuw is broadcast, a series of stop-motion shorts which served as bumpers before and after commercial breaks on Dutch television. The shorts had ran since 1972.[59]

Awards

• Academy Award for Best Animated Feature: The Incredibles
• Animation Kobe Feature Film Award: Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence[60]
• Annecy International Animated Film Festival Cristal du long métrage: Oseam
• Annie Award for Best Animated Feature: The Incredibles
• Goya Award for Best Animated Film: P3K.Pinocho 3000
• Japan Media Arts Festival Animation Award: Mind Game
• Mainichi Film Awards - Animation Grand Award: The Place Promised in Our Early Days

Films released

Main article: List of animated feature films of 2004

Television series debuts

Main article: List of animated television series of 2004

Date	Title	Channel	Year
January 17	Astro Boy (2003)	Cartoon Network	2004–07
January 23	Dave the Barbarian	Disney Channel	2004–05
January 31	Transformers: Energon	Cartoon Network
February 16	Witch Hunter Robin	Adult Swim	2004
February 21	Corneil & Bernie	Nicktoons	2004–06
February 27	Duel Masters	Cartoon Network
March 4	Tripping the Rift	Syfy	2004–05
March 7	Kaput and Zösky	Nicktoons	2004–07
March 10	Game Over	UPN	2004
March 16	Go, Baby!	Playhouse Disney	2004–06
April 3	Danny Phantom	Nickelodeon	2004–07
April 12	Peep and the Big Wide World	Discovery Kids	2004–11
April 24	Wolf's Rain	Adult Swim	2004
April 28	Shorties Watchin' Shorties	Comedy Central
May 1	Megas XLR	Cartoon Network	2004–05
May 24	Case Closed	Adult Swim	2004
May 31	Peppa Pig	Nick Jr.	2004–present
June 19	Winx Club	Fox Box, Nickelodeon	2004–present
June 20	Fatherhood	Nick at Nite	2004–05
July 30	O'Grady	The N	2004–06
July 31	Justice League Unlimited	Cartoon Network
August 1	Stroker & Hoop	Adult Swim	2004–05
August 10	Blue's Room	Nick Jr.	2004–07
August 13	Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends	Cartoon Network	2004–09
August 16	LazyTown	Nick Jr.	2004–14
August 21	Brandy and Mr. Whiskers	Disney Channel	2004–06
August 31	Father of the Pride	NBC	2004–05
September 6	Atomic Betty	Cartoon Network, The Hub	2004–11
September 7	Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends	Nickelodeon	2004–08
September 11	The Batman	Kids' WB
	Da Boom Crew		2004–05
September 13	Higglytown Heroes	Playhouse Disney	2004–08
September 16	Video Mods	MTV	2004–05
September 18	F-Zero: GP Legend	Fox Box
	One Piece		2004–present
	Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!	Jetix	2004–06
October 11	The Backyardigans	Nick Jr.	2004–13
	Maya & Miguel	PBS Kids	2004–07
	Postcards from Buster		2004–12
October 24	Nicktoons Film Festival	Nicktoons	2004–09
October 27	Drawn Together	Comedy Central	2004–07
November 5	Cartoon Alley	Turner Classic Movies
November 6	Fullmetal Alchemist	Adult Swim	2004–09
	Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex		2004–06
November 7	Perfect Hair Forever		2004–07
	Super Milk Chan		2004–05
	6teen	Cartoon Network	2004–10
November 8	ToddWorld	Discovery Kids	2004–08
November 11	Naughty Town	ABC (2004-13) Syndicated (2013-)	2004-present
November 14	Tom Goes to the Mayor	Adult Swim	2004–06
November 19	Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi	Cartoon Network
December 18	W.I.T.C.H.	ABC Family
Unknown	This Just In!	Spike TV	2004

Television series endings

Date	Title	Channel	Year	Notes
January 23	Fillmore!	Toon Disney	2002–04	Cancelled
February 6	Little Bill	Nick Jr.	1999–2004	Ended
February 14	Lizzie McGuire	Disney Channel	2001–04
February 27	Lloyd in Space	Toon Disney
February 29	The Weekenders		2000–04
March 10	Game Over	UPN	2004	Cancelled
April 1	Stripperella	Spike TV	2003–04
April 4	Home Movies	Adult Swim	1999–2004	Ended
April 28	Rolie Polie Olie	Playhouse Disney	1998–2004
May 22	Static Shock	Kids' WB	2000–04
May 29	Justice League	Cartoon Network	2001–04
June 8	Hey Arnold!	Nickelodeon	1996–2004
June 11	The Wild Thornberrys		1998–2004
June 25	VH1 ILL-ustrated	VH1	2003–04	Cancelled
July 5	Ozzy & Drix	Kids' WB	2002–04
July 30	Rocket Power	Nickelodeon	1999–2004	Ended
August 1	Rugrats		1991–2004
August 17	Teamo Supremo	Toon Disney	2002–04
August 27	Johnny Bravo	Cartoon Network	1997–2004
September 25	Samurai Jack		2001–04, 2017	Cancelled (until its 2017 limited revival on Adult Swim)
October 22	Evil Con Carne		2003–04	Cancelled
December 16	Shorties Watchin' Shorties	Comedy Central	2004
Unknown	This Just In!	Spike TV

Deaths

January

• January 1: Yevgeniy Migunov, Russian animated film director, caricaturist, children's book illustrator and animator (Karandash and Klyaska - Merry Hunters, Familiar Pictures), passes away at age 82.[61][62]
• January 8: Eddy Ryssack, Belgian comics artist and animator (worked for Belvision), dies at age 75 from a heart attack.[63]

February

• February 1: James Simpkins, Canadian animator and comics artist (worked for the National Film Board of Canada), dies at age 93.[64]
• February 5: John Hench, American animator, designer and creative director (Walt Disney Company), dies at age 95.[65]
• February 12: Anthony Rizzo, Italian-American film director (Duck and Cover), dies at age 85.

March

• March 12: William Moritz, American animation film historian, dies at age 62.
• March 14: René Laloux, French animator and film director (Les Escargots, La Planète Sauvage, Les Maîtres du temps), dies at age 74 from a heart attack.[66][67][68]
• March 28: Peter Ustinov, British actor (voice of Prince John and King Richard in Robin Hood, Dr. Snuggles in Dr. Snuggles), dies at age 82.[69]

April

• April 1: Sándor Reisenbüchler, Hungarian animated film director, animator and graphic artist, dies at age 69.
• April 25: Jacques Rouxel, Frans animator (Les Shadoks), dies at age 73.

May

• May 3: Volus Jones, American animator (Warner Bros. Animation, Walter Lantz, Format Films, Hanna-Barbera, Famous Studios, UPA, Ralph Bakshi), dies at age 90.[70]
• May 15: Jack Bradbury, American animator and comics artist (Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros. Animation), passes away at age 89.[71]

June

• June 17: Todor Dinov, Bulgarian animator and comics artist, dies at age 84.[72]

July

• July 7: Vlado Kristl, Yugoslavian-Croatian animated film director and animator (Don Kihot), dies at age 81.[73]
• July 16: Andy Engman, Swedish-Finnish-American animator (Walt Disney Company), dies at age 92.[74]
• July 26: Oğuz Aral, Turkish comics artist, animator, animated film director and producer (Koca Yusuf (Yusuf the Wrestler), Direkler Arası (Theater), Bu Şehr-i İstanbul (This City Called Istanbul), Ağustos Böceği ile Karınca (The Cricket and the Ant), dies at age 68.[75]
• July 28:
  • Jackson Beck, American actor (voice of Perry White in The New Adventures of Superman, the fox in Baby Huey cartoons, the father in Little Lulu, Buzzy the Crow in Herman and Katnip, continued voice of Bluto in the Popeye cartoons produced by Famous Studios, Brutus the Cat in Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown, narrator in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero), dies at age 92.[76]
  • Sam Edwards, American actor (voice of young Bambi in Bambi, voice of Rod Rocket in Rod Rocket), dies at age 89.[77]

September

• September 8: Frank Thomas, American animator (Walt Disney Animation Studios), dies at age 92.[78]

November

• November 9: Ed Kemmer, American actor (model for Prince Phillip in Sleeping Beauty), dies at age 83.
• November 11:
  • Dayton Allen, American comedian and voice actor (voice of Deputy Dawg), dies at age 85.[79][80]
  • Zvonimir Lončarić, Croatian animator, sculptor and painter (art director on Surogat), passes away at age 77.[81]
• November 12: Harry Hargreaves, British comics artist, illustrator and animator (Gaumont British, GoGo the Fox), dies at age 82.[82]
• November 30: Carmen D'Avino, American painter, sculptor and animated film director, dies at age 86.[83][84]

December

• December 15: Alma Duncan, Canadian painter, graphic artist and animated film director ( Kumak the Sleepy Hunter, Hearts and Soles), dies at age 86.[85]
• December 22: Ben van Voorn, Dutch comics artist and animator (worked for Marten Toonder's animation department and on the films Asterix Versus Caesar and Asterix and the Big Fight), dies at age 67.[86]
• December 28: Jerry Orbach, American actor (voice of Lumière in Beauty and the Beast), dies at age 69.[87][88]

See also

• 2004 in anime

References

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