User:Rizzleboffin/Japanese films/Chronology of Anime:1960s

[edit] List of 1960s anime IN PROGRESS -- experimental template

Alakazam the Great led to something unexpected. Although directed by Yabushita, it was based upon a popular 1950s comic-book adaptation by Osamu Tezuka of the ancient Chinese Monkey King legend. The young Tezuka was Japan's most popular comic-strip and comic-book artist during the 1950s, who virtually invented Japan's modern manga industry. Since the movie used his plot and visual style, he was consulted on its adaptation and became involved with its promotion. This caused him to switch his attention from comic books to animation. Tezuka was also impressed by the appearance in Japan of the first Hanna-Barbera television cartoons of the late 1950s, which led him to conclude that he could produce limited animation for the new TV market. More importantly, he realized from the popularity of his comic books--especially such futuristic titles as Astro Boy--that there was a strong demand for modern, fast-paced fantasy which the animation establishment, with its narrow focus on fairy tales in antique storybook settings, was completely ignoring.
Tadahito Mochinaga founds MOM Productions to do puppet animation for the American company, Videocraft International (later Rankin-Bass). August

Date released (Jpn)	Title (Eng)	Title (Jpn)	Title (Lit)	Duration	Director	Studio
August 14, 1960	Alakazam the Great*	西遊記 Saiyuki	Journey to the West	88 min.	Daisaku Shirakawa Taiji Yabushita	Toei
?	Plus 500 Years	.	.	short	Shinichi Suzuki	Otogi

'*' = dubbed and released in English