History of Spanish Animation: a vibrant journey through time

The history of animation in Spain, much like the broader story of cinema itself, began in the early days of filmmaking, evolving in parallel with global trends while carving out its own unique identity. To truly understand the roots of Spanish animation, one name stands out as foundational: Segundo de Chomón.

The pioneering spirit of Segundo de Chomón

Segundo de Chomón, a true visionary and pioneer of the fantasy genre (and of cinema in its nascent stages), left an indelible mark on the world of film while working for the French production company Pathé. His contributions extended beyond mere technical skill; he was an innovator in visual effects and storytelling. In 1908, he unveiled what is arguably his most celebrated film, El hotel eléctrico (The Electric Hotel). This remarkable piece showcased a peculiar form of stop-motion animation, a technique that brought to life the whimsical concept of a “hotel of the future” where automation reigned supreme.

While not animation in the strictest sense of the word, Chomón’s ingenious work with stop-motion and his exploration of fantastical themes foreshadowed the technological advancements and creative possibilities that would later define the field of animation. Beyond his more famous works, historical records also allude to some anonymous pieces of political satire, offering a glimpse into the use of early animation for social commentary. La bronca de 1917 (The 1917 Quarrel) and Cambó y l’autonomia (Cambó and Autonomy), dating back to 1918, are examples of this early foray into animated satire.

Early spanish animations

Early attempts and the shadow of the civil war

The distinction of being the first domestically produced animated film in Spain belongs to El apache de Londres (The Apache of London), a six-minute black-and-white short directed by Alfred Fontanals. Unfortunately, details about this groundbreaking work are scarce, and the film is currently lost to time. The second known attempt at Spanish animation, El toro fenómeno (The Phenomenal Bull) from 1916, shares a similar fate.

However, more information survives about this second endeavor; it was apparently a two-act parody of a bullfight, a subject deeply ingrained in Spanish culture. In this context, it’s fascinating to consider it as a potential predecessor to the internationally acclaimed Ferdinand (1938), the Disney short that won an Oscar. Ferdinand’s pacifist message resonated so strongly that it sparked controversy in Spain and Germany, with both Franco and Hitler banning its distribution. A pivotal moment in the early history of Spanish animation arrived in 1932 with the establishment of the Sociedad Española de Dibujos Animados (Spanish Society of Animated Drawings). This pioneering organization, founded by Antonio Got, Ricardo García, and Joaquín Xaudaró, represented a concerted effort to nurture and develop the nascent animation industry in Spain. Sadly, its promising trajectory was cut short by the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, which led to its dissolution.

**The Franco era: Garbancito de la Mancha and the rise of advertising animation**

The establishment of the Franco dictatorship marked a significant turning point in Spanish history, and this era also left its imprint on the development of animation. In 1945, a landmark film emerged that would secure a place in European animation history: Garbancito de la Mancha (Little Chickpea from La Mancha). This groundbreaking production holds the distinction of being the first color animated feature film released in Europe. Produced by the Balet y Blay studio, it was also the first animated film on the continent to fully embrace the cel animation technique, a major advancement in animation technology at the time. While Garbancito de la Mancha was a technological and creative pioneer, its narrative content reflected the prevailing ideology of the Franco regime. The story, based on a traditional children’s tale, was adapted to promote the values and stereotypes upheld by the dictatorship.

The decades that followed witnessed the growing prominence of animation in the realms of advertising and television. Production companies such as Estudios Moro and Estudios Macián rose to prominence, with Estudios Moro becoming the “parents” of the beloved Familia Telerín (The Telerín Family). Alongside these developments, there were also attempts to explore animation for adult audiences, pushing the boundaries of the medium. Historias de amor y masacre (Stories of Love and Massacre), created in 1959 with a script and drawings by the renowned Gila, Chumy Chúmez, and Jordi Amorós, stands as a notable example of this trend. Earlier, in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, the Chamartín animation studios (Estudios Animados Chamartín) were established, contributing three short films (cortometrajes) to the Spanish animation landscape: Don Cleque, Garabatos (Scribbles), and Civilón.

Chamartín animation studios productions

The 1970s and 1980s: a new wave – from Hanna-Barbera to David el Gnomo

The 1970s and 1980s represented a watershed moment in the history of Spanish animation, marked by significant growth and diversification. The rise of television during these decades transformed it into a central source of entertainment and information for millions of households worldwide, and Spain was no exception. This surge in television consumption fueled the emergence of new production companies, some of which distinguished themselves through the exceptional quality of their animation and the remarkable talent of their creators. Filman, an animation studio based in Madrid, Spain, headed by Carlos Alfonso and Juan Pina, is a prime example. Filman even collaborated with the iconic American studio Hanna-Barbera on renowned series such as Los Picapiedra (The Flintstones), bringing Spanish talent to an international stage.

However, the production of original series, conceived for the Spanish audience but with a clear international vision, was arguably even more significant. This era gave birth to beloved series such as Los Trotamúsicos (The Musicians of Bremen) and Don Quijote de la Mancha (Don Quixote of La Mancha), both produced by Estudios Cruz Delgado, and Dartacán (Dogtanian), La vuelta al mundo de Willy Fog (Around the World with Willy Fog), and David el Gnomo (David the Gnome), all creations of BRB Internacional.

A challenge faced by production companies during this time was the scarcity of specialized animators and creative professionals within Spain. In response to this need, Emilio Luján, Emilio de la Rosa, and Ángeles Canalejo took the initiative to establish the Escuela Taller Fantasma (Phantom Workshop School) in Madrid in 1983. This school served as the foundation for what would later become ESDIP (Escuela Superior de Dibujo Profesional) (Higher School of Professional Drawing), a crucial institution in the development of Spanish animation talent.

The early 1980s also witnessed the first serious attempts to cultivate a genuine animation film industry in Spain. Notably, 1981 saw the nearing completion of the most ambitious project undertaken in the country up to that point: the iconic animated series Don Quijote de la Mancha (Don Quixote of La Mancha), brought to life by the creative vision of Cruz Delgado and José Romagosa. Coinciding with this, the influential American studio Hanna-Barbera made the decision to outsource a portion of its productions to Madrid. This was a significant opportunity for the city, largely facilitated by the presence of animator Carlos Alfonso, who had previously collaborated with the American studio. Consequently, the 1980s can be considered the period when the history of Spanish animation truly began to solidify and gain momentum.

The rise of 3D animation and international recognition

The late 20th and early 21st centuries saw further transformations in the Spanish animation landscape. During those years, major studios like Disney and Hanna-Barbera increasingly opted to outsource their production work, seeking skilled professionals in other countries, often to reduce costs. Spain faced the challenge of a workforce shortage, specifically a lack of animation professionals with the specialized training demanded by these major studios. This skills gap underscored the urgent need for specialized training centers within Spain. The ESDIP (Escuela Superior de Dibujo Profesional) (Higher School of Professional Drawing) played a pivotal role in addressing this need, with its origins tracing back to the Escuela Taller Fantasma (Phantom Workshop School) established in 1983 by Emilio Luján, Emilio de la Rosa, and Ángeles Canalejo in Madrid’s Chueca neighborhood. Over the subsequent decades, the history of animation in Spain became closely intertwined with the growth and influence of ESDIP, the country’s first animation school.

The production of animated television series and feature films in Spain experienced a steady increase during this decade. Alongside the growth of domestic productions, Spain also attracted a growing number of international studios seeking out local talent. This period also saw the emergence of intermediary studios that acted as liaisons between foreign clients and Spanish providers, facilitating the contracting of projects from abroad and distributing them among local studios. While animation schools began to proliferate across Europe, it took another six years for the second animation school to be founded in Spain, highlighting ESDIP’s pioneering role.

The Living Forest

The feature film El bosque animado (The Living Forest), produced by the Galician studio Dygra Films, achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first 3D animated movie made in Europe to secure an international release in 2001. However, Spain had ventured into 3D animation earlier with Los Megasónicos (The Megasonics), produced by Baleuko studio, which premiered in 1997, albeit with a more modest release. This came just two years after the groundbreaking Toy Story (1995), the first fully 3D animated feature film in history. 3D animation firmly established itself in Spain as the dominant technique for family-oriented productions, particularly from 2008 onwards. Films such as El lince perdido (The Missing Lynx), Planet 51, and Las aventuras de Tadeo Jones (Tad, the Lost Explorer) achieved significant box office success and drew large audiences, rivaling the popularity of foreign animated productions and further popularizing Spanish animation. Since then, 3D animation has coexisted with 2D and other animation techniques, fostering one of the most prolific periods in the history of Spanish animation, characterized by both diversity and a high volume of productions.

The global blockbuster Gru, mi villano favorito (Despicable Me) has a fascinating connection to Spain, as it was originally conceived and developed at the Spanish studio The SPA Studios by the talented director and animator Sergio Pablos. However, the project was ultimately produced by American filmmaker Chris Meledandri through Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures, and the animation was created at the French studio Mac Guff. Demonstrating the growing confidence in Spanish animation studios, Paramount Animation commissioned the Spanish studio Ilion to produce the film Wonder Park, released in 2019. With an estimated budget of $100 million, it stands as the most expensive animated film ever produced in Spain to date.

Contemporary spanish animation: creativity and innovation

Spanish animation continues to thrive in the 21st century, with filmmakers pushing the boundaries of the medium and garnering international acclaim.

Mortadelo y Filemón contra Jimmy el Cachondo (Mortadelo and Filemon: Mission Implausible) (2014): Directed by Javier Fesser, this 3D animated film is based on the beloved comic book characters created by Francisco Ibáñez. Following the success of La gran aventura de Mortadelo y Filemón (Mortadelo and Filemon: The Big Adventure) in 2003 and Fesser’s Goya Award for Best Director in 2008 for Camino, this project represented an ambitious undertaking to bring these iconic characters to life in a new dimension.
Klaus (2019): Klaus is the brainchild of Spanish animator Sergio Pablos, a veteran of the Walt Disney Animation renaissance era. Pablos contributed as a character designer to several acclaimed films, including A Goofy Movie (Goofy e hijo), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (El jorobado de Notre Dame), Hercules (Hércules), and Tarzan. He also produced the Spanish-Argentine film Metegol (Underdogs) and conceived the original story that inspired the hugely successful Despicable Me (Mi villano favorito) franchise. In the 2000s, Pablos established his own animation studio, The SPA Studios, with his wife Marisa Román. Klaus premiered in theaters on November 8, 2019, and subsequently became available worldwide on Netflix on November 15 of the same year. The film garnered significant critical acclaim, winning seven Annie Awards