Animation's Global Growth

Over the past three years, production of television animation in the U.S. has expanded steadily. Apparently much the same thing is going on in other parts of the globe.

The Animation Market Analysis Project of Japan's Media Development Research Institute (MDRI) reported on September 9 that the market for domestic and foreign animation in Japan grew 5.8% to 229.0 billion yen (about US$2.55 billion) in 2010. This was the second annual increase in a row ...

These figures cover both Japanese animated works and foreign animated works that were sold or distributed within Japan. ... MRI noted that the data reflects the significant contributions that hit animated films have made to the overall market in recent years. Titles such as the Japanese anime film Arrietty (9.25 billion yen) and the American animated film Toy Story 2 [I think they mean "3"] (10.8 billion yen) lifted the overall box office total higher in 2010. ...

Meanwhile, in Europe, cartoon creation thrives with co-productions across the continent. Variety reported that major animation producers in the United Kingdom, Spain and France are getting fresh competition from Poland and Russia as markets expand. (There's more to it than American product, in other words.)

I think what global cartoon makers have (long-since) discovered is that animation has 1) A long shelf life, 2) Travels well across international borders, and 3) Is not ungodly expensive. Those things make for a magical combination, and help explain the continued growth of the art form.