Gems from Britain

Uncovering three cartoons by Halas & Batchelor.

Automania 2000 (1963)

Happy Thursday! In this issue of the Animation Obsessive newsletter, we’re exploring a trio of British cartoons released in the 1960s.

All three come from Halas & Batchelor — one of England’s signature animation teams. You may know the name from Animal Farm (1954), just one of the thousands of films, ads and TV episodes the studio produced. More than most, Halas & Batchelor had no set style. Across its decades of existence, it innovated freely.

The company’s masterminds were John Halas, a Hungarian director living in London, and Joy Batchelor — an English artist and writer and producer (among other things). The two were partners in art and life. Their films were collaborative, and they recruited some of the best animation talents in Britain to work at their studio.

These three cartoons — Hamilton the Musical Elephant, Automania 2000 and Flow Diagram — are Halas & Batchelor highlights. They’re funny and inventive, with a distinctly British feel that separates them from the American animation of the day. Enjoy!