1989 in animation
Events in 1989 in animation.
Events
January
January 15: The Simpsons short "The Krusty the Clown Show" first airs where Krusty the Clown makes his debut.February
February 3: L'Oréal closes down Filmation after 27 years.March
March 4: The first episode of Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers is broadcast. March 28: The first episode of Babar is broadcast. March 29: 61st Academy Awards:- * Tin Toy by John Lasseter and William Reeves wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
- * Richard Williams receives a Special Achievement Academy Award for Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The same film also wins the Academy Awards for Sound Editing, Film Editing, and Best Visual Effects.
April
April 3:- * The first episode of Alfred J. Kwak is broadcast.
- * The first episode of Ciné si is broadcast.April 26: The first episode of Dragon Ball Z is broadcast.
May
May 14: The Simpsons shorts ends with the episode "TV Simpsons", seven months before it becomes a full-time animated series.May 23: Garfield's Babes and Bullets premieres on CBS. It is based off one of the stories featured in the book Garfield: His 9 Lives.June
June 4: The first episode of McGee and Me! is released to video. June 23: The Roger Rabbit short Tummy Trouble is released in theaters.July
July 15: Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland is first released.July 29: Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service is first released. The film became generally acclaimed in its Japanese home country. Streamline Pictures released the English-dub the following year, but legal limitations by Tokuma Shoten prevented the film from being released internationally, including its lack of a theatrical release in the United States. Disney later retained the international rights of the film in 1998. The English dub was redone to make it more fitting for the United States. In 2017, GKIDS would later retain the rights of the film. Its English dialogue translates closer to the Japanese version.September
September 4: The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, the first cartoon based on Super Mario Bros. by DIC Entertainment, airs on weekdays. Its sister show, The Legend of Zelda, the only cartoon based on the video game of the same name by said company, airs on Fridays. While the Mario cartoon received mixed reviews, the Zelda cartoon is regarded to be one of the worst animated series based on video games.September 9:- * The first episode of Beetlejuice is broadcast, based on the film of the same name.
- * The first episode of Camp Candy is broadcast.
- * The first episode of Captain N: The Game Master is broadcast.
- * The first episode of The Karate Kid is broadcast. It gained a cult following in later years.September 14: The first episode of Penny Crayon is broadcast. September 16:
- * Season 2 of Garfield and Friends begins on CBS with the premiere of the following episodes:
- ** "Pest of a Guest/The Impractical Joker/Fat and Furry"
- ** "Rip Van Kitty/Grabbity/The Big Catnap"
- * The Captain N: The Game Master episode "How's Bayou" airs. It is one of the known cartoon episodes that were broadcast incomplete. There was a finished version broadcast, which was put in obscurity in the 21st century.September 22: Mike Jittlov's The Wizard of Speed and Time premieres.September 24: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is added to the National Film Registry.
October
October 4: The fourth Astérix film, Asterix and the Big Fight is released.November
November 4: Nick Park's A Grand Day Out premieres, which marks the debut of Wallace and Gromit. November 14: The Little Mermaid, directed by Ron Clements and John Musker and produced by the Walt Disney Company, premieres. November 16: The Hungarian film Willy the Sparrow premieres. November 17: Don Bluth's All Dogs Go to Heaven premieres. It became a sleeper hit since its home video debut in 1990 in spite of the criticism during its original theatrical release. It also became a coveted film in later years and would be Bluth's last successful film until Anastasia in 1997. It was dedicated to child actress Judith Barsi, who was killed in 1988.November 22: Garfield's Thanksgiving premieres on CBS.December
December 16: Garfield and Friends concludes its second season on CBS with the following episodes:- * "Lemon Aid/Hog Noon/Video Airlines"
- * "The Mail Animal/Peanut-Brained Rooster/Mummy Dearest"December 17: The first episode of The Simpsons, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", premieres on Fox, scripted by Mimi Pond. It marks the debuts of Seymour Skinner, Moe Szyslak, Mr. Burns, Barney Gumble, Patty and Selma, Ned Flanders, Todd Flanders, Santa's Little Helper, and Snowball II, with early appearances of Dewey Largo, Sherri and Terri, and Lewis. They would officially debut in later episodes of season 1. December 25: The film The BFG is first released. It is Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall's only animated feature film.
Specific date unknown
- Creative Capers Entertainment is founded.
- The first episode of Los Trotamúsicos is broadcast.
- The first episode of Purno de Purno is broadcast.
- Jan Švankmajer's Meat Love is first released.
Films released
- January 27 - Goku Midnight Eye: Part One
- February 22 - Riding Bean
- March 11:
- * Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan
- * The Five Star Stories
- * Soreike! Anpanman: Kirakira Boshi no Namida
- * The Three Musketeers Anime: Aramis' Adventure
- * Venus Wars
- March 18:
- * Saint Seiya: Warriors of the Final Holy Battle
- * Urotsukidōji: Legend of the Overfiend
- March 21 - Rhea Gall Force
- April 1 - Lupin III: Bye Bye, Lady Liberty
- April 8 - Hengen Taima Yakou Karura Mau! Nara Onryou Emaki
- April 10 - Maria, Mirabela in Tranzistoria
- April 20 - El Escudo del cóndor
- May 6 - Molly and the Skywalkerz: Two Daddies?
- May 27 - Wrath of the Ninja
- June 17 - City Hunter:.357 Magnum
- June 25 - Riki-Oh: The Walls of Hell
- June 26 - The Four Musicians of Bremen
- July 7 - The Corsican Brothers
- July 15:
- * Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone
- * Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland
- * Patlabor: The Movie
- July 28 - Babar: The Movie
- July 29 - Kiki's Delivery Service
- August 16 - Cinderella Express
- August 25 - Legend of Lemnear
- August 27 - The Tezuka Osamu Story: I Am Son-goku
- September 1 - Sonic Soldier Borgman: Last Battle
- September 28 - Megazone 23 Part III
- October 4 - Asterix and the Big Fight
- October 7 - Project A-ko 4: FINAL
- October 8 - Dog Soldier: Shadows of the Past
- October 14 - Time Patrol Bon
- October 21 - Hyper Psychic Geo Garaga
- November 1:
- * Baoh
- * Cybernetics Guardian
- November 4 - The Isewan Typhoon Story
- November 17:
- * All Dogs Go to Heaven
- * The Little Mermaid
- November 18 - Willy the Sparrow
- November 24 - Blue Flames
- December 15 - The Journey to Melonia: Fantasies of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'
- December 16 - Ogami Matsugoro
- December 22:
- * Goku Midnight Eye: Part Two
- * Megazone 23 – Final Part
- December 25 - The BFG
- December 29 - A Tale of Two Toads
- Specific date unknown - ''Reynard the Fox''
Television series debuts
| Date | Title | Channel | Year |
| January 31 | The Further Adventures of SuperTed | Syndication | 1989 |
| March 4 | Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers | The Disney Channel, Syndication | 1989–1990 |
| June 4 | McGee and Me! | Syndication | 1989–1995 |
| September 2 | G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero | Syndication | 1989–1992 |
| September 4 | The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! | Syndication | 1989 |
| September 8 | The Legend of Zelda | Syndication | 1989 |
| September 9 | Captain N: The Game Master | NBC | 1989–1991 |
| September 9 | The Karate Kid | NBC | 1989 |
| September 9 | Beetlejuice | ABC | 1989–1991 |
| September 16 | The California Raisin Show | CBS | 1989 |
| September 16 | Dink, the Little Dinosaur | CBS | 1989–1990 |
| September 16 | Rude Dog and the Dweebs | CBS | 1989 |
| September 16 | Ring Raiders | Syndication | 1989 |
| September 16 | Camp Candy | NBC, Syndication | 1989–1992 |
| December 2 | Paddington Bear | Syndication | 1989–1990 |
| December 17 | The Simpsons | Fox | 1989–present |
Television series endings
| Date | Title | Channel | Year | Notes |
| January 7 | ALF: The Animated Series | NBC | 1987–1989 | Cancelled |
| January 14 | Snorks | NBC, Syndication | 1984–1989 | Cancelled |
| April 25 | The Further Adventures of SuperTed | Syndication | 1989 | Cancelled |
| September 29 | ThunderCats | Syndication | 1985–1989 | Cancelled |
| October 14 | Ring Raiders | Syndication | 1989 | Cancelled |
| November 30 | The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! | Syndication | 1989 | Cancelled |
| December 1 | The Legend of Zelda | Syndication | 1989 | Cancelled |
| December 2 | The Smurfs | NBC | 1981–1989 | Ended |
| December 9 | The California Raisin Show | CBS | 1989 | Cancelled |
| December 16 | The Karate Kid | NBC | 1989 | Cancelled |
| December 16 | Rude Dog and the Dweebs | CBS | 1989 | Cancelled |
Births
January
January 3: Alex D. Linz, American former child actor.January 8: Karan Soni, Indian-American actor and comedian.January 17: Kelly Marie Tran, American actress.February
February 13: Carly McKillip, Canadian actress and musician.February 19: Griffin Newman, American actor and comedian.February 24: Daniel Kaluuya, English actor.February 25: Kana Hanazawa, Japanese actress and singer.March
March 9: Jason Marnocha, American voice actor.March 11: Anton Yelchin, American actor,.March 18: Lily Collins, English-American actress.March 20: Corey Padnos, American actor.March 30: Cole Howard, Canadian actor.April
April 5: Freddie Fox, English actor.April 12: Alice Lee, American actress and singer.April 19: Simu Liu, Canadian actor.April 20:- * Carlos Valdes, Colombian-American actor.
- * Chris Houghton, American animator, character designer, prop designer, writer, producer, voice actor and brother of Shane Houghton.April 22: Jonathan Finn-Gamiño, American character designer and storyboard artist,.
May
May 18: Alan Becker, American online animator.May 29: Brandon Mychal Smith, American actor.May 30: Yui Ishikawa, Japanese actress and voice actress.June
June 3: Megumi Han, Japanese actress.June 9: Logan Browning, American actress.June 14: Lucy Hale, American actress.June 20: Christopher Mintz-Plasse, American actor and comedian.June 27: Kimiko Glenn, American actress.June 28: Markiplier, American YouTuber.July
July 2: Barbara Dunkelman, Canadian actress and internet personality.July 23: Daniel Radcliffe, English actor.July 25: Andrew Caldwell, American actor.July 31: Zelda Williams, American actress.August
August 4: Alec Schwimmer, American television writer.August 11: Alexis Tipton, American voice actress.August 18: Anna Akana, American actress.August 19:- * Domee Shi, Chinese-born Canadian animator, screenwriter and director.
- * Romeo Miller, American rapper, actor, and television personality.August 21: Hayden Panettiere, American actress.
September
September 5: Kat Graham, American actress and singer.September 6:- * Lindsay Jones, American actor, director, gamer and host.
- * Tord Larsson, English voice actor.September 7: Daiki Yamashita, Japanese voice actor.September 14: Kazumi Evans, Canadian actress.September 17: Danielle Brooks, American actress.September 22: Sofía Espinosa, Mexican actress, writer and director.September 27: Rumi Okubo, Japanese actress.September 29: Makoto Furukawa, Japanese voice actor and singer.
October
October 5: Kensho Ono, Japanese voice actor.October 13: Skyler Page, American animator, storyboard artist, writer, director, producer and voice actor.October 24: PewDiePie, Swedish internet personality.October 30: Dustin Ybarra, American actor and comedian.November
November 10:- * Sherry Cola, American comedian and actress.
- * Taron Egerton, Welsh actor.November 19: Caitlynne Medrek, Canadian actress.November 22: Jon Rudnitsky, American actor and comedian.
December
December 6: Della Saba, English actress.December 7: Nicholas Hoult, English actor.December 13: Taylor Swift, American singer, songwriter, and actress.December 21: Quinta Brunson, American writer, producer, comedian, and actress.December 22: Jordin Sparks, American singer and actress.December 26: Blayn Barbosa, American former child actor.Deaths
January
January 3: Errol Le Cain, English children's book illustrator and animator, dies at age 47.February
February 5: Joe Raposo, American composer, songwriter, pianist, singer and lyricist, dies at age 51.February 9: Osamu Tezuka, Japanese manga artist and animator, dies at age 60.February 10: Herbert Ryman, American artist, dies at age 78.February 11: George O'Hanlon, American actor, dies at age 76.March
March 6: Harry Andrews, English actor, dies at age 77.March 9: Fred Mogubgub, American painter and animator, dies from bone cancer at age 61.March 30: Mike Sekowsky, American comics artist, writer and animator, dies at age 65.April
April 5: Karel Zeman, Czech film director, animator and animation producer, dies at age 78.April 9: Carl Wessler, American comics artist, animator and writer, dies at age 75.April 24: Clyde Geronimi, Italian-American animation director, dies at age 87.April 27: William Arthur Smith, American animation writer, comics artist and illustrator, dies at age 71.May
May 2: Bennie Benjamin, Virgin Islands-born American songwriter, dies at age 81.May 20: Gilda Radner, American comedian and actress, dies from ovarian cancer at age 42.June
June 1: Emery Hawkins, American animator, dies at age 77.June 2: Takeo Watanabe, Japanese musician and composer, dies at age 56.July
July 2: Ben Wright, English actor, dies at age 74.July 3: Jim Backus, American voice actor, dies at age 76.July 4:- * Camilla Mickwitz, Finnish animator, children's book writer and illustrator, dies at age 54.
- * Vic Perrin, American actor dies at age 73.July 9: Lillian Friedman Astor, American animator, dies at age 77.July 10: Mel Blanc, American voice actor, dies at age 81.July 29: Rudy Zamora, Mexican-American animator and animation director, dies at age 79.
August
August 4: Paul Murry, American animator, comics artist and writer, dies at age 77.August 12: Vic Kephart, American television producer and production assistant, dies at age 26.August 27: Bill Shirley, American actor and singer, dies at age 68.September
September 3: Franzisca Baruch, German-Israeli graphic designer, and character designer, dies at age 87.September 9: Nat Falk, American illustrator and cartoonist, dies at age 91.October
October 4: Graham Chapman, English actor and comedian, dies from cancer at age 48.October 11: Paul Shenar, American actor and theater director, dies at age 53.October 12: Jay Ward, American animator and producer, dies at age 69.October 21: Jean Image, Hungarian-French animator and film director, dies at age 79.November
November 17: Billy Lee, American actor, dies at age 60. November 22: Gerry Chiniquy, American animator and film director, dies at age 77.November 28: Ion Popescu-Gopo, Romanian graphic artist, animator and film director, dies at age 66.December
December 6:- *Frances Bavier, American actress, dies at age 86.
- *Sammy Fain, American composer, dies at age 87.
- December 13: Sammy Lerner, Romanian songwriter, dies at age 86.
Specific date unknown
- Karel van Milleghem, Belgian journalist and chief editor, dies at age 65 or 66.
- George Wheeler, American animator and comics artist, dies at age 69 or 70.