2011 in animation


2011 in animation is an overview of notable events, including notable awards, list of films released, television show debuts and endings, and notable deaths.

Events

January

January 1: The first episode of Dan Vs. aired.January 3: The first episode of Wild Kratts aired on PBS Kids Go!, later on PBS Kids.January 9: The first episode of Bob's Burgers aired.January 14: The first episode of Ninjago aired on Cartoon Network.January 24: The first episode of Bubble Guppies aired on Nickelodeon.

February

February 11:

March

March 4:

April

April 4: Cartoon Network's infamous program The Problem Solverz premieres, which received extremely negative reviews for its intense visual designs as the program was removed from the channel's schedule shortly after one season.April 1: Illumination's live-action/animated film, Hop is released.April 27: Season 15 of South Park begins on Comedy Central with the premiere of the episode "HumancentiPad". It was seen by just over 3.1 million viewers that night.

May

May 1: The first episode of Raa Raa the Noisy Lion aired.May 3:

June

June 1:

July

July 15: Winnie the Pooh is released, receiving favorable reviews. Due to John Lasseter’s involvement and devotion with the CG animation for subsequent films, this would be the last traditionally animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios until Lasseter left Disney in 2018 and the studio announced in 2019 that there would be possibilities for more hand-drawn films in the future.July 17: Goro Miyazaki's From Up on Poppy Hill premiers.

August

August 19: Alan Becker releases "Animator vs Animation III" on NewgroundsAugust 31: After 11 years, Between the Lions is removed from PBS Kids.

September

September 3: Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur premieres on Cartoon Network. The film gave us the "Ultra Instinct Shaggy" meme 6 years later.September 8: Futurama concludes its sixth season on Comedy Central with the episode "Reincarnation". The finale was seen by over 1.4 million viewers that night.September 12: The first episode of Detentionaire airs.September 16: The film Top Cat: The Movie premieres.September 21: The first episode of Plim Plim airs.September 25:

October

October 2:

November

November 11: The film Arthur Christmas is released by Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation.November 16: South Park concludes its 15th season on Comedy Central with the episode "The Poor Kid". It was seen by just over 3.1 million viewers that night.November 18: The film Happy Feet Two is first released.November 23: Jean-François Laguionie's The Painting premiers.

December

December 17: The first episode of Transformers: Rescue Bots airs.December 28: Bambi and A Computer Animated Hand are added to the National Film Registry.

Specific date unknown

Awards

Films released

Television series debuts

DateTitleChannelYear
January 1Off the AirAdult Swim2011–present
January 1Dan Vs.The Hub2011–2013
January 3Wild KrattsPBS Kids2011–present
January 7Almost Naked AnimalsYTV2011–2013
January 9Bob's BurgersFox2011–present
January 14NinjagoCartoon Network, Netflix2011–2022
January 23Mongo Wrestling AllianceAdult Swim2011
January 24Bubble GuppiesNick Jr.2011–2016, 2019–present
February 5The DaVinciblesSeven Network2011
February 12Pokémon: Black & WhiteCartoon Network2011–2012
February 14Jake and the Neverland PiratesDisney Junior2011–2016
February 14Mickey's MousekersizeDisney Junior2011
February 28Robocar PoliEBS2011–2020
March 13BoBoiBoyTV32011–2016
March 26God, the Devil and BobNBC, Adult Swim2000; 2011
April 1Scaredy SquirrelYTV2011–2013
April 4The Problem SolverzCartoon Network2011–2013
May 3The Looney Tunes ShowCartoon Network2011–2014
May 3The Amazing World of GumballCartoon Network2011–2019
May 24Soul Quest OverdriveAdult Swim2011
June 16Voltron ForceNicktoons2011–2012
June 24Toy Story ToonsDisney Channel2011–2012
June 27Winx Club Nickelodeon, Rai2011–2019
July 5YuruYuriTV Tokyo2011–2012, 2015
July 9Redakai: Conquer the KairuYTV2011–2013
July 29ThunderCats Cartoon Network2011–2012
August 1Secret Mountain Fort AwesomeCartoon Network2011–2012
September 3Rated A for AwesomeYTV2011–2012
September 19Kung Fu Panda: Legends of AwesomenessNickelodeon2011–2016
September 22Justin TimeFamily Channel2011–2016
October 2China, ILAdult Swim2011–2015
October 23Secret Millionaires ClubThe Hub2011–2014
October 27Beavis and Butt-Head MTV1993–1997, 2011
October 27Good VibesMTV2011
October 30Allen GregoryFox2011
November 11DC Nation ShortsCartoon Network2011–2014
November 11Green Lantern: The Animated SeriesCartoon Network2011–2013
November 14Minnie's Bow-ToonsDisney Junior2011–2016
November 15Black PantherBET2011
December 17Transformers: Rescue BotsThe Hub2011–2016

Births

February

February 10: Ravi Cabot-Conyers, American actor.

May

May 17: Rylee Alazraqui, American actress and daughter of Carlos Alazraqui.

September

September 15: Lexi Sexton, American child actress.

Deaths

January

January 6: Aron Kincaid, American actor, dies at age 70.January 11: Tony Geiss, American author, songwriter, producer and screenwriter, dies from complications after a fall at age 86.January 13: Jack LaLanne, American fitness & nutrition guru and motivational speaker, dies from pneumonia at age 96.January 26: Clément Sauvé, Canadian comic book artist and character designer, dies from cancer at age 33.January 27:

February

February 10: Bill Justice, American animator, dies at age 97.February 12: Kenneth Mars, American actor, dies at age 75.February 21: Dwayne McDuffie, American comic book writer, television producer and writer, dies from complications from emergency heart surgery at age 49.February 22: Jean Dinning, American singer, dies at age 86.

March

March 20: Johnny Pearson, English composer, dies at age 85.March 23: Elizabeth Taylor, English-American actress, dies from heart failure at age 79.

April

April 4: Wayne Robson, Canadian actor, dies at age 64.April 17: Osamu Dezaki, Japanese film director, producer and screenwriter, dies at age 67.April 27: Oscar Kawagley, Yup'ik anthropologist, teacher and actor, dies from cancer at age 76.

May

May 10: Norma Zimmer, American actress, dies at age 87.May 16: Bill Skiles, American comedian, dies at age 79.May 20: Randy Savage, American professional wrestler and actor, dies at age 58.May 21: Bill Hunter, Australian actor, dies from liver cancer at age 71.May 25: Lillian Adams, American actress, dies at age 89.

June

June 18: Clarence Clemons, American musician and actor, dies from a stroke at age 69.June 23:
  • * Peter Falk, American actor, dies from pneumonia at age 83.
  • * Fred Steiner, American conductor, orchestrator, film historian, arranger and composer, dies from a stroke at age 88.June 25: Alice Playten, American actress, dies at age 63.

July

July 5: Gordon Tootoosis, Saskatchewan actor, dies from pneumonia at age 69.July 12: Sherwood Schwartz, American television writer and producer, dies at age 94.July 15: Michael Magee, Canadian actor, singer and author, dies at age 81.July 23: Toyoo Ashida, Japanese film director and character designer and producer, dies at age 67.July 29: Dominique Benicheti, French film director and producer, dies at age 68.July 31: Carl Steven, American former child actor, dies from a drug overdose at age 36.

August

August 22: Joan Gerber, American actress, dies at age 76.

September

September 4: Dave Hoover, American comics artist and animator, dies at age 56.September 14: Kevyn Wallace, American animator, background artist and layout artist, dies in a car accident at age 48.September 18: Tom Daly, Canadian film producer, dies at age 93.September 19: Earl Kress, American animation historian, storyboard artist and screenwriter, dies from liver cancer at age 60.

October

October 5:

November

November 4: Sarah Watt, Australian film director and animator, dies from cancer at age 53.November 7: Joe Frazier, American professional boxer, dies from liver cancer at age 67.November 18: Mark Hall, English animator and film producer, dies from cancer at age 75.November 30: Zdeněk Miler, Czech animator, film director, and illustrator, dies at age 90.

December

December 1:
  • * Shingo Araki, Japanese film and television director and producer, dies at age 72.
  • * Bill McKinney, American actor, dies at age 80.December 2: Bruno Bianchi, French animator and comics artist, dies from cancer at age 56.December 5: Dan Mills, American animator and storyboard artist, dies at age 80.December 7:
  • * Harry Morgan, American actor and director, dies from pneumonia at age 96.
  • * Ricky Garduno, American animator and storyboard artist, commits suicide at age 35.December 15: Merlee Shapiro, Canadian actress, dies at an unknown age.December 30: Ronald Searle, English illustrator, cartoonist and comics artist, dies at age 91.