Raoul Barré facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Raoul Barré |
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Raoul Barré
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| Born | January 29, 1874 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | May 21, 1932 (aged 58) Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian American |
Vital Achille Raoul Barré (born January 29, 1874 – died May 21, 1932) was a talented Canadian and American artist. He was a cartoonist, an animator during the early days of silent film, and a painter. Barré first became known for drawing political cartoons. He also created the very first French Canadian comic strip. Later, he moved into making animated films and even started his own animation studio, which was a big step forward in the industry. As a painter, he used a style called Impressionism, which focuses on showing light and atmosphere with visible brushstrokes. His paintings can be seen in the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec.
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Raoul Barré: Animation Pioneer
Raoul Barré was born in Montreal, Quebec. He was the only one of twelve children who became an artist. His family ran a business selling wine. In 1896, he began studying art at the Académie Julian in France for two years. During this time, he also became known for his political cartoonist work. He often spoke out against unfair situations, like the trials of Captain Alfred Dreyfus.
Early Life and Artistic Beginnings
When Barré returned to Canada in 1898, he created the first French Canadian comic strip. Years later, in 1913, he managed to get a newspaper comic strip published in the United States. This strip was called Noahzark Hotel. It was a Sunday comic that was shared by the McClure Syndicate for almost a year. Barré signed his work with his initials, VARB, instead of his full name.
From Cartoons to Animation
In 1903, Barré moved to New York City in the United States. In 1912, he watched an animated film that really inspired him. This film might have been Winsor McCay's "How a Mosquito Operates." Barré decided he wanted to make animated films too. He chose Edison Studios to produce his cartoons. While visiting the studio, he met Bill Nolan, who made live-action short films. Nolan became Barré's business and art partner. For a year, they worked together creating animated and live-action commercials for different companies. This might have been the very first time animation was used for advertising.
Inventing Animation Tools
During this time, Barré and Nolan developed a new way to animate that was very different from what others were doing. Animators often struggled to keep their drawings perfectly lined up. Barré and Nolan found a solution: they punched two holes at the bottom of all their drawing sheets. Then, they would place these holes over two pegs glued to their animation table. This "peg system" helped keep the drawings in place. It is still used by animators today!
However, they also used another system called the "slash system" which was not as successful. With this method, animators would tear away parts of the paper to show changes underneath. For example, if a character moved an arm, the animator would draw the character and background. Then, they would carefully tear out the arm part to show the next sheet below. A new arm would be drawn on the new paper. The slash system was used by some studios until the 1920s, but it was later replaced by Earl Hurd's cell system, which worked much better.
Building an Animation Studio
By 1914, Barré and Nolan felt confident enough to start their own animation studio. It was completely independent from Edison Studios and focused only on animation. This Barré-Nolan Studio was likely one of the first animation studios ever. Their main project was creating animated parts for a mostly live-action series called Animated Grouch Chaser, which was distributed by Edison.
New Adventures and Challenges
In 1916, a very rich newspaper owner named William Randolph Hearst started his own animation studio called International Film Service. Hearst hired many of Barré's animators, including Bill Nolan. He offered them more money than Barré could pay. Because of this, Barré ended up working as a contractor for Hearst's studio, animating a series called Phables. After making seven cartoons, he decided to quit.
Another person who stood up to Hearst was Bud Fisher. Fisher won a court case that said he owned the rights to his Mutt and Jeff comic strip. Hearst's newspapers had printed this strip for nine years. Fisher wanted to turn his comic strip into a cartoon and asked independent animator Charles Bowers for help. Bowers didn't have the right equipment to do it. Barré had the equipment but not enough animators. So, they formed a partnership called Barré-Bowers Studios in The Bronx. Barré tried to make his films better by using some of the money to pay for art classes for his animators. This was similar to what Walt Disney would do for his own employees years later in the 1930s.
Mutt and Jeff cartoons made a lot of money for Barré, Bowers, and Fisher. However, Barré eventually grew tired of the work. He had disagreements with both of his partners. In 1919, Barré retired from animation. He moved to his home in Glen Cove, Long Island. He began selling his oil paintings and also did some commercial poster work. Meanwhile, his former partners had their own disagreements, and by 1926, the Mutt and Jeff animated series ended.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1925, Barré missed working in animation. He got a chance to return as a "guest animator" for Pat Sullivan Productions, working on Felix the Cat cartoons. Many people believe the cartoons Barré made for Sullivan were his best work, and some of the best Felix cartoons ever created. For example, he completely drew the chicken character in cartoons like "Felix Dines and Pines" and "The Oily Bird." Raoul Barré retired from animation for the second time in 1927, ending his career on a high note. For the last few years of his life, Barré focused on drawing oil paintings and political cartoons. He also started his own art school.
He passed away in Montreal on May 21, 1932, from cancer. He was buried in the city's Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery.
