Modern animation in the United States

Modern animation in the United States from the late 1980s to the early 2000s is frequently referred to as the renaissance age of American animation.^[1] During this period, many large American entertainment companies reformed and reinvigorated their animation departments, following the dark age, and the United States had an overall profound effect on animation globally.^[2]

Many companies originating in the golden age of American animation experienced newfound critical and commercial success. During the Disney Renaissance, The Walt Disney Company went back to producing critically and commercially successful animated films based on well known stories, just as principal co-founder Walt Disney had done during his lifetime. Disney also began producing successful animated television shows, a then-first for the company, which led to the creation and launch of Disney Channel.^[3][4] Warner Bros. produced highly successful animated cartoon television series inspired by their classic Looney Tunes cartoons, while also launching the DC Animated Universe.^[5][6] Hanna-Barbera ceased production on low budget television series and, through its acquisition by Ted Turner, launched Cartoon Network.^[7] Nickelodeon, a network owned by the first and second incarnations of Viacom Inc. until 2019, ViacomCBS until 2022, and Paramount Global thereafter, rose to fame by creating the Nicktoons brand in 1991 which led to various acclaimed programming under the label in the 1990s and 2000s.

In addition, new animation studios rose to prominence during this period. Most notably, Pixar debuted with the extremely successful Toy Story, the first feature film to entirely use computer-generated imagery (CGI).^[8][9][10] DreamWorks Animation, freshly spun-out from DreamWorks (later named DreamWorks Pictures) debuted late in the era, but would become a major competitor and alternative to Disney in the subsequent decade.^[11] During this era, the technology used to produce animation would experience revolutionary shifts. Beginning in the mid-1990s, traditional animation using hand-drawn cels declined in favor of more advanced up-and-coming methods, like digital ink and paint and computer animation.^[12] These changes in animation technology led to the millennium age of American animation, which started in the early 2000s and has continued into present day.^[13]