This excellent book is destined to be a classic in the field of animation studies. I have enjoyed every minute of reading it. By looking at stardom as a concept in relation to animated characters, it strengthens our understanding of the idea of stardom within cinema studies. The book also plays a hugely important role in understanding what actually brought audiences to the cinema in the first place. This is groundbreaking research and should broaden our understanding of cinema history as a whole, not just animated or live-action cinema history.
— Amy M. Davis, University of Hull, author of Handsome Heroes & Vile Villains: Men in Disney’s Feature Animation
McGowan’s argument that animated characters can and should be considered stars is both original and timely. This book will provide a distinctive and much-needed contribution to film studies.
— Malcolm Cook, University of Southampton, author of Early British Animation: From Page and Stage to Cinema Screens
[A] never less than fascinating analysis of the lives of animated actors, separate from their performances…this book excels as a fascinating history of who these celluloid celebrities were.
— Austin Chronicle
[Animated Personalities] is impressive for its lucid historical structure and exceptionally enjoyable content...McGowan breathes life into celluloid figures, giving readers a backstory for some of the most enduring iconic characters of screen history. This is a truly gratifying book.
— CHOICE
[A] meticulous study…McGowan's project stands out as an extensively researched and timely intervention that simultaneously underscores the need to systematically examine the intersections between animation and live-action stardom and provides a useful model for conducting this type of analysis in an engaging, provocative manner.
— Celebrity Studies
McGowan delivers an in-depth, concise and convincing line of reasoning as to why animated characters should be considered star quality, whilst providing exceptional discourse on various aspects of cinematic history...This is a bold and powerful exposé on a subject matter that has had an enormous impact on our society extending way beyond the bounds of entertainment.
— Leonardo
Combining historical, formal, and theoretical modes of analysis, Animated Personalities represents a vital contribution to both star studies and the study of animation in classical Hollywood and beyond. By embracing a key problematic of the study of stardom—the inability to take any element of its construction as authentic—McGowan does not undermine the validity of this approach so much as craft a more honest and complete understanding of it.
— Synoptique
More than simply adding animation to the existing scholarship in star studies, McGowan raises important questions and contributes a significant work to the field in the twenty-first-century era of CGI artificiality in modern filmmaking...McGowan’s work is an important breakthrough in examinations of stardom.
— Journal of Popular Culture
[McGowan offers] alternative approaches to star studies that reveal insights into how the field can and should develop.
— Screen
[A] tralblazing book...McGowan draws detailed and insightful comparisons between the processes involved in custom building star personas for live-action and animated films.
— Studies in American Humor