Movies

Charlotte's Web (1973) DVD cover

Funny Animal is a cartooning term for the genre of comics and animated cartoons in which the main characters are humanoid or talking animals.

While most funny animal stories are light-hearted and humorous, the genre is not exclusively comedic. Dark or serious stories featuring anthropomorphic animals can also be grouped under the "funny animals" category. These stories may intersect with any other genre or group of genre, including historical stories, science fiction, superheroes, westerns, slapstick comedy, children's entertainment, and satire.

Today, funny animals are sometimes called furries in certain social groups and subcultures, particularly the furry fandom and other largely Internet-based subcultures. The use of this new terminology began in the 1980s and was becoming common by 1990, when the newsgroup alt.fan.furry was created for "fans of funny animals, ala Steve Gallacci's book." There is some controversy over which term is most appropriate, and though furry is more common in Internet usage (along with cartoon animal), funny animal is the term most frequently used by professional cartoonists and scholars who write about comics and animation.

External links

• Profiles 46 - Funny Animal Comics - gives a more detailed analysis of funny animal comics and debates whether they should be described as a "genre" at all
• The Timely-Atlas Cover Gallery - a gallery of funny animal comic book covers by Marvel Comics
• Reading Room Index Guide Screen: Funny Animal - more comprehensive list of funny animal comics, hosted by Michigan State University's library