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Animation Theatre: Michel Gagné 

1965- Present

Fig. 1 Michel Gagné

Canadian born artist Michel Gagné is hard to categorise with regards to the type of art he

specialises in because he has worked in so many different types. Just some of them include comics,

writer, book illustrator and game designer but he is probably most well-known for his delve into the

world of animation. With credits to his name including An American Tail, All Dogs Go to Heaven and

The Iron Giant, as well as working for Disney, Pixar, Cartoon Network and Warner Brothers Studios

there’s no wonder he’s a highly regarded figure in the animation industry right now.

It isn’t just his type of art that changes on a regular basis; Gagné also mixes up the style of 

his work, trying to create something new for each of his creations. Oh yes he has a fixation of 

anything to do with creation and so it has become his focus to experiment with his own creations. ‘   A

cinematic storyteller, writer, illustrator, game designer and animator, Gagné tries to reinvent 

himself, with every project he puts his heart into.’  (Lemos: 2011) 

Fig. 2 The Iron Giant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fa8K0nxo9k 

‘ The Iron Giant ’ is probably one of Gagné’s most recognised works, it is meant for children

but there is something about Gagné that enables him to throw out the certificate classification of 

the animations he is a part of and appeal to a much wider audience no matter their age. It may just

be the simplicity of his artwork which is not automatically viewed as too childish or too mature but

which instead assists in telling the story on all levels of maturity and knowledge, something

Forbidden Planet has picked up on. ‘  The beauty of Gagné’ s work is that he holds an almost 

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universal appeal. His simple stories and delightful, uncluttered and clean lines on the page draw in

children and adults alike. But his stories can be read on several levels. ’  (Forbidden Planet: 2007) 

It isn’t just the age groups that Gagné equally seems to engage; it is the audiences of a

variety of genres and styles that are also engrossed by his work and Gagné’s ‘ Sensology ’ is a perfect

illustration of this. Exemplifying a muse from Kandinsky’s work ‘ Sensology ’ is something all the more

different from Gagné focusing on depicting the act of a piece of music within his animation as his

character with shape and movement, and so he opens up his work to the world of abstract art, to

music lovers especially jazz and even back to fans of Norman McLaren with the way the piece is put

together, don’t those horizontal lines look familiar… 

Fig. 3 Sensology

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVWKtXDvr04 

Again an all new style was taken up when Gagné entered the animation of videogames, he

kept his characteristic bright colours but also took the monochromatic technique he had picked up

such as in ‘ Sensology ’ combining them to form ‘Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet’ somethingcompletely different to both Gagné’s own work and the rest of the animation industry. However, he

doesn’t leave his influences behind with McLaren’s work being suggested throughout the

silhouetted shapes and forms within the game that are not just shapes but characters that Gagné

has created out of inanimate forms through movement.

Fig. 4 Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet  

Gagné doesn’t seem to be fazed by the change in animation but rather embraces it, he is

after all extremely interested in the idea of creation and so it isn ’t surprising that he is able to createa career of work which is full of different techniques and styles but can still be recognised as his own.

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‘  Michel Gagné allows his imagination to run away with him. Whether creating lavish or bizarre

illustrations, comic book epics, or visual design, he leaves the mark of his unique creativity on his

work.’  (Ogden: 2007) In fact in doing so Gagné has changed animation already, he has

communicated each piece of his work in a way that has inspired aspiring animators and current

animators of our time and so his ways of communicating animation will be referred back to again

and again.

Bibliography

Forbidden Planet International (2007) The Propaganda Review presents the incredible work of 

Michael Gagne… http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2007/the-propaganda-review-presents-the-

incredible-work-of-michael-gagne%e2%80%a6/  (Accessed 11/03/2012)

Lemos, Joyce, (2011) Animation Reporter (India)

http://www.gagneint.com/Final%20site/misc/articles/AnimationReporter.html (Accessed

11/03/2012)

Ogden, Steve, (2007) The Insanely Twisted World of Michel Gagné

http://www.gagneint.com/Final%20site/misc/Interviews/Animwatch/page_1.html (Accessed

11/03/2012)

List of Illustrations 

Fig. 1. Michel Gagné. [Online image]. On gagneint.com

http://www.gagneint.com/Final%20site/About%20Michel/bio/Michel_FFF_2010.jpg  (Accessed

11/03/2012)

Fig. 2. The Iron Giant. [Online image].On gagneint.com

http://www.gagneint.com/Final%20site/Gallery/films/irongiant/Crash/1.jpg  (Accessed 11/03/2012)

Fig. 3. Sensology. [Online image].On gagneint.com

http://www.gagneint.com/Final%20site/Animation/Sensology/Sensology.html  (Accessed

11/03/2012)

Fig. 4. Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet. [Online image].On gagneint.com

http://www.gagneint.com/itsp/itsp_main_gallery_07.html  (Accessed 11/03/2012)