Book review: From Mouse Deer to Mouse: 70 Years of Malaysian Animation

Famously, Walt Disney once said, ‘I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse’ (Lucas, 2019: 12). Implicit in these words is the idea that Disney’s success began with the character of a mouse, namely Mickey, and that its success continues to be one of the world’s greatest icons in the history of animation. The history of Malaysian animation is indebted in a similar way to the character of the mouse deer, which featured in the first animated short film in Malaysia and has since become a local icon (Harun and Abd Rahim, 2010). Early Malaysian animation was heavily influenced by Malaysian folk tales, with tales of the Mouse Deer being the most notable among them. The first Mouse Deer short, Hikayat Sang Kancil (The Story of the Mouse Deer), made its debut appearance on television screens in 1983. This was followed by Sang Kancil dan Monyet (The Mouse Deer and the Monkey) in 1984 and Sang Kancil dan Buaya (The Mouse Deer and the Crocodiles) in 1987. These stories were incredibly successful not only because of their entertainment value but also because of their role in instilling moral and ethical values in children. Hassan Abdul Muthalib’s From Mouse Deer to Mouse (2016) is a 12-chapter book that details the history of how Malaysian animation has evolved over the last 70 years, starting with a traditional approach, such as drawn on paper, celluloid or on glass, drawn directly on film or on scratchboard, or simply cut out of paper, and gradually moving towards computer-generated animation. This transition from traditional to digital methods is implied in the pun in the title: the ‘Mouse’ refers not to Disney’s Mickey but to a computer mouse, which serves as a symbol of the technological age. Although a clear definition of animation still remains elusive (Linares Martinez, 2015; Wells, 2011), it seems Hassan applied the broadest definition when identifying the first animation made in Malaysia, i.e. to move or change an object on the screen display over a perceptible period of time. Specifically, Chapter 1 summarizes the animation concepts, techniques and technology that have been used in the industry both past and present. Overall, Hassan adopts a first-person narrative approach in writing the book, as he was involved in the local animation industry for 45 out of its 70 years and therefore has first-hand experience of it. Hassan begins the chronological history of Malaysian animation with the establishment of the Malayan Film Unit (MFU), a documentary film studio set up by the British in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, in June 1946. Gillie Potter, the British filmmaker, was the first person appointed to assist in the establishment of the MFU and to train emerging local talents. With Potter’s guidance and supervision, the Art Department was formed, which went on to produce numerous title 1025667 ANM0010.1177/17468477211025667AnimationBook reviews research-article2021