Sorry for the crap title of the thread but I wanted to keep some truth in advertising. If anyone has a better suggestion I will edit that up so it's a bit snazzier.
There was the smallest little bit of interest when I said I knew a fair bit about American Animation and history, so I figured I would help this forum get started and maybe I can keep my knowledge sharp at the same time. (It's been a few years since I was actively involved in that community and some of the more esoteric stuff is starting to fade).
My credentials:
I grew up with parents who collected animation art, so I gained an appreciation for the artistry at a young age. I knew who the 9 old men where by the time I was 9 and got a book written by Frank and Ollie for my 14th birthday. When I got into high school and wanted to get a part time job I hit up one of the gallery owners I knew who was looking for a little bit of help. From their I worked my way up to sales and eventually ran their eBay store for a while. In the 10 years I worked there I met animators, directors, collectors and historians and spent a lot of time talking about animation with all of them. I learned a lot not only about the history of American Animation, but also the process and the buisness.
So while I won't call myself an expert, I will say that I have an unusually large wealth of knowledge on the subject, and what I can't remember specifically off the top of my head I can probably look up fairly easily. Ask about UPA, Terry Toons or Fleischer Studios and I will probably have something to say. I have opinions on introducing xerox copy technology into the art in the late 50s. I can tell you why Hanna Barbera cartoons look so crappy compared to Disney cartoons, how big the clutch cargo puppets were, and what it's like to hold a Gertie the Dinosaur drawing in your hands.
So ask me questions about american animation, animation collecting, or even what it is like to work for a small business that went through a boom time (the mid 90s) and a bust time (the early 2000s). I have to stick to american stuff though. I know almost nothing about European and even less about Asian animation.