Since Mickey Mouse stepped aboard 'Steamboat Willie', animation has become a global phenomenon, growing from its Saturday Morning Matinee cartoon roots and Walt Disney's timeless full-length films to encompass everything from wildly successful Japanese animation to the claymation of Wallace & Gromit and the computer imaging of Toy Story. For the first time, Clarke brings together the innovators of animation from around the world - from Japan's legendary Hayao Miyasaki to Britain's own maestro Nick Park - in one volume covering everything from the classic to the cutting edge.