Bloomsbury Academic Coraline: A Closer Look at Studio LAIKA s Stop-Motion Witchcraft (Animation: Key Films/Filmmakers)

This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com Coraline (Henry Selick, 2009) is stop-motion studio LAIKAs feature-length debut based on the popular childrens novel by British author Neil Gaiman. Heralding a revival in global interest in stop-motion animation, the film is both an international cultural phenomenon and a breakthrough moment in the technological evolution of the craft. This collection celebrates Coralines tenth-year anniversary by bringing together an international group of practitioners and scholars to examine the narrative, aesthetics, cinematic techniques, technological advancements, cultural impact, and industrial legacy that have made this film an animation milestone. Topics explored in this collection cover a range of perspectives; industry-oriented chapters highlight Coralines pivotal role in revolutionizing the stop-motion process, while essays on the films legacy explore its animation aesthetics, narrative techniques, and global reception. Additionally, several chapters look closely at Coralines engagement with queer and feminist themes and issues. The volume also discusses Coraline from wider industrial and cultural perspectives, placing the film in the context of LAIKAs entire stop-motion oeuvre, Neil Gaimans body of work and its adaptations, and childrens media more broadly understood. As the first book-length academic study of this contemporary animation classic, this volume serves as an authoritative introduction and a primary reference on the film for scholars, students, practitioners, and animation fans.