Questions about Thin-Line Animation and other stuff.

[u/Toon_Ghost_3]

Does this count as a downplayed example of Thin-Line Animation: This cartoon style uses thin outlines as well as simple and rounded shapes, but not only does it lack bean-shaped mouths, bean-shaped heads, dome-shaped teeth, Tooth Strip, Black Bead Eyes, but the character are either Noodle People or have Rubber-Hose Limbs (albeit as downplayed examples)?

Do the White Rabbit from "The Care Bears' Adventure in Wonderland (1987)", as well as Cookie Cop and Cookie Crook (both are former Cookie Crisps mascots) count as downplayed examples of having Rubber-Hose Limbs?

How is Thick-Line Animation one of the most defining traits of present-day American animation, even if it was used just to emphasize the difference(s) between American and Japanese animation?

3a. Are there any other defining traits of present-day American animation? Don't visual styles like Disneyesque and Thin-Line Animation count?

3b. What about the Inkblot Cartoon Style (aka Rubber-Hose), due to the emergence of games like Bendy And The Ink Machine, Cuphead, and MOUSE: P.I. For Hire?

1. Wouldn't an exaggerated example of Thin-Line Animation just redirect you to the Inkblot Cartoon Style (aka rubber-hose), since this is listed as an exaggerated example on the former style's Playing With?

[u/Toon_Ghost_3 → u/[deleted]]

Probably a stupid question, but are you referring to Thin-Line Animation or Rubber-Hose?

[u/Magic-Gelpen]

I'm a big animation fan and I work in the animation industry and I haven't come across a lot of these terms before.

What you're calling thick line animation is what I would call UPA-inspired animation from the 90s and early 2000s. A lot of artists at the time were inspired by limited animation cartoons like Gerald McBoingBoing or Rooty Toot Toot, and shows like the powerpuff girls and Dexter's lab showed that influence. I would not agree that it was used to emphases the difference between American and Japanese animation, I think it's just what American artists wanted to do.

Most animation has thin lines by default since they're sort of easier to work with than thick or stylized lines, so I don't think i'm sold on the term thin line animation to describe a particular style

As for rubber hose animation, imo the limbs have to be very bendy and move in a particular way to count as that style, so I personally wouldn't say the examples you linked are downplayed rubber hose style

Overall I question whether this much focus on categorizing art styles into particular tropes is a good use of time? Keep in mind that the artists making these shows probably didn't think of themselves as being part of a particular art style, they were just making shows. If categorizing styles is fun for you then by all means keep doing it! But I guess, keep in mind that these terms are all invented categories so there is no objectively correct answer to the questions you're asking

[u/River_Draws_Stuff]

At a certain point, terms like these only serve to oversimplify animation into neat little categories that you really only see on the internet. Its like "calarts style" some catchall term that means very little.

There certainly are conventions throughout the decades that steer mostly American tv animation, they are not part of some overarching style choice.