Events in 1979 in animation.
Events
January January 5: Yuri Norstein's Tale of Tales premieres.
March March 19: The Peanuts TV special You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown premieres on CBS. This was the final Peanuts special to premiere during the 1970s. March 21: The first episode of The Perishers airs, based on Maurice Dodd's comic strip of the same name.
April April 1–2: Bill Melendez's TV special The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe premieres. April 1: Nickelodeon is launched. April 2: The first episode of Doraemon airs. It will run uninterrupted until 2005 and then still continue after being revived later that year. April 7: The first episode of Mobile Suit Gundam airs. April 9: 51st Academy Awards. Walter Lantz receives a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award. Special Delivery by Eunice Macauley and John Weldon wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. April 13: Payut Ngaokrachang's The Adventure of Sudsakorn is first released, the first and only cel-animated feature film made in Thailand.
May May 10–24: At the 1979 Cannes Film Festival Raoul Servais' Harpya wins a Palme d'Or for Best Short Film. May 30: The Chinese animated feature Prince Nezha's Triumph Against Dragon King is first released, directed by Yan Dingxian, Wang Shuchen and Xu Jingda. Specific date unknown: Studio Pierrot is founded.
July Studio Hibari is founded.
August August 17: The film Monty Python's Life of Brian is first released. It is primarily live-action but has an animated opening sequence by Terry Gilliam. August 30: Tim Burton's pencil-animated Stalk of the Celery Monster premieres.
September September 22: The animated TV series Casper and the Angels debuts on NBC. It combines Casper the Friendly Ghost with animated versions of the cast of Charlie's Angels. Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo debuts on ABC. It marks the debut of the character Scrappy-Doo. Fred and Barney Meet the Shmoo airs on NBC, consisting of three Flintstones series. One of the three, Fred and Barney Meet the Thing, was long stored away after ending its time slot in the early 1980s. September 28: Chuck Jones and Phil Monroe's anthological Looney Tunes film The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie premieres at the New York Film Festival. Specific date unknown: Eugene Fedorenko's Every Child premieres.
October October 1: The first episode of Doctor Snuggles airs. October 10: The first episode of The Rose of Versailles airs.
December December 15: Hayao Miyazaki's debut film The Castle of Cagliostro is first released, the second animated film in the Lupin III franchise. December 19: Don Bluth's Banjo the Woodpile Cat is first released, his first production after leaving Walt Disney Productions. December 21: Frank Zappa releases his concert film Baby Snakes which contains stop-motion animated sequences by Bruce Bickford.
Specific date unknown The first episode of Amigo and Friends premieres. Kaj Pindal's animated short Caninabis premieres. Pavel Bazhov's The Fire-Fairy premieres. Len Lye's Free Radicals premieres. Vladimir Samsonov's Very Blue Beard premieres. Richard Condie's Getting Started premieres. The first episode of Alfie Atkins airs. Charlex is founded. Pixar is founded as the Graphics Group. It will be renamed to its current name in 1986.
Films released
January 5 - General Ttoli (South Korea) January 20 - Colargol, the Conqueror of Space (Poland) February 18 - Ganbare! Bokura no Hit and Run (Japan) March 3 - Nutcracker Fantasy (Japan) March 14 - Little Orbit the Astrodog and the Screechers from Outer Space (France) March 17: Heidi, Girl of the Alps (Japan) Taro the Dragon Boy (Japan) Triton of the Sea (Japan) April 1–2 - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (United Kingdom and United States) April 13 - The Adventure of Sudsakorn (Thailand) April 16 - Historias de amor y masacre (Spain) April 29 - Maegami Tarou (Japan) May 5 - Lupin the Thief: Enigma of the 813 (Japan) May 19 - Prince Nezha's Triumph Against the Dragon King (China) June 30 - The Adventures of Manxmouse (Japan) July 1 - Tomorrow's Eleven (Japan) July 14 - Yamato: The New Voyage (Japan) July 15 - Taegeuksonyeon Huin Doksuri (South Korea) July 21: Adventures of the Polar Cubs (Japan) Starland Trio (South Korea) Star Wars with Sun Wukong (South Korea) July 22 - Eunhahamdae Jiguho (South Korea) July 26 - Fly! Spaceship Geobukseon (South Korea) July 27: Black Star and Golden Bat (South Korea) SpaceBoy Cache (South Korea) July 28 - Dokkaebi Gamtu (South Korea) August 1 - Gancheopjamneun Ttorijanggun (South Korea) August 4 - Galaxy Express 999 (Japan) August 26 - Undersea Super Train: Marine Express (Japan) September - Adventures of Captain Wrongel (Soviet Union) September 8 - Aim for the Ace! (Japan) September 14 - The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie (United States) September 15: Future Boy Conan (Japan) Les Misérables (Japan) Yakyū-kyō no Uta: Kita no Ookami Minami no Tora (Japan) September 28 - Anne no Nikki: Anne Frank Monogatari (Japan) October 7 - Daikyouryuu Jidai (Japan) October 8 - The Revolt of the Thralls (Denmark) October 10 - Daddy-Long-Legs (Japan) October 11 - Galaxy Express 999: Can You Live Like A Warrior!! (Japan) October 20 - Seven Brothers (Finland) October 24 - The Fabulous Adventures of the Legendary Baron Munchausen (France) October 30 - The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone (United States) November 10 - Ganbare!! Tabuchi-kun!! (Japan) November 18 - Gulliver's Travels (Australia) November 23 - The Adventures of Sinbad (Australia) November 25 - Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (United States and Japan) December 13 - Jack Frost (United States and Japan) December 15 - Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (Japan) December 20 - The Little Convict (Australia) December 22 - Uju Heukgisa (South Korea) December 23: Animal Treasure Island (South Korea) Scooby Goes Hollywood (United States) Specific date unknown: Elpidio Valdés (Cuba) Ubu et la Grande Gidouille (France)
Television series
January 1 - Amigo and Friends debuts in syndication. January 4 - Nobara no Julie debuts in syndication. January 7 - Anne of Green Gables debuts on Fuji TV and Animax. February 3: The New Fred and Barney Show debuts on NBC. Zenderman debuts on Fuji TV. February 5 - Akai Tori no Kokoro debuts in syndication. March 21: Daltanius debuts on Tokyo Channel 12. The Perishers debuts on BBC1. April 2: Doraemon debuts on TV Asahi. Josephina the Whale debuts on Tokyo Channel 12. April 4 - The Ultraman debuts on TBS. April 7: Animation Kikou Marco Polo no Boken debuts on NHK. Mobile Suit Gundam debuts on Nagoya TV. Risu no Banner debuts in syndication. April 19 - Paris no Isabelle debuts on TV Tokyo. July 19 - Kinpatsu no Jeanie debuts in syndication. July 27 - Kagaku Boken Tai Tansa 5 debuts on Tokyo Channel 12. September 1 - Rickety Rocket debuts on ABC. September 8: Fred and Barney Meet the Thing debuts on NBC. The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle & Jeckle debuts on CBS. September 9: King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table debuts on Tokyo Channel 12. The New Fat Albert Show debuts on CBS and in syndication. September 17 - Star Blazers debuts in syndication. September 22: Casper and the Angels, The New Adventures of Flash Gordon, The New Shmoo, and The Super Globetrotters debut on NBC. Mighty Man and Yukk, Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, Spider-Woman, The Plastic Man Comedy-Adventure Show, and The World's Greatest Super Friends debut on ABC. October 1 - Doctor Snuggles debuts on ITV/Channel 4. October 6 - Koguma no Misha debuts in syndication. October 7: Gatchaman Fighter debuts on Fuji TV. Gordian Warrior debuts on Tokyo Channel 12. October 10 - The Rose of Versailles debuts on Nippon TV. October 13 - Uchuu Kubo Blue Noah debuts on Yomiuri TV. October 25 - Sasurai no Shojo Nell debuts on Tokyo Channel 12. December 8 - Fred and Barney Meet the Shmoo debuts on NBC. December 31 - Alfons Åberg debuts on STV.
Births
January January 2: Erica Hubbard, American actress (voice of Abbey Wilson in The Replacements, Lead Bully in The Zeta Project episode "Lost and Found"). January 3: Rie Tanaka, Japanese actress (voice of Lacus Clyne in Mobile Suit Gundam Seed and Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny, Hikari Kujou / Shiny Luminous in Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart, dub voice of Cassie in Dragon Tales). January 6: Cristela Alonzo, American comedian, actress, writer and producer (voice of Shirley the Old Lady Bird in The Angry Birds Movie, Cruz Ramirez in the Cars franchise, Camila in The Casagrandes episode "Grandparent Trap"). January 28: Angelique Cabral, American actress (voice of Queen Amaya in Wish, Hazel Gonzalez in DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms).
February February 8: Josh Keaton, American actor (voice of young Hercules in Hercules, Spider-Man in The Spectacular Spider-Man, Green Lantern in Green Lantern: The Animated Series, DC Super Hero Girls, and Justice League Action, Jack Darby in Transformers Prime, Shiro in Voltron: Legendary Defender, Jason Todd in Young Justice, Flash and Steve Trevor in DC Super Hero Girls, Captain America in What If...?, Ant-Man in Avengers Assemble and Guardians of the Galaxy, Green Goblin in Spider-Man, XLR8 and Acid Breath in Ben 10). February 13: Cissy Jones, American actress (voice of Lilith Clawthorne in The Owl House, Elita-1 in Transformers: EarthSpark, Zamira Tchaikoskaya in Tiger & Bunny, Kaguya Otsutsuki in Naruto). Mena Suvari, American actress (voice of Aerith Gainsborough in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Killer Frost in the Justice League Action episode "Freezer Burn"). February 19: Brendan Hay, American television producer and writer (The Simpsons, The Mighty B!, Robot Chicken, DreamWorks Animation Television). February 21: Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, and filmmaker (voice of Bunny in Toy Story 4, Melvin Sneedly in Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, Wild in Wendell & Wild, Duke Ellington's Ghost in Big Mouth, Street Thug in the American Dad! episode "Criss-Cross Applesauce: The Ballad of Billy Jesusworth"). Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress, producer and singer (voice of Madellaine in The Hunchback of Notre Dame II, Thumbelina in The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina, Chrissy in Groove Squad, Princess Kyla in Delgo, Mrs. Laura O'Hanlon in Yes, Virginia, Helen in the Oh Yeah! Cartoons episode "Zoomates", Medusa in the Hercules episode "Hercules and the Gorgon", herself in The Weekenders episode "My Punky Valentine" and the Family Guy episode "Stuck Together, Torn Apart", performed the "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" Theme in Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders). Tituss Burgess, American actor and singer (voice of Cole Tillerman in Central Park, Photog in The Angry Birds Movie, Vanity Smurf in Smurfs: The Lost Village, Glenn in The Addams Family, Sunny in Spellbound, Charoca in Elena of Avalor). February 23: Maryke Hendrikse, Bahamian-Canadian actress (voice of Revy in Black Lagoon, Susan Test in Johnny Test, Gilda in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Sonata Dusk in My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Rainbow Rocks).
March March 5: Riki Lindhome, American actress (voice of Kimberly Harris in Duncanville, Wendy Wower in Big Hero 6: The Series, Poison Ivy in The Lego Batman Movie, Susan Murphy / Ginormica in Monsters vs. Aliens, May in the DuckTales episode "The Last Adventure!"). March 9: Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor (voice of Spider-Man 2099 in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Gomez Addams in The Addams Family and The Addams Family 2, Poe Dameron in Star Wars Resistance Jesus Christ in The King of Kings, Marc Spector/Moon Knight in the What If...? episode "What If... the Hulk fought the Mech Avengers").