Events in 1972 in animation.
Events
January January 13: The first episode of The Adventures of Sir Prancelot airs. January 24: The first episode of Loeki de Leeuw airs, a series of stop-motion shorts which serve as bumpers before and after commercial breaks on Dutch television. The shorts will continue until 31 December 2004.
February February 14: The first episode of Fingerbobs airs. The Lorax is first broadcast, based on Dr. Seuss' eponymous children's book.
April April 8: The first episode of The Most Important Person airs. April 10: 44th Academy Awards: The Crunch Bird by Ted Petok wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. April 12: Ralph Bakshi's debut film, Fritz the Cat, is first released, based on the eponymous comic strip by Robert Crumb. The picture is the first animated film to receive an X-rating and be strictly marketed for adults. It manages to become a surprise box office hit.
August August 9: Bill Melendez' second Peanuts animated feature film Snoopy Come Home is first released., accessed December 23, 2017. It was also the last film released by Cinema Center Films, which was shut down due to financial loss. Woodstock makes his animated debut in this film.
September September 1: The final Woody Woodpecker animated short Bye, Bye, Blackboard is first released, after which Walter Lantz Productions closes down. September 9: The first episode of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids airs. The first episode of Sealab 2020 airs, produced by Hanna-Barbera. The first episode of The Osmonds airs, based on the popular pop group The Osmonds. September 12: Hanna-Barbera first broadcasts Wait Till Your Father Gets Home, an animated sitcom trying to target at a more adult audience. It later aired on Cartoon Network in the 1990s since it is considered more tame in today’s standards. September 14: Manuel García Ferré releases Anteojito y Antifaz, mil intentos y un invento. September 16: The first episode of Kid Power airs, based on the newspaper comic strip Wee Pals by Morrie Turner.
October October 1: The first episode of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (also known as Battle of the Planets) airs, produced by Rankin/Bass. October 31: Ryan Larkin's Street Musique is first released. October 29: The Peanuts tv special You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown premieres on CBS.
November The first Annie Awards ceremony is held.
December December 3: The first episode of Mazinger Z airs. December 13: Belvision releases Tintin and the Lake of Sharks. December 14: Hal Sutherland's Journey Back to Oz premieres. December 21: Giuliano Cenci's The Adventures of Pinocchio premieres. Eric Porter's Marco Polo Junior Versus the Red Dragon is first released, the first Australian animated feature film.
Specific date unknown Edwin Catmull and Fred Parke create the earliest computer-animated film: A Computer Animated Hand. The first episode of The Wonderful Stories of Professor Kitzel airs. Břetislav Pojar's Balablok is first released. Nedeljko Dragić's Tup Tup is first released. Peter Lord and David Sproxton establish Aardman Animations.
Films released
January 1 - Travels of Marco Polo (Australia) February 21 - The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye: The Emperor's New Clothes (United States, Denmark, and Japan) March 18 - The Three Musketeers in Boots (Japan) April 12 - Fritz the Cat (United States) June - The Amlash Enchanted Forest (Israel) June 21 - Superstar Goofy (United States) July 16 - Go Get Them 0011 (Japan) August 9 - Snoopy Come Home (United States) September 9 - The Brady Kids on Mysterious Island (United States) September 14 - Anteojito and Antifaz: A Thousand Attempts and One Invention (Argentina) September 16 - Yogi's Ark Lark (United States) September 23 - Mad Mad Mad Monsters (United States and Japan) September 30 - Nanny and the Professor (United States) October 4 - Last of the Curlews (United States) October 7 - Popeye Meets the Man Who Hated Laughter (United States) October 14 - Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid (United States) October 21–28 - Oliver and the Artful Dodger (United States) November 4 - The Adventures of Robin Hoodnik (United States) November 11 - Lassie and the Spirit of Thunder Mountain (United States) November 18 - Gidget Makes the Wrong Connection (United States) November 23 - Robinson Crusoe (Australia) November 25 - The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park (United States) November 26 - The Prince and the Pauper (Australia) December - Marco Polo Junior Versus the Red Dragon (Australia) December 2 - Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family (United States) December 9 - The Red Baron (United States) December 13 - Tintin and the Lake of Sharks (Belgium and France) December 14 - Journey Back to Oz (United States) December 16 - Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies (United States) December 21 - The Adventures of Pinocchio (Italy) December 23 - The War of Great Monsters (South Korea)
Television series
January - Arago X-001 debuts on ORTF. January 6 - Calimero debuts on RAI and NET (now TV Asahi). January 9 - Shin Muumin debuts on Fuji TV. January 10 - Gekko Kamen debuts on Nippon TV. January 13 - The Adventures of Sir Prancelot debuts on BBC1. February 4 - Mokku of the Oak Tree debuts on Fuji TV. February 14 - Fingerbobs debuts on BBC1. April 1 - Triton of the Sea debuts on TV Asahi. April 3: Mahō Tsukai Chappy debuts on NET (now TV Asahi). The Most Important Person debuts on CBS. April 5 - Akado Suzunosuke debuts on Fuji TV. April 23 - Anime Document Munchen E No Michi debuts on TBS and Nippon TV. July 8 - Devilman debuts on NET (now TV Asahi). August 27 - Mon Chéri CoCo debuts on TBS. September 9: The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie, The Osmonds, and The Brady Kids debut on ABC. Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space, The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan, The Flintstone Comedy Hour, and The New Scooby-Doo Movies debut on CBS. Sealab 2020, The Roman Holidays, The Barkleys, and The Houndcats debut on NBC. Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids debuts on CBS and in syndication. September 10 - Festival of Family Classics debuts in syndication. September 12 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home debuts on NBC. September 16 - Kid Power debuts on ABC. October 1 - Science Ninja Team Gatchaman debuts on Fuji TV. October 4 - Astroganger debuts on NNS (NTV). October 5 - Hazedon and Kaiketsu Tamagon debut on Fuji TV. October 7 - Dokonjo Gaeru debuts on TBS. November 11 - Lassie's Rescue Rangers debuts on ABC. December 3 - Mazinger Z debuts on Fuji TV. December 23 - Frakk, a macskák réme debuts on Magyar Televízió. Specific date unknown - The Wonderful Stories of Professor Kitzel debuts in syndication.
Births January January 1: Howard Margulies, American television writer (Duckman, Sabrina: The Animated Series, Squirrel Boy). January 2: Adam Elliot, Australian stop-motion animation writer, director and producer (Harvie Krumpet, Mary and Max, Memoir of a Snail). Christopher Lennertz, American composer (Alvin and the Chipmunks, Coyote Falls, Hop, Sausage Party, Smurfs: The Lost Village, UglyDolls, Tom & Jerry, The Loud House Movie). January 10: Alessandro Pepe, Italian FX artist (DreamWorks Animation). January 11: Christian Jacobs, American actor and musician (voice of Cavin in season 1 of Adventures of the Gummi Bears, co-creator of and voice of Plex in Yo Gabba Gabba!). Amanda Peet, American actress (voice of Maria Montez in Battle for Terra, Ranger in Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey). January 13: Yukiko Iwai, Japanese voice actress (voice of Ayumi Yoshida in Detective Conan). January 22: Romi Park, Korean-Japanese actress (voice of Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist, Tōshirō Hitsugaya in Bleach, the title character in Nana, Ken Ichijouji in Digimon Adventure 02, Temari in Naruto, Hange Zoë in Attack on Titan, Loran Cehack in Turn A Gundam, Syrup in Yes! PreCure 5 GoGo, Raygo Kiryuin in Kill La Kill, Zoroark in Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions, Lui Shirasagijo in Beyblade Burst). January 28: Bettina Bush, American actress (voice of Megan in My Little Pony, the title character in Rainbow Brite, Lucy Little in The Littles, Kai Green in the Ben 10 franchise, Elena in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Alisa Charmichael in the Rugrats franchise). January 30: Jennifer Hale, Canadian-American actress (voice of Ivy in Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?, Felicia Hardy/Black Cat in Spider-Man, Jessie Bannon in season 2 of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, Princess Morbucks, Ms. Keane, and Sedusa in The Powerpuff Girls, Thorn in Scooby-Doo, Mary Jane Watson in Spider-Man Unlimited, Sam and Mandy in Totally Spies, Numbuh 86 in Codename: Kids Next Door, Giganta in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, Kyoshi in Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, Aayla Secura in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Jean Grey in Wolverine and the X-Men and X-Men '97, Zatanna, Poison Ivy, and Killer Frost in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Captain Marvel in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Rojo in Ben 10: Omniverse, continued voice of Aurora and Cinderella).
February February 5: Kristopher Carter, American composer (Warner Bros. Animation, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Avengers Assemble, Wacky Races). February 8: Paul Wight, American pro wrestler (voiced himself in The Jetsons & WWE: Robo-WrestleMania!, Palindrome in Fast & Furious Spy Racers and Ham Hand in No Time to Spy). February 9: Crispin Freeman, American actor and voice director (voice of Alucard in Hellsing, Itachi Uchiha in Naruto, Holland Novak in Eureka Seven, Togusa in Ghost in the Shell, Zelgadis Greywords in Slayers, Hagi in Blood+, Jeremiah Gottwald in Code Geass, Shizuo Heiwajima in Durarara!!, Ant-Man in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Speedy and Captain Boomerang in Young Justice, Electro in The Spectacular Spider-Man, Martian Manhunter in Justice League Action, Mysterio in Spider-Man, Doug Maheswaran in Steven Universe). February 14: Rob Thomas, American musician (performed "Little Wonders" in Meet the Robinsons). February 22: Chris Sonnenburg, American animator (The Swan Princess, The Critic, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Futurama, Free for All, Kung Fu Panda), storyboard artist (Sit Down, Shut Up, Futurama, Beavis and Butt-Head, Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil, Gravity Falls, The LeBrons, Free Birds, Planes: Fire & Rescue), writer, director and producer (Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure). February 26: Keith Ferguson, American voice actor (voice of Bloo in Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends, Lord Hater in Wander Over Yonder, Papa G in Kid Cosmic, Flintheart Glomgold, Megavolt, and Liquidator in DuckTales, Batman and Robin in DC Super Hero Girls, Thunderbolt Ross in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Wile E. Coyote in Bugs Bunny Builders, Deputy Durland in Gravity Falls, Friend Owl in Bambi II, Karate Kid and Nemesis Kid in the Legion of Super Heroes episode "The Karate Kid"). February 27: Tifanie Christun, American former voice actress (voice of Biyomon, Yolei Inoue and Riley Otori in the Digimon franchise).
March March 6: Shaquille O'Neal, American former professional basketball player (voice of 90's Adventure Bear in season 1 of Pickle and Peanut, Smooth Smurf in The Smurfs 2, himself in the Static Shock episode "Static Shaq", The Simpsons episode "Gone Boy", the Johnny Bravo episode "Back on Shaq", The Cleveland Show episode "A Short Story and a Tall Tale", the Uncle Grandpa episode "The Perfect Kid", and The Lego Movie). March 10: Celeste Mari Williams, American production assistant (The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat, King of the Hill) and sheet timer (King of the Hill, The Simpsons, Dilbert, Family Guy, Futurama, What a Cartoon!, 3-South, American Dad!). March 12: Larry Murphy, American actor and comedian (voice of Teddy in Bob's Burgers, Amazing Rope Guy in WordGirl, the title character in Assy McGee).