Four years of crusading on behalf of computer artists everywhere came to an ugly end as I stood defending my thesis. At a university that saved its respect for "fine artists," a room full of doubtful onlookers reviewed my college-life's work. Then it came, a simple question: "So, is 3-D animation like what you do in PowerPoint"? Once I stopped choking on my heart -- which had ceremoniously leaped into my throat -- muttered a simple, "no."

My thesis had begun as a creative project that would result in a 10-minute animated short. To say this was naive given my knowledge at the time was an understatement. I spent the two years allotted to my thesis on script development and a bevy of other pre-production chores, including the mastery of high-end animation software. I presented my thesis project as an exposition on the importance of these early steps in production.

In the end, the "PowerPoint" question that seemed so ridiculous and insulting served a purpose -- it made me consider the illusory nature of animation. I realized then the misconceptions that surround 3-D artistry, and animation in general, make it, in my opinion, the most underrated artistic medium. This problem needs to be addressed. So, if you are a person that believes animation comes from a slide show presentation program or even worse, that cartoons are for kids, listen up!

The simplest way to encourage appreciation for animation as an art form is to expose people to its diversity. To start, I suggest research, and below is a list of 12 animated projects that are excellent reference materials. Watch them. Your animation education is important, and I promise it will be the most fun you have ever had doing homework.

	"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" © 1937, Walt Disney Pictures All Rights Reserved

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Producer: Walt Disney
The first full-length animated feature film. This classic story based on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale houses a history of animation innovation instigated by the great Walt Disney. Old hat you say? Nine successful theatrical releases would disagree. Even as the happy couple quite literally rides into the sunset and you want to puke from the sickening sweet story, you can't help but appreciate the impact this film must have had in 1937. Rent the DVD; it has loads of extras.

Fantasia (1940)
Directors: James Algar; Samuel Armstrong; Ford Beebe; Norman Ferguson; Jim Handley; T. Hee; Wilfred Jackson; Hamilton Luske; Bill Roberts; Paul Satterfield; Ben Sharpsteen
Producers: Walt Disney, Ben Sharpsteen
Disney's continued efforts to marry images and music come full circle here in his symphonic masterpiece. Each segment shows the outstanding ability of Disney's animators to match distinctive visual constructions to classical music.

The Phantom Tollbooth (1970)
Producers: Dave Monahan III, Abe Levitow, Chuck Jones
Written, directed and produced by the legendary Chuck Jones, this animated film is based on Norton Juster's ageless book of the same name. This simply drawn cartoon brings to life some of the most profound characters ever written. Watch it, then read the book. It's even better.

Heavy Metal (1981)
Director: Gerald Potterton Producers: Ivan Reitman
Trashy, yes, but that is the beauty that is this movie. Never have you seen such a clashing collaboration of animation mixed with sex, violence and rock music. It's a combination only the '70s could produce. Love it for the shame of it.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
Director: Robert Zemeckis Producers: Frank Marshall; Robert Watts
Books could be written on how good this movie is. The depth in story is surpassed only by the seamless integration of live action film and animated characters. If this isn't enough motivation, there's always the suggestive dialogue. "I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way." -- Jessica Rabbit to Eddie Valiant.

Akira (1988)
Director: Katsuhiro Otomo
Producer: Shunzo Kato; Ryohei Suzuki
Put the kids to bed. The violence in the first 15 minutes alone warrants an R rating. However, Otomo's masterpiece is the best of the anime genre and a must-view for any aspiring animation connoisseur.

	"Beauty and the Beast" © 1991, Walt Disney Pictures All Rights Reserved

Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Directors: Gary Trousdale; Kirk Wise
Producer: Don Hahn
Sadly, not a favorite in terms of story but in terms of execution, well-written characters and overall spectacle. In my opinion it's Disney's best effort.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Director: Henry Selick
Producer: Tim Burton, Denise Di Novi
The brainchild of the renowned Tim Burton uses stop-motion animation to bring the world of Jack Skellington to life. This film is unprecedented in the successful execution of this painstaking process, which involves moving props and characters and shooting still image photos, 24 times per second of film.

Killer Bean 2: The Party (2000)
Director: Jeff Lew
This animated short has it all: character, story, cars, guns and martial arts -- all produced on $300 animation software. The star, a gun-toting coffee bean, has been awakened by a loud party and decides to give his gold plated pistols a workout. Jeff Lew's magnum opus may be considered insignificant given its simplistic style, but don't be misled; this short ride is high action and pays homage to many facets of contemporary pop culture.

Waking Life (2001)
Director: Richard Linklater
Producers: Tommy Pallotta; Jonah Smith; Anne Walker-McBay; Palmer West
Anyone artistically involved in this film must have been a masochist. Employing the rotoscoping technique (a method where live-action shots are painted to resemble animation) over an entire feature film is tough work. In most cases, rotoscoping is used as a special effect. In "Waking Life," this technique acts as a supporting entity, mimicking the film's philosophical intentions. The result is remarkable.

Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Directors: Peter Docter; David Silverman; Lee Unkrich
Producers: Darla K. Anderson
In addition to showcasing the masterful 3-D animation evident in all of Pixar's films, "Monsters Inc." also deserves props for creating an entirely new world and giving human beings a different perspective on the monsters lurking under our beds.

	"Spirited Away" © 2002, Buena Vista All Rights Reserved

The ChubbChubbs (2002)
Director: Eric Armstrong
Producer: Jacquie Barnbrook
Ever seen four layers of teeth rotating in different directions on something the size of a Chicken Mcnugget? Sony Pictures Imagework's 2002 Academy Award winner gives freakish meaning to the adage "Don't judge a book by its cover." Wicked character animation and cameos from several iconic sci-fi characters make this worth the DVD rental (it's an extra feature on the "Men In Black II" disc).

And for those who want to add a little extra credit to their homework assignment ...

Spirited Away (2002)
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Producer: Toshio Suzuki; Donald W. Ernst (English language version)
The year's shoo-in for Best Animated Feature clearly demonstrates the creativity of an animation master at his best.