South Park's Cardboard Became Digital

South Park began with cardboard cutouts inspired by British animator Terry Gilliam's work for "Monty Python's Flying Circus." In 1997, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and their small staff spent three months animating the pilot, "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe," with traditional stop-motion techniques. Later episodes adopted computer animation that preserved the handmade appearance while reducing production to about one week, with some episodes completed in only three to four days. That speed allows the show to parody current events within days of their occurrence.

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