Imagine you could send a time machine 100 years back into the past. Imagine it could read all the movie journals of the day, and report back with news of what was happening in the wonderful world of animation, exactly one century ago.

You don’t have to imagine. Just head over to the Animation Magazine website and read my brand new column The Animation Time Machine! Here’s an extract to whet your appetite, with all the latest from November 1923:

The Machine’s first discovery was a copy of The Film Daily, dateline 15 November, 1923, carrying big news from the world of animation – and on the front page, no less. “Red Seal Gets Inkwell Series,” shouts the headline. “Edwin Miles Fadman, president of Red Seal Pictures Corp. has secured world’s distribution rights to the Out-of-the-Inkwell Comedies. They will be sold via the state right market.”

The story marks a real milestone for Max and Dave Fleischer, creators of the classic series of animated shorts featuring Koko the Clown. Having cut their teeth at New York City’s Bray Studios, the two brothers broke away in 1921 to set up Out of the Inkwell, Inc, with Margaret Winkler acting as distributor. This 100-year-old article celebrates the historic moment in 1923 when, seeking yet more autonomy, the Fleischers joined forces with Edwin Miles Fadman to form their very own production and distribution company – Red Seal Pictures.

This antique announcement got us wondering — what did the Fleischers’ former distributor Margaret Winkler make of the move? We set the Animation Time Machine to work …

What did the Animation Time Machine discover about Ms. Winkler’s reaction to losing her lucrative “Out of the Inkwell” contract? Read the complete article at Animation Magazine to find out!