Utopias and Cloud Cuckoo Land in Coming-of-Age Animated Fantasy

Abstract This chapter argues that themes and motifs present in narratives of ancient utopias, like Scheria in Homer’s Odyssey and Aristophanes’s Cloud Cuckoo Land from his play the Birds, can be found in the paradises of some recent animated productions. Ancient utopias, and Cloud Cuckoo Land in particular, are embraced in fantasy animation and represent creativity, childlike wackiness, the lack of formal rules, and an escape from reality. The notion of a kooky fantasy realm becomes particularly relevant in narratives featuring coming-of-age heroes, as it reflects the experiences of their young audiences, such as in The Lego Movie (2014) and in the TV series Gravity Falls (2012–2016) and Adventure Time (2010–2018). Animation, which produces fictive worlds created by illusion and creativity, is an ideal medium to experiment with the incorporation of utopias. It facilitates the interplay between reality and fantasy, and it ultimately encourages coming-of-age audiences to reject the fantasy by growing up.