Events in 1980 in animation.
Events
January January 6: The first episode of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer airs, an anime adaptation of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. January 8: The first episode of The Wonderful Adventures of Nils airs, an anime adaptation of Selma Lagerlöf's novel Nils Holgersson. It is the first production of Studio Pierrot.
February February 1: The Olympic Games special Animalympics, directed by Steven Lisberger, is first broadcast. However, its second part was never broadcast due to Jimmy Carter deciding that the United States would boycott the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow out of protest against the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. February 25: The Peanuts TV special She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown premieres on CBS.
March March 15: Warner Bros. Animation was rebranded.Maltin, Leonard (1980, rev. 1987). Of Mice and Magic. New York: Plum/Penguin Books. Pg. 273. Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur, the first animated feature based on the Doraemon franchise, premieres. March 19: Paul Grimault's Le Roi et l'Oiseau (The King and the Mockingbird) premieres after more than 30 years of production. It becomes a critically acclaimed classic.
April April 14: 52nd Academy Awards: Every Child by Derek Lamb wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short.
May May 15: Julien Temple's The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle premieres, a film starring The Sex Pistols which occasionally features animated sequences, produced by Animation City. May 21: Picha's film The Missing Link premieres. Chuck Jones' Looney Tunes TV special Bugs Bunny's Bustin' Out All Over premieres on CBS. The special included 3 new cartoon shorts: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Bunny, Spaced Out Bunny, & Soup or Sonic.Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. p. 48. . Retrieved 27 March 2020. May 30: The Peanuts film Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) premieres. This was the last Peanuts film to be released until 2015's The Peanuts Movie.
August August 2: The film Be Forever Yamato premieres.
September September 6: The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show, the second cartoon based on Tom and Jerry, airs on CBS. It was since classified as one of the worst made-for-TV Tom and Jerry series and the only one to be produced by Filmation.
October October 1: The animated TV series King Rollo, based on David McKee's children's novels, is first broadcast. October 4: The first episode of Heathcliff airs. The first episode of Thundarr the Barbarian airs. October 24: The Peanuts TV special Life Is a Circus, Charlie Brown premieres on CBS.
November November 1: Karel Zeman's The Tale of John and Mary is first released. November 3: Czech animation director Karel Zeman is awarded with the Order of the Republic by president Gustáv Husák. November 8: The first episode of The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang airs. The first episode of Richie Rich airs. November 22: The Flintstones spin-off series, The Flintstone Comedy Show, airs on NBC. Several episodes of this unique spin-off appeared on children's entertainment programs in the early 1990s.
Specific date unknown Hurray for Betty Boop, a compilation film of the Betty Boop franchise, was given a limited theatrical release. Resulting its commercial failure, it remains abandoned after the 1984 VHS release until it was uploaded on social media in 2016.
Films released
January 12 - Time Machine 001 (South Korea) January 16 - The Tale of the Three Kingdoms – Oath of the Peach Garden (South Korea) January 17 - Colargol and the Wonderful Suitcase (Poland) February 1 - Animalympics (United States) February 3 - Back to the Forest (Japan) February 16–23 The Trouble with Miss Switch (United States) March 8 - Tomorrow's Joe (Japan) March 15: Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur (Japan) Nobody's Boy: Remi (Japan) Phoenix 2772 (Japan) Twelve Months (Japan and Soviet Union) March 19 - The King and the Mockingbird (France) April - Tajemnica szyfru Marabuta (Poland) April 2 - Captain (Japan) April 3 - Galaxy Express 999: Emeraldas the Eternal Traveller (Japan) April 6 - Foam Bath (Hungary) April 26 - Toward the Terra (Japan) May 3: Ganbare!! Tabuchi-kun!! 2nd Gekitō Pennant Race (Japan) Wakakusa Monogatari (Japan) May 11 - The Return of the King (United States and Japan) May 21 - The Missing Link (France and Belgium) May 30 - Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) (United States) June 13 - Botchan (Japan) July 19: 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother (Japan) Eleven Hungry Cats (Japan) July 25 - Ujudaejang aekkunun (South Korea) July 26: Doksuri 5 Hyeongje (South Korea) The Little Train (Italy) Makoto-chan (Japan) July 27 - 15 Sonyeon Uju Pyoryugi (South Korea) July 28 - The Tale of the Three Kingdoms – Breaking Through the Five Gulfs (South Korea) August 1 - Pogo for President: 'I Go Pogo' (United States) August 2 - Be Forever Yamato (Japan) August 12 - The Legend of Marine Snow (Japan) August 19 - Dracula: Sovereign of the Damned (Japan) August 25 - Ikkyū-san: Ōabare no Yancha-hime (Japan) August 31 - Fumoon (Japan) October 2 - Galaxy Express 999: Can You Love Like a Mother!! (Japan) October 4–18 - Scruffy (United States) October 10 - Twenty-Four Eyes (Japan) October 14 - The Thralls' Kids (Denmark) November 1 - The Tale of John and Mary (Czechoslovakia) November 11 - Gnomes (United States) November 21 - Betty Boop for President (United States) November 22 - Yogi's First Christmas (United States) December 3 - Pinocchio's Christmas (United States and Japan) December 11 - Kkomaeosa Ttori (South Korea) December 13: Ganbare!! Tabuchi-kun!! Hatsu Warai 3rd Aa Tsuppari Jinsei (Japan) Sonyeon 007 Eunhateukgongdae (South Korea) December 19 - A Snow White Christmas (United States) December 20 - Cyborg 009: Legend of the Super Galaxy (Japan) December 25 - Gaegujangi Cheonsadeul (South Korea) Specific date unknown - Bloody Lady (Czechoslovakia)
Television series
January 6 - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer debuts on Fuji TV. January 7 - The Littl' Bits debuts on TV Tokyo. January 8 - The Wonderful Adventures of Nils debuts on NHK. January 9 - Maeterlinck's Blue Bird: Tyltyl and Mytyl's Adventurous Journey debuts on Fuji TV. February 2: Rescueman debuts on Fuji TV. Trider G7 debuts on Nagoya TV. February 4 - Monchhichi debuts on TV Tokyo. February 15 - Lalabel, The Magical Girl debuts on TV Asahi.. March 19 - Space Emperor God Sigma debuts on JAITS (Tokyo Channel 12). April 4 - Mu No Hakugei debuts on Yomiuri TV. April 6 - King Arthur: Prince on White Horse debuts on Fuji TV. April 7 - Tsurikichi Sampei debuts on Fuji TV. April 15 - Zukkoke Knight Don De La Mancha debuts on Tokyo Channel 12. May 6 - Cockleshell Bay debuts on ITV. May 8 - Space Runaway Ideon debuts on Tokyo Channel 12. June 30 - Space Warrior Baldios debuts on Tokyo Channel 12. July 16 - Ganbare Genki debuts on Fuji TV. September 2 - Kaibutsu-kun 2 debuts on TV Asahi. September 6: Drak Pack and The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show debut on CBS. September 7 - Muteking, The Dashing Warrior debuts on Fuji TV. September 8 - Force Five debuts in syndication. September 13: Super Friends debuts on ABC. The Lone Ranger and The Tarzan/Lone Ranger Adventure Hour debut on CBS. September 16 - Sport Billy debuts in syndication. September 18 - Magyar népmesék debuts on Magyar Televízió. September 20 - Hanna-Barbera's World of Super Adventure debuts in syndication. September 28 - Ojamanga Yamada-kun debuts on Fuji TV. October 1: Astro Boy debuts on Nippon TV. King Rollo debuts on BBC1. October 3 - Shin Tetsujin 28-Go debuts on Nippon TV. October 4: Dingbat and the Creeps and Thundarr the Barbarian debut on ABC. X-Bomber debuts on Fuji TV. October 11 - Space Battleship Yamato III debuts on Yomiuri TV. October 13: The Amazing Adventures of Morph debuts on CBBC. Ashita no Joe 2 debuts on Nippon TV. November 8: Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, The Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Show, and The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang debut on ABC. November 22 - The Flintstone Comedy Show debuts on NBC. Specific date unknown: Archibald le Magi-chien debuts on TF1. Aubrey debuts on ITV.
Births January January 4: Greg Cipes, American actor (voice of Beast Boy in Teen Titans, Teen Titans Go!, and Young Justice, Kevin Levin in the Ben 10 franchise, Chiro in Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!, Iron Fist in Ultimate Spider-Man, Michelangelo in multiple Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles media, Jake in SciGirls). June Diane Raphael, American actress, comedian, and screenwriter (voice of Devin LeSeven in Big Mouth, Suze in American Dad!, Babe in Big City Greens, Queen Paolana in the Star Trek: Lower Decks episode "Where Pleasant Fountains Lie", Eurynomos' Wife in the Krapopolis episode "Hades Nut", Bella "Big" Bucks in The Loud House episode "Can't Lynn Em All", Marcy Muzzler in the Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur episode "Like Mother, Like Moon Girl"). January 16: Lin-Manuel Miranda, American actor (voice of Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera/Gizmoduck in DuckTales), singer and songwriter (Moana, Vivo, Encanto). January 17: Zooey Deschanel, American actress and musician (voice of Lani Aliikai in Surf's Up, Bridget in the Trolls franchise, Mary Spuckler and Quirk Girl in The Simpsons). January 18: Estelle, English singer and actress (voice of Garnet in the Steven Universe franchise, performed the theme song of We Bare Bears). Jason Segel, American actor (voice of Vector in Despicable Me, Marshall Eriksen in the Family Guy episode "Peter's Progress"). January 21: Nana Mizuki, Japanese actress and singer (voice of Hinata Hyuga in Naruto, Tsubomi Hanasaki / Cure Blossom in HeartCatch PreCure!, Vanessa Enoteca in Black Clover, Ann Takamaki in Persona 5: The Animation, Kozuki Hiyori in One Piece). January 22: Christopher Masterson, American actor and disc jockey (voice of Shane G. in The Wild Thornberrys). January 30: Wilmer Valderrama, American actor (voice of the title character in Handy Manny, Gaxton in Onward, Agustín Madrigal in Encanto). Lena Hall, American actress and singer (voice of "Dog Gone" Female Performer in Nature Cat, One-Night Stand in the BoJack Horseman episode "Yesterdayland", Countess Coloratura in the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episode "The Mane Attraction", Can of Tuna singer in the Sausage Party: Foodtopia episode "Fourth Course"). January 31: James Adomian, American comedian and actor (voice of Captain Huggyface in WordGirl, the President of the Planet in Pig Goat Banana Cricket, the title character in Future-Worm!, Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz, and Bill Clinton in Our Cartoon President, Phineas Phage in The Venture Bros., Bane in Harley Quinn, Randy in Close Enough, Buck Leatherleaf in the Amphibia episode "Girl Time", Jimmy Kimmel in the Celebrity Deathmatch episode "The Banter Bloodbath", Ogdoad in the Adventure Time episode "The Suitor", Imperial Captain in the Star Wars Rebels episode "The Forgotten Droid").
February February 12: Christina Ricci, American actress (voice of Gwendy Doll in Small Soldiers, Lilly in Alpha and Omega, Vexy in The Smurfs 2, Yellow in The Hero of Color City, Terra in Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, Erin in The Simpsons episode "Summer of 4 Ft. 2", Princess Ponietta and Kathy Ireland in the Rick and Morty episode "Rickdependence Spray", Catwoman in the Batman: Caped Crusader episode "Kiss of the Catwoman"). February 17: Jason Ritter, American actor (voice of Dipper Pines in Gravity Falls, Ryder in Frozen II, Mr. Fisk in All Grown Up!, Captain Jonathan Fall in Captain Fall, Barrel in the Amphibia episode "The Core & the King"). Zachary Bennett, Canadian actor (voice of Zach Varmitech and Gaston Gourmand in Wild Kratts, Lorne in Anne of Green Gables: The Animated Series, Biffy Goldstein in Detentionaire, Mr. Plink in Esme & Roy, Coach Clydesdale in Corn & Peg).