Dr Sam Summers

Biography

Sam Summers is an animation theorist and historian, who joined Middlesex in 2023 as a Lecturer in Animation History & Theory and joint-programme leader for BA Animation.

He completed his PhD in 2018 at University of Sunderland, with his thesis 'Intertextuality And The Break From Realism in DreamWorks Animation'. He has since taught on animation and film studies programmes at Sunderland, Newcastle, Liverpool Hope and University of the Arts London.

Sam's research interests lie in the intersections between animation and other pop cultural forms, and as such his research has focussed on themes of intertextuality, adaptation, remix cultures and animation aesthetics. Although well-versed in a broad range of animation traditions, genres and forms from around the world, his research looks primarily at the history of Hollywood animation, with outputs focusing on studios like Disney, DreamWorks, Pixar, Warner Bros and Hanna-Barbera.

He is active in the communication of animation studies to mainstream audiences, appearing in publications like Variety, Vulture, Vice, Empire and The Independent, and on BBC and CBC radio. He has organised and spoken at numerous public-facing events, most notably as part of BFI's Disney retrospective, and co-hosts the popular animation history podcast Disniversity.

He is the convenor of the Animation Special Interest Group for the British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies, in which capacity he has organised and facilitated funding for a wide array of animation-centric research events.

Teaching

Sam is currently joint-programme leader for BA Animation, primarily teaching on modules dealing with the history and theory of animation. His classes aim to equip students with the contextual knowledge and intellectual approaches necessary to become informed, creative and critical practitioners of animation

He also advises students on their practical animation projects, with a focus on developing their writing and storytelling skills as well as their cultural literacy

He also contributes classes on animation history and theory to BA 3D For Games and Film