When was the first cartoon invented and who it?

It's tricky to pinpoint the *first* cartoon, as early forms of animation existed long before the term "cartoon" was even used. Here's a breakdown:

Early Forms of Animation:

* Zoetrope (1834): William George Horner invented this spinning cylinder device that creates the illusion of motion from a series of drawings.

* Phenakistiscope (1832): Joseph Plateau developed this spinning disk with images around the edge, creating a similar effect to the zoetrope.

* Praxinoscope (1877): Émile Reynaud improved on the phenakistiscope, making the images clearer and more detailed.

The First Cartoon:

* "Fantasmagorie" (1908): Émile Cohl's black-and-white film is often considered the first animated cartoon. It featured stick figures and used a very simple animation technique.

Emergence of the Term "Cartoon":

* Early 19th Century: The term "cartoon" originally referred to preliminary sketches for paintings or tapestries. It wasn't used to describe animated films until later.

So, while "Fantasmagorie" is often cited as the first cartoon, animation itself has a much longer history, starting with the invention of the zoetrope and phenakistiscope in the 19th century.