What's all the Hullabaloo about?

In 2009, Disney dared to return to traditional 2D animation with the film Princess and the Frog. While the film is excellent and, in my opinion, one of Disney's best it didn't make enough money at the box office. Back in 2004, Disney had released another box office failure called Home on the Range, also a 2D hand-drawn animated film, that doesn't stand up to the quality of Princess and the Frog what-so-ever yet was the film that motivated Disney to ditch 2D hand-drawn animation and stick where the money is at with computer animation. They didn't take into account that Home on the Range was just a bad movie in general which could be why it wasn't treated well at the box office...although Princess and the Frog was a grade A movie and that didn't do hot either. At this point, it looked like Disney was going to give up on the traditional style many fans loved. It was pretty clear every other animation company had given up.
Computer animation is great. Hell, it has treated Pixar well. But none seemed to be able to reach the same quality as Pixar. Not only that but people missed the style of 2D hand-drawn animation. The style holds an authenticity to it and feels much more artistic next to computer animation. The debate between 2D and computer animation has become a big part of Disney culture. The popular opinion, which I hold, is that while computer animation is fantastic, 2D shouldn't go away. But Disney didn't seem to care about fan nostalgia or even artistic yearning. Like most businesses, their goal was money. I can't fault them for that.
But then, something fantastic was posted on Indiegogo, a site similar to the likes of Kickstarter. It was a project called Hullabaloo. The project was all over twitter and Disney news sites. Naturally, my attention was caught by the sight of 2D animation. I headed over to the Indiegogo page to learn more. I learned that Hullabaloo is a project that veteran Disney animators are working on to show that 2D hand-drawn animation is not a dying art. The project asked for donations and stated that "by supporting this project, you get to help save 2D animation from an untimely demise." All I can say is, FINALLY! So, what is the Hullabaloo all about? Well, I want to give you three reasons why I am all about Hullabaloo and maybe that will answer this question.
NUMBER 1: (Do I even need to say it?) The revival of the dying art that is 2D animation.
If you asked Walt Disney today if he wanted to go back to 2D animation, I believe his answer would be no. Walt Disney was all about the newest technology and moving forward. That being said, a lot of art is dying thanks to technology. Of course this isn't a bad thing but it isn't necessarily a good thing either. For example, you don't need to carry a notebook and pencil around anymore or hand write anything because you can simply type on a "tablet" or a smart phone. Why buy CD's when you can simply download the music digitally right away?

One of the animators on Hullabaloo

And who needs 2D animation when computer animation can make an image so much more realistic? As I said, these things are not bad but they seem to fill our need of instant gratification rather than filling our need for good art. I am so happy to see that someone is finally taking action to keep this beautiful art form alive. Plus, veteran Disney animators are involved who have worked on such films as The Lion King, Princess and the Frog, Pocahontas, Tarzan, Beauty and the Beast and more! With this kind of talent, this will be epic!
Number 2: Feminist message.
Let me state right off the bat that I love the Disney Princess and believe them to be fantastic role models (read my defense of the Princesses HERE). But I won't lie that there is a certain archetype that Disney sticks to with their Princesses. In other words, adventure stories are for the male characters. Hullabaloo is different. They've got a female character who is interested in science and heavily invested in learning about the world and being involved in an adventure. This is awesome! I hope this project will reach a broad audience and inspire little girls just as much as the other Disney Princesses and heroines have.
Number 3: Indiegogo.
What is even more awesome than seeing a revival of 2D animation? Actually being involved in funding that animation! I can't imagine this being any more perfect. This is what fans wanted and now they actually have a say (because unfortunately, money typically buys you this right)! I'm so glad to be able to say that I helped fund the revival of 2D animation! This is a community effort and the whole process gives the project more heart and makes it feel less corporate.

Now I haven't actually summarized the story and taken the time to talk about the animators involved. So here is the link to their Indiegogo page! They've made lots of money to fund their project and have reached a few stretch goals! Help them to reach some more!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hullabaloo-steampunk-animated-film