A closer look
William George Horner invented the bedrock of modern animation in 1834, but utterly failed at marketing. He created a spinning drum with slits that created the illusion of motion, but decided to name it the 'Daedalum,' which translates roughly to the 'Wheel of the Devil.' Unsurprisingly, Victorian parents weren't thrilled about buying Satanic machinery for their toddlers. It completely flopped until another inventor stole the patent decades later, rebranded it as the 'Zoetrope,' and made a fortune.
