If you were a child in the ‘60s or ‘70s, your earliest recollection of animation may be through the lens of this gizmo called a View-Master. Some may have played with a Tru-Vue instead.

These binocular-like toys allowed kids to view images mounted on paper disks or (in Tru-Vue’s case) cards, turning them into 3D stories about everything from man’s landing on the moon to Popeye’s latest exploits.

You had to click to go to the next frame using the View-Master. I don’t know if Tru-Vue had a similar version later on, but in the one I had one manually slid down each card. (View-Master was launched at the New York World’s Fair in 1939 and its owner, postcard company Sawyer Inc., bought rival Tru-Vue in 1951.)

My toy chest was later filled with more interesting items (I recall an orange camera that allowed me to watch 3D images in speedy succession much like a real movie.) but I’d always take a peek through the old gizmos every now and again.

While there was an attractive eeriness to watching Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin toddle around on the moon, nothing could beat the sharp, almost gaudy Popeye reels in the eyes of a child.

There is just something about cartoon drawings that captivates: the artistry, the stillness, the emotions frozen in time. And being a bit removed from reality adds to the mystery, angst, or wit. Many “carts” even achieve a level of Zen very few moving pictures ever do. I’m not a fan (not anymore), but it’s easy to understand the fascination of many well into adulthood.