The GIF, first created in the static format by CompuServe in 1987, emerged into animated prevalence in the ninetys with the introduction of Netscape Navigator 2.0 (remember the logo with the shooting stars).

Recently, animated GIFs have been making a comeback in the form of cinemagraphs (still images with a minor animated element to create a dramatic effect). One cinemagraph artist, Gustaf Mantel, uses animated GIFs to capture epic film moments from directors such as Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, The Coen Brothes, Fritz Lang, Danny Boyle, Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, and Roman Polanski (to name a few). I was first introduced to this concept by Fast Co Design. Take a look at a few of my cult favorites.