text: This trend actually started from Disney.Disney found out that eliminating one finger could give a more plastic movement to the figure's hands.Also it is much more easy to draw because you have a less complexe pattern to follow within the limited space required for a cartoon's hand.\n   Then the trend was passed on from Disney to other creators of the era including the great Osamu Tezuka who made his astro-boy character with four fingers only.Suprisingly it worked so well that even today's characters such as the simpsons have one finger less!