Gene Deitch, the Oscar-winning US illustrator, animator, creator and producer, has died. At the time of his death, he was 95 years old. Publisher Petr Himmel confirmed the death of the man on Twitter. He informed that Gene Deitch had breathed his last on April 16.
Gene was one of the eight directors of the ‘Tom and Jerry’ cartoon series. He directed 13 episodes of the ‘Tom and Jerry’ cartoon. He worked with the project in seasons 1961-62. The creator also directed some episodes of the ‘Papaya the Sailor’ cartoon series.
Gene Deitch has long worked as an art director for the Taritunes, under 20 Century Fox, and has produced characters such as Gene Sidney Elephant, Gaston Le Creon, Clint Clobber and Terrible Thompson.
Gene was born in Chicago in 1924. In 1959, he came to Gragg. He won an Oscar in the best animated short film category with the movie ‘Monroe’ in 1960. In the same category, “Tarnadnik” and “How to Avoid Friendship” were both nominated for an Oscar.
The maker’s full name is Eugene Merrill Deitch, though he is best known as Gene Deitch. At the beginning of his career, Gene worked as a draftsman in the North American Air Force. Then trained as an Army and Air Force pilot. However, he retired from the army in 1944 due to health reasons. It was then that his artistic career began and he entered the world of animation.
Related link: https://bit.ly/2z7644X
