 |
Walter LantzAmerican cartoonist, animator, producer and director
Date of Birth: 27.04.1899
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Walter Lantz
Walter Benjamin Lantz was an American cartoonist, animator, producer, and director, best known as the creator of the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker. He was born on April 27, 1899, in New Rochelle, New York, to Italian immigrant parents, Francesco Paolo Lantz and Maria Gervasi, later known as Jarvis. His father gave him the name Walter upon their arrival in the United States, as noted by Joe Adamson in his book "The Walter Lantz Story."
Early Life and Education
Lantz developed an interest in art at a young age and completed drawing courses by the age of 12. It is likely that he was inspired to become a cartoonist after watching Winsor McCay's short film "Gertie the Dinosaur." Lantz's first breakthrough in the art world came when he was working as an automobile mechanic. His drawings on the garage bulletin board caught the attention of wealthy client Frank Kafka, who later sponsored Lantz's education at the New York City's Art Students League. Kafka also helped him find a job as a copy boy at the New York American newspaper, owned by William Randolph Hearst. Lantz would attend art school after finishing his daily tasks at the newspaper.
Career
At the age of 16, Lantz began working behind the camera in the animation department under the guidance of director Gregory La Cava. He later worked at John R. Bray Studios on the cartoon series "Jerry on the Job." In 1924, Lantz held a prominent position at the studio and became the director of his first animated series, "Dinky Doodle."
In 1927, Lantz moved to Hollywood, California, where he briefly worked with director Frank Capra before writing gag scripts for Mack Sennett comedies. In 1928, he was hired by Charles B. Mintz as the director of the cartoon series "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit" for Universal Studios.
However, in the same year, Mintz and George Winkler altered the character of Oswald, distancing him from Walt Disney's original concept. Universal President Carl Laemmle was unhappy with Mintz and Winkler's product and fired them. Lantz then proposed a poker game to Laemmle, with the winner gaining ownership of Oswald. Lantz won the bet, and Oswald became his character.
When Lantz started his own studio, he hired New York animator Bill Nolan to assist in creating a new series. Nolan's previous responsibilities involved designing background panoramas and editing Felix the Cat. Nolan's influence on animation style, known as the "rubber hose," characterized by the exaggerated bending of character limbs, became well-known.
In 1929, Lantz finally released his first cartoon, "Race Riot." By 1935, after Nolan's departure from the company, Lantz became an independent producer of cartoons for Universal Studios. In 1940, he began negotiating for ownership rights to the characters he worked with.
Legacy
When Oswald had exhausted his potential, Lantz decided he needed new characters. Meany, Miny, Mo, Baby-Face Mouse, Snuffy Skunk, dachshund Doxie, and Jock and Jill (two monkeys resembling Bosko from Warner Bros.) were typical Lantz cartoon heroes. However, one character, Andy Panda, stood out from the rest and soon became the star of the 1939-1940 season.
