CHAD GROTHKOPF
Amazing Animators No. 22
CHAD GROTHKOPF
Chad McKee Grothkopf nasce il 14 giugno 1914 ad Ironton, Ohio da Oscar Frank Grothkopf (1884-1956) e Faye McKee Zurlage (1890-?). Chad nasce prima del matrimonio, che sarà celebrato il 22 agosto 1920 a Chicago, città natale del padre (che ha ascendenze norvegesi), dove la famiglia si è nel frattempo trasferita. Chad vince una borsa di studio per frequentare il corso di Belle Arti presso il Chicago Art Institute per tre anni.
Dopo il diploma, Chad viene selezionato dalla Paramount Pictures per diventare uno dei loro junior art directors. Così nel 1935 si trasferisce in California per lavorare allo studio cinematografico e realizzare illustrazioni e manifesti. Passa poi agli RCA Studios e nel 1937-38 lavora presso lo studio Disney, anche se non ci sono dati ufficiali sulla sua collaborazione.
Nel 1938 si trasferisce con i genitori a New York e risiede nel distretto di Queens. Lavora per la NBC, realizzando il primo cartone animato televisivo, il cortometraggio sperimentale di otto minuti Willie the Worm. Realizza anche spot animati per Esso e altre compagnie. Disegna la striscia quotidiana natalizia Toytown Christmas per il Ledger Syndicate.
Nel 1938 disegna per il Ledger Syndicate di Philadelphia la striscia natalizia Toytown Christmas.
Ancora nel 1938 inizia a realizzare storie a fumetti per vari editori di comic books quali DC Comics (dove crea Johnny Quick), David McKay, Marvel, Parents, Croydon e Quality fino al 1942. Nel 1941-42 è affiliato al Lloyd Jacquet Shop.
Nel 1940 sposa l'attrice cinematografica Doree Vaughan.
Nel 1942 fonda un proprio studio a New York, del quale fanno parte anche Bill Brady, Don Gunn, Joe Oriolo e Alex Kotzky, che produce storie a fumetti di Hoppy the Marvel Bunny, Sherlock the Monk and Chuck, Beezy Bear e altri "animali buffi" per l'editrice Fawcett.
All'inizio del 1942 disegna strisce e tavole della serie True Comics, co-prodotta da Bell Syndicate e Parents Institute. Ancora per il Bell Syndicate disegna poi la tavola settimanale Famous Fiction nel 1942-43.
Il 12 febbraio 1943 Grothkopf viene arruolato e per tre anni è nell'esercito, reparto Combat Engineers, ma continua a realizzare copertine per la Fawcett. Mentre è sotto le armi si diploma alla Officer Candidate School (OCS) presso la base aerea di New Orleans.
Al suo ritorno alla vita civile riprende a disegnare Hoppy the Marvel Bunny.
Dal 1947 al 1954 lavora allo show televisivo Howdy Doody e in pubblicità. È infatti associato all'agenzia di New York Lloyd, Chester & Dillingham, dove produce una campagna pubblicitaria per il PM DeLuxe Blended Whiskey intitolata Clear, Clean TastePM DeLuxe Blended Whiskey intitolata Clear, Clean Taste, che appare su circa 400 quotidiani USA tra il settembre 1949 e il 1950. Chad realizza un totale di 15 pagine pubblicitarie con personaggi quali Bill Honeybee, Young Bill e persino Br'er Rabbit (Fratel Coniglietto). Nell'ambito della stessa campagna dirige inoltre nel 1948 il cortometraggio animato PM Picnic, animato da Al Stahl.
Il 14 aprile 1949 nasce il figlio Chad Mark Grothkopf.
Dal 1950 al 1953 disegna per lo United Features la tavola settimanale di Howdy Doody su testi dell'animatore Milt Neil e di Edward Kean.
Nello stesso periodo disegna fumetti con "animali buffi" (Willie the Penguin, Whitey Bear, Peter Pig) per l'editrice Standard.
Nel 1953-55 illustra diversi libretti per i Treasure Books e Wonder Books dell'editrice Grosset & Dunlap con i personaggi dei Terrytoons (Mighty Mouse e Dinky Duck) e di George Pal (Tubby the Tuba).
Tra gli anni Cinquanta e Sessanta realizza design e storyboards per numerosi cortometraggi pubblicitari televisivi, lavorando per studi americani, spagnoli e messicani.
Per diversi anni è insegnante presso la scuola per corrispondenza Famous Artists School di Westport, Connecticut. In tale contesto realizza un capitolo sul design televisivo per un volume della serie Famous Artists Course.
Grothkopf e famiglia risiedono a Bridgeport e poi a Westport, nel Connecticut.
Chad torna a lavorare nell'animazione dal 1982 al 1989, realizzando storyboards e dirigendo sceneggiature agli studi Ruby Spears, Hanna-Barbera e Amblimation. Negli stessi anni disegna alcune storie a fumetti per l'editrice DC (Captain Carrot, Tiny Toons).
Nel 1994 riceve l'Inkpot Award in occasione della San Diego Comicon. Altri riconoscimenti sono l'Ad Age Award e l'inserimento nella TV Hall of Fame.
Grothkopf scompare il 25 gennaio 2002 a Fairfield, Connecticut, all'età di 88 anni.
Chad McKee Grothkopf was born June 14, 1914 in Ironton, Ohio, to Oscar Frank Grothkopf (1884-1956) and Faye McKee Zurlage (1890-?). Chad was born before they got married on August 22, 1920 in Chicago, where Oscar (of Norwegian ancestry) was born, and where the family had temporary moved. Chad won a scholarship to attend a three-year Fine Arts course at the Chicago Art Institute.
After graduation, Chad was selected by Paramount Pictures to become one of their junior art directors. He moved to Florida in 1935
to work at the Studio and to draw illustrations and posters. He then moved to the RCA Studios and worked at the Disney Studio in 1937-38, although no official data seem to exist about his stint there.
He moved to New York with his parents in 1938 and settled in Queens. He worked for NBC, making the very first TV animation for an
eight-minute experimental short entitled Willie the Worm. He also made animated commercials for Esso and other companies. He also drew the special newspaper strip Toytown Christmas for the Philadelphia Ledger Syndicate.
In 1938 he also started drawing comics for various publishers including DC Comics (where he created Johnny Quick), David McKay,
Marvel, Parents, Croydon and Quality until 1942. He was affiliated to the Lloyd Jacquet Shop in 1941-42.
He married movie actress Doree Vaughan in 1940.
In 1942 he founded his own studio in New York which also included Bill Brady, Don Gunn, Joe Oriolo and Alex Kotzky, producing funny animal stories featuring Hoppy the Marvel Bunny, Sherlock the Monk and Chuck and Beezy Bear for Fawcett Publishing.
In early 1942 he drew dailies and Sundays in the True Comics series, co-produced by The Bell Syndicate and Parents Institute. Also
for Bell Syndicate he then drew the Famous Fiction Sunday page in 1942-43.
Chad was drafted on February 12, 1943, spending three years in the Army Combat Engineers, but he continued doing cover art for Fawcett. While in the Army, he got a degree from the Officer Candidate School (OCS) at the New Orleans air base.
Back into civvies, he got to drawing Hoppy the Marvel Bunny again.
From 1947-1954 Chad worked on the Howdy Doody TV show as well as in advertising. He was associated with the New York agency Lloyd, Chester & Dillingham, where he produced an advertising campaign for PM DeLuxe Blended Whiskey entitled Clear, Clean Taste, which appeared in about 400 U.S. newspapers from September 1949 until 1950. Chad drew a total of 15 advertising pages featuring such characters as Bill Honeybee, Young Bill and even Br'er Rabbit. Within the same campaign, in 1948 he directed the short PM Picnic, animated by Al Stahl.
His son Chad Mark Grothkopf was born on April 14, 1949.
From 1950-1953 he drew the Howdy Doody Sunday page for United Features written by animator Milt Neil and by Edward Kean.
During the same years he drew funny animal comics (Willie the Penguin, Whitey Bear, Peter Pig) for Standard Publishing.
In 1953-55 he illustrated several titles for Treasure Books and Wonder Books published by Grosset & Dunlap featuring Terrytoons characters (Mighty Mouse and Dinky Duck), and George Pal characters (Tubby the Tuba).
During the fifties and sixties he designed and drew storyboards for several TV commercials, working for American, Spanish and Mexican studios.
He was a teacher for several years at the Famous Artists School in Westport, Connecticut. He drew a chapter on TV design for a book in the Famous Artists Course series.
Grothkopf and his family lived in Bridgeport and later in Westport, Connecticut.
Chad went back to working in animation from 1982-89, drawing storyboards and directing story at Ruby Spears, Hanna-Barbera, and Amblimation. During the same years he drew some comics for DC (Captain Carrot, Tiny Toons).
In 1994 he received the Inkpot Award at the San Diego Comic Con. He was also presented with the Ad Age Award and inducted in the TV Hall of Fame.
Grothkopf passed away on January 25, 2002 in Fairfield, Connecticut. He was 88.
FILMOGRAFIA /FILMOGRAPHY
NOTE: All dates in this section are day/month/year
Studio: RCA TV 1936
Animatore/Animator
Studio: DISNEY 1937-1938
Animatore/Animator
Studio: NBC 1938-1942
Animatore/Animator
Willie the Worm
Esso commercial
Studio: FLEISCHER c.1942
Animatore/Animator
Studio: NBC 1947-1954
Storyboards
00/00/1947-00/00/1954 Howdy Doody [Puppet show]
Studio: ANIMATED PRODUCTIONS, INC./LLOYD, CHESTER AND DILLINGHAM LLOYD, CHESTER AND DILLINGHAM 1948
Regista/Director:
00/00/1950 PM Picnic [for National Distillers Products Company]
Studio: VARIOUS STUDIOS (USA, SPAIN, MEXICO)
Design, Storyboards
TV Commercials
Antizyme
Atlantic Refining Co.
Ballantine
Chiclets Gum
Columbia Records
Continental Baking Co.
Continental Oil Co.
Esso Standard
Ex-Lax
General Foods' Grape-Nuts
Helmann's Mayonnaise
Jell-O
Johnson's Jubilee
Kool Cigarettes
Maxwell House Coffee
McGregor Shirts
Mennen Co.
Nestle's Coffee
Nucoa Margarine
Pops Cereals
Procter & Gamble
Waterman-Bic Pens
Studio: LEONARDO 1963-1965
Storyboards
00/00/1964-00/00/1966 Underdog [TV series]
Studio: RUBY-SPEARS 1982
Direttore della sceneggiatura, Storyboards/Story
Director, Storyboards
17/09/1983-10/12/1983 Alvin and the Chipmunks [TVseries - 13 episodes]
Studio: HANNA-BARBERA 1982
Direttore della sceneggiatura/Story Director
10/09/1983-00/00/1983 Monchhichis [TV series]
Studio: AMBLIMATION/WARNER BROS. 1989
Storyboards
00/00/1990-00/00/1990 Tiny Toon Adventures
FUMETTOGRAFIA / COMICOGRAPHY
A) COMIC BOOKS
Editore/Publisher: CHARLTON
Hoppy the Magic Bunny - Atomic Mouse #14 et al (1955-57).
Hoppy the Magic Bunny and Benny Beaver - Atomic Mouse
#13 et al (1954-55).
Willie the Worm - Atomic Mouse (1954/57).
Editore/Publisher: CROYDON
Copertine/Cover art - World Famous Stories #1 (1945).
The Story of Rip Van Winkle - World Famous Stories #1 (1945).
Tales from the Arabian Nights - World Famous Stories #1 (1945).
Editore/Publisher: DAVID McKAY
Fillers - (1941).
Editore/Publisher: DC COMICS
Bugs Bunny and Buster Bunny - Tiny Toon Adventures Magazine #1 (1990) [solo chine / inks only].
Buster Bunny - Tiny Toon Adventures Magazine #2 (1990) [solo chine / inks only].
Captain Carrot - Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! #4 [solo chine / inks only], #5, 6 (1982).
Cliff Crosby - Detective Comics #37-59 (1940-42) [anche testi / also scripts].
Copertine/Cover art - Adventure Comics #42 (1939) [Grothkopf?]; Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! #5 (1982) [solo chine / inks only].
Federal Men - Adventure Comics #48-70 (1940-42).
Johnny Quick - More Fun Comics #71-73 (1941).
Justice Society of America - All-Star Comics #3, 4 (1940-41).
Lando, Man of Magic - World's Finest Comics #4 (1942).
Manhunters Around the World - World's Finest Comics #59 (1952).
'Mazing Man - 'Mazing Man Special #3 (1990) [solo chine / inks only].
Radio Squad - More Fun Comics #54-61, 71-76 (1940-42).
The Sandman - All-Star Comics #1-3 (1940); Adventure
Comics #49, 55-60, 69-71 (1940-42); The New York World's Fair Comics #2 (1940); World's Finest Comics #3 (1941).
The Three Aces - Action Comics #23-46 (1940-42).
Editore/Publisher: FAWCETT
Benny the Beaver Fawcett's Funny Animals #1 (1942).
Copertine/Cover art - Billy the Kid #3 (1946); Fawcett's Funny Animals #1-11, 13, 18-69, 71, 76-83 (1942-54); Hoppy the Marvel Bunny #1-15 (1945-47).
Fuzzy Bear - Fawcett's Funny Animals #20 (1944).
Hoppy the Marvel Bunny - Fawcett's Funny Animals #1, 2, 4, 5, 7-9, 11-18, 20, 23, 24, 29, 31, 35-38, 40, 46, 64, 65 et al (1945-53);
Hoppy the Marvel Bunny #1-15 (1944-47); Xmas Comics #3 (1947).
Hoppy the Marvel Bunny and Sherlock the Monk - Hoppy the Marvel Bunny #5 (1946).
Tavole introduttive/Contents Page - Fawcett's Funny Animals #1-10, 12-18, 20, 24 (1942-44).
Willie the Worm [and Sammy Skunk] - Billy the Kid #3 (1946); Captain Marvel Jr. #65 (1948); Fawcett's Funny Animals #1-23, 31- 68 (1942-50); Hopalong Cassidy #23 (1948); Hoppy the Marvel Bunny #1-4 (1945-46); The Marvel Family #23 (1948); Mary Marvel #25 (1948); Master Comics #92 (1948); Wow Comics #69 (1948).
Editore/Publisher: MARVEL
Copertine/Cover art - Captain America Comics #14 (1942); Krazy Comics #1, 3, 4 (1942).
The Destroyer - All-Select Comics #6 (1945); All-Winners Comics #3 (1941).
Homer - Krazy Comics #3 (1942).
The Imp - Captain America Comics #12-16 (1942).
Squat Car Squad - Joker Comics (1942).
Tavole con giochi illustrati/Activity pages - Krazy Comics #1, 3 (1942).
Trixie Trouble - Kid Comics #1 (1943).
Editore/Publisher: PARENTS MAGAZINE
Battling Beaver - True Comics #7 (1941).
Chief of the U.S. Marines - True Comics #10 (1942).
He Fights On! - True Comics #8 (1942).
Key Man - True Comics #11 (1942).
Meet Charlie McCarthy - True Comics #14 (1942).
Oscar's War - True Comics #13 (1942).
They Stole a Train! - True Comics #9 (1942).
Editore/Publisher: QUALITY COMICS
War - (1942).
Editore/Publisher: STANDARD
Copertine/Cover art - Willie the Penguin #1-3 et al (1950-52).
Peter Pig - (1953).
Whitey Bear - Willie the Penguin #3 (1951).
Willie the Penguin - Coo Coo Comics (1951-52); Supermouse #23, 25, 32 (1953-54); Willie the Penguin #1-3 (1951).
B) FUMETTI PER QUOTIDIANI / NEWSPAPER STRIPS
Editore/Publisher: THE BELL SYNDICATE
Cut-Out - Tavole settimanali / Sunday page - disegni / art 11 Jan 1942-8 Oct 1944 [Topper to Famous Fiction].
Famous Fiction - Tavole settimanali / Sunday page - disegni / art 29 Mar 1942-8 Oct 1944.
Westward Ho! - 11 Jan 1942-22 Mar 1942.
Alice in Wonderland - 29 Mar 1942-5 July 1942.
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves - 12 July 1942-30 Aug 1942.
Under Two Flags - 6 Sept 1942-22 Nov 1942.
The Night Before Christmas - 29 Nov 1942-20 Dec 1942.
Editore/Publisher: THE BELL SYNDICATE/PARENTS INSTITUTE
True Comics - Strisce quotidiane / Daily strip - Disegni / art Jan 1942.
True Comics - Tavole settimanali / Sunday page - disegni / art 18 Jan 1942-1 Feb 1942.
Editore/Publisher: LEDGER SYNDICATE
Toytown Christmas - Strisce quotidiane / Daily strip - Disegni / art 28 Nov 1938-24 Dec 1938.
Editore/Publisher: UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE
Howdy Doody - Tavole settimanali / Sunday page - disegni / art 15 Oct 1950-21 June 1953.
C) FUMETTI E ILLUSTRAZIONI PUBBLICITARI / PROMOTIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS AND COMICS
Editore/Publisher: PEPSI COLA CO.
Pepsi and Pete, the Pepsi Cola Cops (1943).
Editore/Publisher: CARVEL COMICS
Captain Carvel and His Carvel Crusaders - Carvel Comics (1974).
Editore/Publisher: LLOYD, CHESTER AND DILLINGHAM
Clear, Clean Taste - PM DeLuxe Blended Whiskey (1949-50)
D) ILLUSTRAZIONI PER LIBRI / BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS
Editore/Publisher: FAMOUS ARTISTS SCHOOL
Famous Artists Course (1960) - Lesson 24: Television art.
Editore/Publisher: GROSSET & DUNLAP
Treasure Books - Mighty Mouse #860 (1953); Mighty Mouse: Dinky Learns to Fly #866 (1953) [same as Wonder Books #677]; Tubby the Tuba #873 (1954).
Wonder Books - Mighty Mouse and the Scarecrow #678 (1954); Mighty Mouse: Dinky Learns to Fly #677 (1953) [same as Treasure Books #866]; Mighty Mouse: Santa's Helper #662 (1955).
E) ILLUSTRAZIONI PER RIVISTE / MAGAZINE ILLUSTRATIONS
Editore/Publisher: PAUL HAMERLINCK
Copertina/Cover art - Fawcett Collectors of America #53 (1991).
Editore/Publisher: NEWSSTAND PUBLICATIONS
Male Home Companion - Oct 1942.
Stag - Vol 1, #4 [#2] May 1942.
