MYRON WALDMAN
Amazing Animators No. 2
MYRON WALDMAN
Myron Waldman nasce il 23 aprile 1908 a Brooklyn, New York da Barnet e Rebecca Lippman, rispettivamente emigrati dalla Russia e dalla Germania. È l’ultimo di quattro figli maschi. I suoi fratelli sono Joseph, Max e Herbert.
Esordisce nell’animazione a diciassette anni, durante l’estate del 1925, contribuendo come opacizzatore di celluloidi per i cortometraggi di Mutt and Jeff prodotti dalla Associated Animators.
Terminato il Liceo nel 1926, frequenta per tre anni i corsi di Belle Arti presso il Pratt Institute. Durante questo periodo realizza scenografie per il teatrino di un campo estivo. Proprio qui incontra una signora che gli chiede se vorrebbe conoscere Dave Fleischer, suo vicino di casa. Fleischer esamina ed apprezza i lavori di Waldman e lo invita a presentarsi al suo direttore generale. Nel 1930 Waldman approda dunque allo studio dei fratelli Fleischer, al 1600 di Broadway, presso Times Square. Durante i primi sei mesi è opacizzatore di celluloidi, poi inchiostratore e infine intercalatore. All’inizio del 1931 diventa animatore e prende a collaborare alle serie Screen Song, Betty Boop e Popeye. Nel 1934 è promosso animatore capo, e continua a lavorare a vari cortometraggi (per la serie Betty Boop crea il cagnolino Pudgy). Nel 1938 lo studio si trasferisce a Miami, in Florida, e Waldman è uno dei principali animatori del lungometraggio Gulliver’s Travels. Nel 1940-41 è uno dei direttori dell’animazione per il successivo lungometraggio, Mr. Bug Goes to Town, che purtroppo si rivela un clamoroso flop. Lo Studio si ritrasferisce a New York e Waldman torna ad animare i cortometraggi di serie quali Animated Antics e Superman, oltre al mediometraggio Raggedy Ann (and Raggedy Andy), tratto dalle storie di Johnny Gruelle.
Nel 1942 lo studio Fleischer passa alla Paramount e cambia nome in Famous Studios. Waldman ha appena il tempo di animare un cortometraggio di Superman, poiché il 12 ottobre 1942 viene richiamato alle armi e trascorre tre anni nell’esercito. Nel 1943 viene pubblicata Eve – A Pictorial Love Story, una graphic novel da lui scritta e illustrata.
Rientra allo studio Famous nel 1946, e per dieci anni è tra i principali animatori di Little Lulu e del fantasmino Casper.
Dal 1946 al 1949 disegna per il quotidiano New York Post la tavola settimanale a fumetti Happy the Humbug, i cui protagonisti sono dei buffi animaletti, ispirata a un programma radiofonico per bambini ideato da Steve Carlin.
Quando lo studio Famous cambia nome in Paramount alla fine del 1956, Waldman continua ad animare cortometraggi, restandovi fino al 1957 e tornando nel 1960.
Tra il 1958 e il 1968 è regista e direttore del reparto animazione presso lo studio di Hal Seeger, che produce serie quali Out of the Inkwell (ripresa di un vecchio cartone dei fratelli Fleischer), Milton the Monster e Batfink, nonché numerosi cortometraggi pubblicitari.
Nel 1960 realizza i disegni di scena per lo sfortunato quiz televisivo (una sola puntata viene trasmessa dalla CBS il 20 gennaio 1961) You’re in the Picture, presentato da Jackie Gleason.
Nel 1969 mette su un proprio studio dedicandosi all’animazione di cortometraggi pubblicitari, parte dei quali hanno come protagonisti due personaggi da lui animati presso lo studio Fleischer: Popeye (Braccio di Ferro) e Olive Oyl (Olivia). Insieme con Joe Henna realizza il cortometraggio The Tin Woodsman in Search of a Heart (1984), che si aggiudica un premio in occasione di un festival cinematografico internazionale. Lo studio chiude la sua attività alla metà degli anni Ottanta.
In seguito Waldman, che risiede a lungo a Long Island con la moglie Rosalie (conosciuta presso lo studio Fleischer) e i figli Robert e Steve, realizza diverse riproduzioni di celluloidi dipinte a mano con Popeye e Betty Boop. Inoltre tiene diverse conferenze sull’animazione alla Columbia University e alla New School.
Nel 1986 riceve il Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists Award, cui segue nel 1997 il Winsor McCay Award.
Tra il 1995 e il 2005 partecipa a trasmissioni televisive sull’animazione e appare come commentatore in alcune collezioni in video/DVD dei cartoni animati realizzati allo studio Fleischer.
Ritiratosi, Waldman scompare il 4 febbraio 2006 a Bethpage, nello stato di New York, in seguito a un attacco cardiaco.
Myron Waldman was born April 23, 1908 in Brooklyn, New York, to Barnet and Rebecca Lippman, respectively from Russia and Germany. He was the youngest of four sons. His brothers were Joseph, Max, and Herbert.
He made his debut in animation at seventeen years old, in the summer of 1925, contributing to Associated Animators’ Mutt and Jeff short as an opaquer.
After finishing high school, in 1926, he attended art courses at Pratt Institute for three years. During the same period he was a scenographer at a summer camp theater. There he met a lady who asked him if he would like to meet her neighbor Dave Fleischer. The latter appreciated Waldman’s artwork and invited him to meet his general manager. In 1930 Waldman joined the Fleischer Studio at 1600 Broadway, near Times Square. He worked as an opaquer for the first six months, then becoming an inker and an inbetweener. He became an animator early in 1931, contributing to such series as Screen Song, Betty Boop, and Popeye. In 1934 he became head animator, continuing to work on several shorts, and creating Pudgy the puppy for Betty Boop. In 1938 the studio moved to Miami, Florida, and Waldman was one of the main animators on the Gulliver’s Travels animated feature. In 1940-41 he was one of the animation directors on the next feature, Mr. Bug Goes to Town, which was unsuccessful. When the studio moved back to New York, Waldman went back to animating on such series as Animated Antics and Superman, as well as on the Raggedy Ann (and Raggedy Andy) featurette, from Johnny Gruelle’s stories. In 1942 Paramount took hold of the Fleischer studio, changing its name into Famous Studios. Waldman hardly had time to animate on a Superman short, as he was drafted on October 12, 1942. He spent three years in the Army, but Eve – A Pictorial Love Story, a graphic novel he wrote and illustrated, was published in 1943.
Waldman went back to Famous in 1946, and he was one of the main animators on Little Lulu and Casper for ten years.
From 1946-49, he drew the funny-animal Sunday page Happy the Humbug for the New York Post, based on Steve Carlin’s children’s radio show.
When Famous Studios was renamed Paramount at the end of 1956, Waldman continued animating shorts for another year, then going back for a while in 1960.
From 1958-68, he was head animator and director at the Hal Seeger studio, which produced such series as Out of the Inkwell (a revival of a classic Fleischer series), Milton the Monster, and Batfink, besides several animated commercials.
In 1960 he did drawings for the ill-fated CBS quiz show You’re in the Picture (which ran only once, on January 20, 1961), hosted by Jackie Gleason.
In 1969 he set up his own studio, working on animated TV commercials, part of which featured Popeye and Olive Oyl, characters he had animated at Fleischers. With Joe Henna he produced the Tin Woodsman in Search of a Heart (1984) short, which earned him an international movie festival prize. The Waldman studio folded in the mid-eighties. Subsequently Waldman, who had been living in Long Island with wife Rosalie (whom he had first met at the Fleischer studio) and sons Robert e Steve, did several hand-painted cel reproductions from Popeye and Betty Boop cartoons. He also held several lectures on animation at Columbia University and New School.
In 1986 he got the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists Award, followed by the Winsor McCay Award in 1997.
From 1995-2005 he took part in various TV shows on animation, and appeared in a few Fleischer video/DVD cartoon collections as a commentator.
Waldman passed away on February 4, 2006 in Bethpage, New York, after a heart attack.
FILMOGRAFIA / FILMOGRAPHY
[Note: All dates are day/month/year]
STUDIO: ASSOCIATED ANIMATORS 1925
Opacizzatore / Opaquer
1925 Mutt and Jeff
STUDIO: FLEISCHER 1930-1942
Opacizzatore/Inchiostratore/Intercalatore
Opaquer / Inker / Inbetweener
1930-1931 Cortometraggi non identificati / Unidentified shorts
Animatore / Animator 1931-1934
14/11/1931 By the Light of the Silvery Moon [Screen Song]
04/03/1932 Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie [Screen Song]
02/12/1932 Sing a Song [Screen Song]
06/04/1933 Popular Melodies [Screen Song]
21/04/1933 Betty Boop’s Birthday Party [Betty Boop]
28/04/1933 The Peanut Vendor [Screen Song]
08/06/1933 Boilesk [Screen Song]
11/09/1933 Betty Boop in I Heard [Betty Boop]
13/10/1933 Boo, Boo, Theme Song [Screen Song]
03/11/1933 Betty Boop’s Hallowe’en Party [Betty Boop]
10/11/1933 I Like Mountain Music [Screen Song]
09/02/1934 Let’s All Sing Like the Birdies Sing [Screen Song]
09/03/1934 Tune Up and Sing [Screen Song]
27/04/1934 Can You Take It? [Popeye]
15/06/1934 Betty Boop’s Trial [Betty Boop]
29/07/1934 Love Thy Neighbor [Screen Song]
03/08/1934 Poor Cinderella [Color Classic – con Betty Boop]
17/08/1934 There’s Something About a Soldier [Betty Boop]
21/09/1934 Betty Boop’s Little Pal [Betty Boop]
19/10/1934 Betty Boop’s Prize Show [Betty Boop]
16/11/1934 Keep in Style [Betty Boop]
12/12/1934 When My Sheep Comes in [Betty Boop]
Animatore capo / Head Animator 1934-1942
18/01/1935 Baby Be Good [Betty Boop]
15/02/1935 Taking the Blame [Betty Boop]
15/03/1935 Stop That Noise [Betty Boop]
24/05/1935 No! No! A Thousand Time No! [Betty Boop]
21/06/1935 A Little Soap and Water [Betty Boop]
19/07/1935 A Language All My Own [Betty Boop]
20/09/1935 Judge for a Day [Betty Boop]
22/11/1935 Betty Boop with Henry, the Funniest Living American [Betty Boop]
27/12/1935 Little Nobody [Betty Boop]
31/01/1936 Betty Boop and the Little King [Betty Boop]
28/02/1936 Not Now [Betty Boop]
27/03/1936 Betty Boop and Little Jimmy [Betty Boop]
17/07/1936 You’re Not Built That Way [Betty Boop]
18/09/1936 Training Pigeons [Betty Boop]
20/11/1936 Be Human [Betty Boop]
18/12/1936 Making Friends [Betty Boop]
28/06/1936 Hawaiian Birds [Color Classic]
12/02/1937 Bunny-Mooning [Color Classic]
09/04/1937 Pudgy Takes a Bow-Wow [Betty Boop]
14/05/1937 Pudgy Picks a Fight [Betty Boop]
27/08/1937 Peeping Penguins [Color Classic]
29/10/1937 Educated Fish [Color Classic]
24/06/1938 Hunky and Spunky [Color Classic]
28/10/1938 The Playful Polar Bears [Color Classic]
26/08/1938 All’s Fair at the Fair [Color Classic]
28/01/1938 Riding the Rails [Betty Boop]
25/03/1938 Honest Love and True [Betty Boop]
24/06/1938 Pudgy and the Lost Kitten [Betty Boop]
07/07/1939 Rhythm on the Reservation [Betty Boop]
06/01/1939 Always Kickin’! [Color Classic]
30/06/1939 The Barnyard Brat [Color Classic]
22/12/1939 Gulliver’s Travels
12/04/1940 Way Back When a Nag Was Only a Horse [Stone Age]
23/08/1940 You Can’t Shoe a Horsefly [Color Classic]
30/08/1940 Springtime in the Rock Age [Stone Age]
29/08/1941 Twinkletoes in Hat Stuff [Animated Antics]
09/01/1942 Superman in The Billion Dollar Limited [Superman]
24/04/1942 Superman in The Magnetic Telescope [Superman]
18/12/1942 Superman in The Japoteurs [Superman]
Animatore e regista / Animator and director 1940-1941
15/03/1940 Ants in the Plants [Color Classic]
10/01/1941 Problem Pappy [Popeye]
11/04/1941 Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy
09/05/1941 Popeye Meets Rip Van Winkle [Popeye]
04/12/1941 Mr. Bug Goes to Town
STUDIO: FAMOUS STUDIOS 1942/1946-1956
Animatore / Animator 1942/1946-1956
29/01/1943 Superman in The Mummy Strikes [Superman]
15/11/1946 Musicalulu [Little Lulu]
23/05/1947 Loose in a Caboose [Little Lulu]
18/07/1947 Cad and Caddy [Little Lulu]
10/10/1947 A Bout with a Trout [Little Lulu]
05/12/1947 Santa’s Surprise [Noveltoon]
27/02/1948 Flip Flap [Noveltoon]
23/04/1948 There’s Good Boos Tonight [Noveltoon]
07/05/1948 The Land of the Lost [Noveltoon]
21/01/1949 The Little Cut-Up [Noveltoon]
13/05/1949 A-Haunting We Will Go [Noveltoon – Casper]
15/07/1949 Toys Will Be Toys [Screen Song]
16/09/1949 Marriage Vows [Screen Song]
04/11/1949 Strolling Thru the Park [Screen Song]
25/11/1949 The Big Drip [Screen Song]
24/03/1950 Shortenin’ Bread [Screen Song]
31/03/1950 Teacher’s Pest [Noveltoon]
17/11/1950 Fiesta Time [Screen Song]
13/04/1951 Drippy Mississippi [Screen Song]
18/05/1951 Miners Forty Niners [Screen Song]
10/08/1951 Casper Comes to Clown [Casper]
30/05/1952 Spunky Skunky [Casper]
08/08/1952 Cage Fright [Casper]
14/11/1952 Forest Fantasy [Kartune]
26/12/1952 Feast and Furious [Noveltoon – Katnip]
13/03/1953 Spook No Evil [Casper]
17/04/1953 Winner by a Hare [Noveltoon]
15/05/1953 Herman the Catoonist [Herman & Katnip]
16/10/1953 Do or Diet [Casper]
25/12/1953 Boos and Saddles [Casper]
26/02/1954 Zero the Hero [Casper]
30/07/1954 The Oily Bird [Noveltoon]
15/10/1954 Boos and Arrows [Casper]
03/12/1954 Boo Ribbon Winner [Casper]
28/01/1955 Hide and Shriek [Casper]
27/05/1955 Spooking with a Brogue [Casper]
15/07/1955 Bull Fright [Casper]
17/08/1956 Line of Screammage [Casper]
Animatore e regista / Animator and director 1947-1955
30/01/1948 The Dog Show-Off [Little Lulu]
24/06/1949 Spring Song [Screen Song]
16/12/1949 Snow Foolin’ [Screen Song]
22/09/1950 Boos in the Nite [Casper]
06/01/1950 Land of the Lost Jewels [Noveltoon]
19/05/1950 Jingle Jangle Jungle [Screen Song]
21/07/1950 Pleased to Eat You [Noveltoon]
17/11/1950 Fresh Yeggs [Screen Song]
20/12/1950 Once Upon a Rhyme [Casper]
08/06/1951 To Boo or Not to Boo [Casper]
27/07/1951 Boo Scout [Casper]
10/08/1951 Casper Comes to Clown [Casper]
09/11/1951 Vegetable Vaudeville [Kartune]
07/12/1951 Casper Takes a Bow Wow [Casper]
15/02/1952 The Deep Boo Sea [Casper]
08/08/1952 Dizzy Dinosaurs [Kartune]
13/02/1953 Frightday the 13th [Casper]
03/07/1953 By the Old Mill Scream [Casper]
28/08/1953 Little Boo-Peep [Casper]
01/01/1954 Boo Moon [Casper]
16/07/1954 Puss n’ Boos [Casper]
23/12/1955 Red, White and Boo [Casper]
20/04/1956 Dutch Treat [Casper]
STUDIO: PARAMOUNT 1956-1957
Animatore / Animator 1956-1957
04/01/1957 Spooking About Africa [Casper]
24/01/1958 Heir Restorer [Casper]
28/02/1958 Spook and Span [Casper]
Animatore/Regista / Animator/Director 1956-1957
01/03/1957 Hooky Spooky [Casper]
24/05/1957 Peekaboo [Casper]
19/07/1957 Ghost of Honor [Casper]
30/08/1957 Ice Scream [Casper]
STUDIO: HAL SEEGER 1958-1960
Animatore Capo e regista / Head Animator and director
1958-1960 Cortometraggi pubblicitari [Jell-O et al]
STUDIO: PARAMOUNT 1960
Animatore / Animator
00/01/1961 The Phantom Moustacher [Modern Madcap]
00/08/1961 Cape Kidnaveral [Noveltoon]
STUDIO: HAL SEEGER 1960-1968
Animatore / Animator
1961-1962 Out of the Inkwell [Serie TV]
00/12/1963 Boy Pest with Osh [Muggy-Doo, Boy Cat]
07/12/1964 Lost Pursuit [Flukey Luke]
07/12/1964 Missing Masters [Flukey Luke]
07/12/1964 Tired Gun [Flukey Luke]
15/01/1965 You Auto Be in Pictures [Muggy-Doo, Boy Fox]
18/01/1965 Crumb Bumming [Muggy-Doo, Boy Fox]
00/00/1965 Martian Meet Their Match [Fearless Fly – pilot?]
12/03/1965 Fly by Might [Fearless Fly]
12/03/1965 Gogh Van Gogh [Muggy-Doo, Boy Fox]
22/04/1965 Goofy Dr. Goo Fee [Fearless Fly]
09/07/1965 Invincible Vs. Invisible [Fearless Fly]
21/05/1965 The Pot Thickens [Milton the Monster]
21/05/1965 Muggy Doo or Die [Muggy-Doo, Boy Fox]
10/09/1965 Medium Undone [Milton the Monster]
10/09/1965 Ghoul School [Milton the Monster]
22/10/1965 Goon Platoon [Milton the Monster]
22/10/1965 The Dummy Talks [Milton the Monster]
22/10/1965 V for Vampire [Milton the Monster]
06/12/1965 Montrous Escape [Milton the Monster]
12/01/1966 The Flying Cup and Saucer [Milton the Monster]
21/01/1966 From Riches to Rags [Muggy-Doo, Boy Fox]
07/02/1966 Fatty Karate [Fearless Fly]
07/02/1966 Stage Plight [Fearless Fly]
08/02/1966 Private Fly [Fearless Fly]
24/02/1966 Napoleon Bonafly [Fearless Fly]
08/03/1966 Monstrous Monster [Milton the Monster]
08/03/1966 Mummy’s Thumb [Milton the Monster]
21/04/1966 The Short Circuit Case [Batfink]
20/01/1967 The Sonic Boomer [Batfink]
20/01/1967 Nuts of the Round Table [Batfink]
20/01/1967 Myron the Magician [Batfink]
20/01/1967 Ebenezer the Freezer [Batfink]
20/01/1967 The Dirty Sinker [Batfink]
31/01/1967 A Living Doll [Batfink]
31/01/1967 Go Fly a Bat [Batfink]
06/02/1967 Spin the Batfink [Batfink]
13/03/1967 The Mark of Zero [Batfink]
23/03/1967 The Indian Taker [Batfink]
30/03/1967 Goldstinger [Batfink]
07/04/1967 The Beep Bopper [Batfink]
24/04/1967 Topsy Turvy [Batfink]
01/05/1967 The Kangarobot [Batfink]
12/05/1967 Robber Hood [Batfink]
01/06/1967 Backwards Box [Batfink]
08/06/1967 Double Double Crossers [Batfink]
21/06/1967 Hugo the Crimefighter [Batfink]
26/06/1967 Unhappy Birthday [Batfink]
30/06/1967 The Copycat Bat [Batfink]
03/08/1967 Blankenstein [Batfink]
12/09/1967 Ego A-Go-Go [Batfink]
04/10/1967 Father Time Bomb [Batfink]
04/10/1967 Batfink: This Is Your Life [Batfink]
STUDIO: WALDMAN 1969-1983
Regista e produttore / Director and producer
1969-1984 Cortometraggi pubblicitari / Animated commercials
Burlington Bed Sheets [con/with Popeye e/and Olive Oyl]
STUDIO: SHAMUS CULHANE PRODUCTIONS 1975-1976
Animatore / Animator
05/04/1976 Noah’s Animals
09/04/1977 King of the Beasts
STUDIO: JOLERON 1983
Regista, direttore artistico e scenografo / Director, art director and backgrounds 1983
00/00/1984 The Tin Woodsman in Search of a Heart: A Joleron Production Starring the Tin Woodsman from the Land of Oz [per American Heart Association]
FUMETTOGRAFIA / COMICOGRAPHY
COMIC BOOKS
Editore/Publisher: BETTER (aka STANDARD)
Red, Bloodhound Detective – Complete Book of Comics and Funnies #1 (1944).
FUMETTI PER QUOTIDIANI / NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIPS
Editore/Publisher: NEW YORK POST CORPORATION
Happy the Humbug – Tavola settimanale / Sunday page Nov 17 1946-Apr 3 1949.
LIBRI ILLUSTRATI / BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS
Editore/Publisher: STEVEN DAYE
Eve – A Pictorial Love Story (1943) – Testo e illustrazioni [Ristampato nel 1997] / Story and illustrations [Reprinted in 1997].
