Out of the inkwell : Max Fleischer and the animation revolution / Richard Fleischer ; with a foreword by Leonard Maltin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Fleischer, Richard.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Fleischer, Max, 1883-1972.

Fleischer, Max.

Animators--United States--Biography.

Animators.

United States.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xii, 184 pages, 32 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Lexington : University Press of Kentucky, [2005]

Summary:

Max Fleischer (1883-1972) was for years considered Walt Disney's only real rival in the world of cartoon animation. The man behind the creation of such legendary characters as Betty Boop and the animation of Popeye the Sailor and Superman, Fleischer asserted himself as a major player in the development of Hollywood entertainment.

Out of the Inkwell: Max Fleischer and the Animation Revolution is a vivid portrait of the life and world of a man who shaped the look of cartoon animation. While deeply engaged with his characters, Fleischer also sought ways to improve his art through technical innovation. Among the many patented inventions Fleischer created was his Rotoscope, a device that helped track live action on-screen and revolutionized the way animated characters appeared and moved.

In the 1920s, Fleischer created a series of "Out of the Inkwell" films, which led to a deal with Paramount. Films featuring the character Ko-Ko the Clown introduced new special effects such as startling combinations of live action and animation. In one piece, Ko-Ko emerges from an inkblot and appears on-screen with footage of Fleischer himself. As the sound revolution hit film, the studio produced shorts featuring the characters interacting with songs. The Fleischers involved jazz artists such as Cab Calloway and Louis Armstrong, and the sound cartoons were a howling success.

In the next decade, Fleischer Studios produced the features Gulliver's Travels and Mr. Bug Goes to Town and soon went to work on an animated Superman series, which won widespread critical and popular acclaim. In spite of its great popularity and success, however, the studio was abruptly closed. The animated cartoon industry was shocked, and the event went unexplained for many years. Now, Max's son Richard has at last solved the mystery of the shuttering of Fleischer Studios.

Max Fleischer's story is one of a creative genius struggling to fit in with the changing culture of golden age cinema. Out of the Inkwell captures the twists and turns, the triumphs and disappointments, and most of all the breathless energy of a life vibrantly lived in the world of animation magic.

Contents:

1 They say that it's difficult being a famous man's son 1

2 Two years after joining the Brooklyn Daily Eagle 9

3 If ever a job was tailor-made for anyone 13

4 Brimming with pride and high hopes, Max 23

5 Late in 1920, the Bray organization 31

6 There were three movie "palaces" in midtown 39

7 Taking a page from his former employer 45

8 The addition of sound to the Fleischer cartoons 49

9 Clearly, Max was riding the crest of a wave 53

10 The fortunes of the Fleischer family 59

11 Several times during the writing of these pages 63

12 Although this book is primarily about Max 77

13 Fleischer Studios prospered 83

14 Because of Max and Dave's personalities 87

15 Max was a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker 93

16 Work at the New York studio continued 97

17 Paramount insisted on a Christmas release date 101

18 The studio's move from New York to Miami 107

19 Max opened the contract, read the first paragraph 113

20 After the initial shock of the Paramount takeover 119

21 Almost before the news of the studio's sudden 125

22 It seems that Max's aim in life was to be 131

23 Leonard Miltonberg ran a company in 141

24 He wrote myriad and lengthy memos 147

25 The lawsuit against Paramount et al 151

26 The whole thing was incomprehensible to me 155

27 The article concerned a new copyright law 163

28 The year 1972 turned out to be 169.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

0813123550

OCLC:

58526607