Gene Deitch, the Oscar winning animator, filmmaker and illustrator who created the animation history’s most famous characters Tom and Jerry and Popeye, passed away at the age of 95, according to social media and entertainment publisher, Ladbible.
Czech publisher Petr Himmel confirmed the news of Deitch’s unexpected death. ‘Deitch’s was at his home in Prague on Thursday night’ is the only detail provided regarding his death.
RecommendedMust Read
The artist is survived by his wife and three sons from a previous marriage. All his sons have followed in their father and mother’s footsteps to become cartoonists and animators as well.
Deitch was born in Chicago in 1924 but his childhood was spent in California. After a briefly serving the military, he quickly made his name as an animation artist and began to receive recognition from those within his industry.
Deitch moved to Czechoslovakia with his first wife and fellow animator Zdenka Najmanova in 1959 where he created more than 70 animated movies, as well as seven television series.
He also wrote a memoir about his life living as an American in Prague under the dictatorship of the Communist Party.
His book For the Love of Prague describes his life as “the only free American living and working in Prague during 30 years of the Communist Party dictatorship.”
He said that the authorities never bothered or interfered with him during that time he worked for a worldwide audience. He even managed to direct 13 episodes of Tom and Jerry, and some of the Popeye the Sailor series from behind the Iron Curtain.
However, in 1969 his film The Giants (Obri) was banned by then Czech government for the perceived criticism of the 1968 Soviet invasion of the country.
Among numerous awards and accolades that he received during his career, he also received the Winsor McCay Award in 2004 as recognition for his long-standing contribution to the world of animated cinema.
