Steve KrantzStephen Falk Krantz (May 20, 1923 – January 4, 2007) was a film producer and writer, most active from 1966 to 1996. He set up his own production company, Krantz Films, in 1966 and ran it as its founding head until 1974. CareerBorn in Brooklyn, New York City, Krantz graduated from Columbia University and went on to serve in the U.S. Army Air Forces in the Pacific during World War II as a second lieutenant. He worked as a comedy writer for Milton Berle and Steve Allen.
Independent animationThe terms independent animation or indie animation refers to animated shorts, web series, and feature films produced, financed and created outside a major national animation industry. United StatesIn America, working independent animators included Mary Ellen Bute, John Whitney, Harry Everett Smith and Oskar Fischinger alongside earlier efforts of what would later become UPA.
Famous StudiosFamous Studios (renamed Paramount Cartoon Studios in 1956) was the first animation division of the film studio Paramount Pictures from 1942 to 1967. Famous was established as a successor company to Fleischer Studios, after Paramount seized control of the studio amid the departure of its founders, Max and Dave Fleischer, in 1942.
Fritz the Cat (film)Fritz the Cat is a 1972 American adult animatedblackcomedy film written and directed by Ralph Bakshi in his directorial debut.
Fritz the CatFritz the Cat is a comic strip created by Robert Crumb. Set in a "supercity" of anthropomorphic animals, it focused on Fritz, a tabby cat who frequently went on wild adventures that sometimes involved sexual escapades. Crumb began drawing the character in homemade comic books as a child, and Fritz would become one of his best-known characters.TerrytoonsTerrytoons, Inc. was an American animation studio headquartered in New Rochelle, New York, which was active from 1929 until its closure on December 29, 1972 (and returned between 1987 and 1996 for television in name only). Founded by Paul Terry, Frank Moser, and Joseph Coffman, it operated out of the "K" Building in downtown New Rochelle and later nearby at 38 Centre Avenue.
Ralph BakshiRalph Bakshi (born October 29, 1938) is an American animator and filmmaker, known for his fantastical animated films. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. Between 1972 and 1994, he directed nine theatrically released feature films, predominantly urbandramas and fantasy films, five of which he wrote.
Paramount PicturesAmerican film and distribution companyParamount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American filmproduction and distribution company and a division of Skydance Corporation. Founded on May 8, 1912, it is the sixth-oldest global film studio and the second-oldest in the United States behind Universal Pictures, and it is one of the "Big Four" film studios.
Robert CrumbRobert Dennis Crumb (; born August 30, 1943), known professionally as R. Crumb, is an American comic book artist. His work displays a nostalgia for American folk culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and satire of contemporary American culture. Crumb contributed to many of the seminal works of the underground comix movement in the 1960s, including being a founder of the first successful underground comix publication, Zap Comix, contributing to all 16 issues.Adult animationAdult animation is animation in the form of films and television series that caters to general interests and is mainly targeted and marketed towards teenagers, young adults, and mature audiences as opposed to children or all-ages audiences.
CelA cel, short for celluloid, is a transparent sheet on which objects are drawn or painted for traditional, classical, hand-drawn animation. Actual celluloid (consisting of cellulose nitrate and camphor) was used during the first half of the 20th century. Since it was flammable and dimensionally unstable, celluloid was largely replaced by cellulose acetate (cellulose diacetate and cellulose triacetate) and polyester.
Urban fictionUrban fiction, also known as street lit or street fiction, is a literary genre set in a city landscape. The genre is defined by the socio-economic realities and culture of its characters as the urban setting. The tone for urban fiction is usually dark, focusing on the underside of city living. Profanity, sex, and violence are usually explicit, and most authors of this genre draw upon their past experiences to depict their storylines.
Fantasy filmFantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction films and horror films, although the genres do overlap. Fantasy films often have an element of magic, myth, wonder, escapism, and the extraordinary.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.