Yesterday Gene Dietich left us one of the outstanding director, entertainer and Oscar winner at the age of 95. Cartoonist who began his journey in the animation film industry in the United States when he was 20 years old and whose hands passed the key animations of well-known characters such as Tom and Jerry and the mythical Popeye.
Last Thursday he was found lifeless in his apartment in Prague and at the moment the reason for his death is unknown. A great cartoonist who gave life to the crazy adventures of the cat and the mouse and who has left a great mark on different generations, just like that Popeye with his can of spinach.
Gene Dietich was born on August 8, 1924 in the city of Chicago and in his career he achieved an Oscar for the short film "Munro." He went to California at the age of 20 to start his career as an illustrator, but had to enlist in American aviation until he could not continue in it due to a health problem.
He went back to California when he continued his career as a cartoonist to sign a contract with Terrytoons and in which he came to work as a creative director. An illustrator and animator who received multiple Oscar nominations for his animated shorts until his great triumph came when he was awarded the Oscar for best short for Munro.
In total directed 13 Tom and Jerry shorts between 1961 and 1962 and between 60 and 63 he worked with the Rembrandt Films company where he was in charge of Popeye. A series of characters who have had such an impact on pop culture that to this day they continue to serve as a source of inspiration for other artists like this project that we already discussed at the time in these parts. A great of animation has left us.