Here is the long overdue first biographical reference and first book of its kind to chronicle the amazing careers of nearly 300 of animation's most honored and recognized animator-directors and animator-producers from around the world. Publication coincides with the 100th anniversary celebration of the very first American animated cartoon, Humorous Phases of Funny Faces, released on April 16, 1906. From Max Fleischer (Betty Boop, Popeye) to Brad Bird (The Simpsons, The Incredibles), Ralph Bakshi (Fritz the Cat) to Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away), they are all here. With more than 70 never-before published photos and illustrations, including a full-color section of animation art, culled from private collections and many animators' personal collections, this book is an invaluable guide to the people who have shaped cinematic and television animation for decades to come.
Jeff Lenburg is an award-winning author of 30 popular non-fiction and fiction books that have have been nominated for several awards, including the American Library Association's 'Best Non-Fiction Award' and the Evangelical Christian Publisher Association's 'Gold Medallion Award' for 'Best Autobiography/Biography.'
As a teenager, Jeff began interviewing many famous Hollywood personalities and became a frequent contributor to many leading and respected film journals and magazines that published his freelance work.
Jeff's most recently published titles include his forthcoming guide to a career in film, television and games animation, "Career Opportunities in Animation" (Ferguson Publishing); his revised second edition of his acclaimed writing and research reference, "The Facts On File Guide to Research"; his third of edition of so-called "Bible" on the history of more than 3,100 animated cartoons, "The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons" (Facts On File); and his first critically-acclaimed mystery novel, "Scared to Death: A Lori Matrix Hollywood Mystery" (iUniverse).
One of the nation's premier celebrity biographers, Jeff has penned such best-selling biographies as "All The Gold In California and Other Places, People & Things" (Thomas Nelson Publishers), the autobiography of Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Larry Gatlin; "Peekaboo: The Story of Veronica Lake" (St. Martin's Press); "Dudley Moore: An Informal Biography" (Delilah Books); "Dustin Hoffman: Hollywood's Antihero" (St. Martin's Press); "Steve Martin: An Unauthorized Biography" (St. Martin's Press), and numerous others. He also co-wrote with radio/TV legend Gary Owens the long-awaited autobiographical 'how-to,' "How to Make a Million Dollars With Your Voice (Or Lose Your Tonsils Trying)"(McGraw Hill).
An acknowledged authority on cartoon animation, Jeff has spent three decades preserving its history. He has penned seven books about this lively art: the first-ever "Who's Who in Animated Cartoons: An International Guide to Film and Television's Award-Winning and Legendary Animators" (Applause); three editions of "The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons" (Facts On File), the most comprehensive history on animated cartoons ever produced; "The Great Cartoon Directors" (DaCapo Press); and two editions of "The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoon Series" (Arlington House Publishers), the first reference book on animated cartoons ever produced.
In 1991, in recognition of his contributions to the world of animation, Jeff was inducted into Hollywood's 'Cartoon Legends Walk of Fame' along with cartoon icons William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, Friz Freleng, June Foray and Don Messick.
Jeff is also a leading expert on the Three Stooges comedy team. A close friend of Stooges Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser and Joe DeRita (and the only author-historian to have known them), he has co-written two books about this wacky comedy trio: "The Three Stooges Scrapbook'(Citadel Press), the official, authorized history, and "Once A Stooge, Always A Stooge" (Roundtable Publishing), the autobiography of Three Stooges member Joe Besser. In 1983, along with radio-TV legend Gary Owens and his twin brother Greg, he spearheaded a nationwide write-in campaign that earned the Stooges their long overdue star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
A long-time baseball enthusiast, Jeff is also the author of the critically acclaimed, definitive history of baseball's mid-summer classic, "Baseball's All-Star Game: A Game-by-Game Guide" (McFarland & Company).
Likewise Jeff has interviewed dozens of other major personalities, world figures and headline-makers, including baseball Hall of Famers George Brett and Nolan Ryan, tennis champ Chris Evert, former First Lady Betty Ford, media magnate Walter Annenberg (founder of "TV Guide"), and former New York policeman Frank Serpico.
A popular media figure, Jeff has appeared on more than 100 major radio and television programs worldwide, including "BBC Live," NBC's "Today Show," "Entertainment Tonight," CNN's "Showbiz Today," and E!'s "Mysteries & Scandals." He makes his home near Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife Debby.
