“I’m giving the credits, but who do I blame?” 

It’s been a long time since I was born, left-handed and eager, and as I write this blog/book at age 88, I’m lucky to still be extant, and still able to communicate.

Why am I doing this blog?

1. Not for money, it’s a full time, no-pay job, which costs me money.

2. For myself. I’m doing it in the belief that it may conceivably ward off dementia; it’s taxing my memory to the max.

3. For you, in the possibly misguided belief that my creative adventures and strivings might ring some of your bells, and even be useful to you; at least hand you some laughs, and at best show you some interesting stuff you didn’t know about.

An old radio soap opera opening blurb prompts this variation:

“Here is the story of a boy from a poor Jewish family, with barely a high school education, who found happiness and fulfillment in the world of bargain basement animation!”

I’ve been extremely lucky, doing what I’m advising strivers to do in my other blog, “How To Succeed in Animation,” (With forbearance, you can read it all at awn.com/genedeitch) My advice on that site is: “Make Luck Happen.” I explain there some ways how to do it.

Here’s an early lucky break, which I must have made happen:

That over-the-top headline “Deitch, The Idea Man,” on the first newspaper article about me as an animator, was not made up by me!  It was from the October 16 1958 issue of the New York Journal American. That article didn’t save the Journal American from extinction.  I’m so far surviving, but not because I have any magic wand to concoct brilliant ideas out of thin air…

“Hey gang, let’s make a light bulb!”

I’ve made several talks about idea creation. I wished that the headline on that 1958 article had read, “Deitch, The Creative Problem Solver!”  That in fact is what I have tried to be.

John Hubley taught me that a proper film story has to be “about something.”  Not all film writers care about that.

Commercial clients came to me with simple-minded problems. They wanted to sell a product.  I would have to ask myself, “Why did they make it? To fill a presumed or imagined demand?  What does it do better than any other similar product? Why do we need or want it? What happens to us if we go on without it?  How will this thing actually improve our lives? In most cases all of the answers will be negative. Our ideas were needed, but the best ones were rarely used.

But beyond advertising; beyond selling, just look at the world around us. Problems abound! Some seem impossible to solve. The weather! Weather patterns right now appear to be rapidly and widely changing for the worse. Floods, Tsunamis, heatwaves, earthquakes, tornadoes, lightning strikes, snow storms… in rapid succession… challenge our material and financial resources. Can we cope with, or change the weather?

Politics! Conflicts! Hatreds! Jealousy! Violence! War! Power Struggles! Thievery! Destruction!   They all threaten our peace, our property, our lives.  All huge problems!

Can we do anything about them?  Are there any solutions? Will praying help? Among the destruction are often churches…

From time to time, individual thinkers, activists, leaders, preachers, ideologists emerge, promise solutions and gain followers. Most of us are hardly up to that, and can only focus on our micro problems; raising our kids, getting and keeping a job, getting rich, or at least avoiding poverty, being and staying healthy, being safe.

Some of us would actually like to repay the luck of our birth, widen our interests, and actually make a difference in the world. Is that realistic? Some of us try to think beyond ourselves and teach our children to do likewise; to attempt to do something meaningful, to better our families, our communities, our world!

There are plenty of problems needing solving. The first question is: are we educated enough to solve any of them? Are we capable of producing something useful? Package and distribute good products? Cure a disease? Improve government? Fight crime? Support education?  Eliminate waste?  Clear our air and waters?  Ideas are needed!

Ideas are formed when creative minds are confronted with specific problems!  It’s a step-by-step process.

In my work as a scenarist, creating my own stories, or in adapting books by other authors to film, I try to follow the basic principles of finding “the core of meaning,” which is my own wording of “What’s it about?” I am strongly influenced by the book, The Art of Dramatic Writing, by Lajos Egri. I’ve tried earnestly to follow his definition of “Premise.” If you can’t work out a three or four word premise of the story you’re trying to write, you should consider throwing it in the wastebasket. I strongly recommend Egri’s book to anyone who wants to write stories, books, plays and screenplays that are truly “about something,” and to truly master “creative problem solving,” and become real “Idea People.”

All of the people I have written about in this blog/book had ideas. They showed me the many ways they found to confront and solve problems they faced, some trivial, many meaningful, all inspiring to me.

I have learned from them. I hope they will remind you of people you knew and who inspired you.

I’ve been extremely lucky, doing what I’m advising others in my other blog, “How To Succeed in Animation,” (With patience you can read at awn.com/genedeitch ) My advice on that site is: “Make Luck Happen.,” I explain some ways how to do it.

I’m lucky enough to have had so many people boost me, help me and work with me.  I’m always aware of the fact that all the honors laid on me by many festivals and film societies, the goldish statuettes and medals, and all the great publicity, should include my many great colleagues who worked with me. I am not a one-man-show-doing-it-all-by-myself.  I can take credit for thinking up some stuff, and giving others some ideas how to make it work, and doing a lot of the work myself, but there’ve been a lot of brilliant people who have done amazing things on my films to make concepts a reality.  That’s why I’ve been “Rolling The Credits” with this blog!

The many animation writers and historians that have honored me in their magazine articles and book chapters, and the school and film organizations that have actually paid me to speak to them, surely realize that I’m not Frederic Back or Norman McLaren. I have rarely made a film all by myself.  I have always enjoyed the input and support of a studio full of talented people; colleagues and friends!

Among the professional animation boosters I owe great thanks to are Jerry Beck, Gian Alberto Bendazzi, John Cech, Karl Cohen, Shamus Culhane, John Culhane, Gary Groth, Leonard Maltin, Dan Sarto, Joe Sikoryak, Amid Amidi, Gunnar Strom…and many more. It was Jerry Beck who suggested that I write this book, and who has gifted me with his advice, and publicity. Many thanks to him and to all those clients who have fed me with an uniterrupted flow of steady work over a period of 65 years.

I don’t mean to pass over Jerry Beck that quickly. He was actually the Main Man in prompting and supporting me with “Roll The Credits!” His encouragement, tips, and publicity got me off the ground and kept me aloft from beginning to end! His and Amid Amidi’s Cartoon Brew site is the main force in keeping alive the tradition of drawn animation, which I believe continues to be the most unllimited future of animation. The millions of years in the development of graphic art simply cannot be rubbed out by CGI! To Jerry, and to all the other people I should also be thanking (if I just could remember all of your names!) I extend not only my thanks, but the hope I will hear from them, their thoughts and ideas! .

For the great technical work this blog has needed and will continue to need, I  thank Zachary “Hary’’ Jordanov (PixelPUSHERZ.eu), an artist in his own work, fellow striver, and Apple computer master, for his help in constructing and maintaining this site, while patiently coaching me how to do the posting myself.

Now it’s time to “Roll the Credits!“ Here is a partial list of greats who worked with me during my 65 years in animation; people who made me look good!

Adolf Born            Al Kouzel            Allen Swift            Art Bartsch            Bard Wiggenhorn

Bill Bernal            Bill Focht            Bill Hilliker            Bill Murray            Bjorn Wiinblad

Bob Kuwahara            Bobe Cannon            Bohumil Šiška            Bořík Šejda

Carlos Surinach            Celestino Piatti            Chris Ishii            Cliff Roberts

Connie Rasinski            Crockett Johnson            Dave Tendlar            Diane Paterson

Dick Bruna            Duane Crowther            Ed Donnelly            Ed Emberly

Eli Bauer            Eric Jan Harmsen            Ernie Pintoff            Ferda Havlík

Franta Vysterčil            František Mlčák            Fred Crippen            Gabina Kovářová

Gail E. Haley            George Singer            Gordon Gullickson            Grim Natwick

Harry Bliss            Helme Heine            Irena Jandová            Isaak Bashevis Singer

Jack Goodford            James Flora            James Marshall            Jarka Blagoevová

Jarka Havettová            Jarka Zlesáková            James Marshall            Jim Cantwell

Jim Fekete            Jim Tyer            Jindra Barta            Jiří Kolafa

Jiří Plass            Jiří Šalamoun            Jiří Trnka            Jiřina Pěčová

Jirka Michl            John Simek            Johnny Gentilella            John Hubley

Jules Feiffer            Karel Velebný            Ken Drake            Larry Silverman

Larz Bourne            Leo & Dianne Dillon            Lionel Wilson            Lu Garnier

Lucie Dvořáková            Manny Davis            Marketa Křížová            Maurice Sendak

Michael Forman            Milada Kačenová            Milan Klikar            Milka Hluchaníčová

Mirek Kačena            Mirko Hanák            Mort Schindel            Nadine Westcott

Oldřich Haberle            Olga Šišková            Pat Hutchins            Paul Breese

Paul Jennings            Petr Fašionok            Petr Fridl            Pieter Spier

Quentin Blake            R.O.Blechman            Ray Favata            Richard Williams

Rosemary Wells            Rudy Zamora            Saul Steinberg            Slava Šramek

Stěpán Koníček            Svend Otto Sørensen            Tomi Ungerer            Tomie de Paola

Tommy Morrison            Václav Bedřich            Věra Heinzová            Věra Kudrnová

Věra Marešová            Vinnie Bell            Vratá Hlavatý            Wardell Gaynor

William Steig            Zdenek Kovář            Zdenka Deitchová            Zdeněk Smetana

Zdenka Hajdová          Zdenka Navratilová          Zdenka Skřípková           Zdenek Zdenek

Anatomy of an Oscar: