Over half a century ago, the UPA animation studio was a haven for misfit geniuses struggling to create relevant cartoon films in the face of political and cultural repression. Gambling the future of the company on an hourlong television special featuring their most popular recurring character, they created a wildly successful holiday classic.
The 2009 book Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol: the Making of the First Animated Christmas Special (now in a revised paperback edition) collects long buried archival material into an exhaustive artistic and historical document. Author Darrell Van Citters is joined by Magoo animator Jack Heiter to tell Words & Pictures listeners the story behind the Magoo story. Bill Dodge and S.W.Conser host.
For more audio about the history of the UPA studios, click here and here.
- KBOO