Walter Lantz

Working until 1972 as one of animation’s longest-standing producers, Walter Lantz exemplifies the creative force of animation’s Golden Era. Landing his first animation studio position at age 16, with William Randolph Hearst, Lantz never did anything by halves. When Hearst closed the studio in 1918, Lantz continued working with other predecessors of modern animation from Barre/Bowers Studio, as well as John Bray’s group of artists. Lantz became known as an especially adept artist in his own right. After Bray closed shop, Lantz moved to California as a gag-writer with Mack Sennett. While working with Universal Studios, founder Carl Laemmle asked Lantz to start a new cartoon studio.

With Lantz as their producer, Universal acquired and refined Walt Disney’s creation, Oswald the Rabbit. Also, the first color cartoon with sound, an animated 2 ½ minute prologue to Universal’s feature film, King Of Jazz, was produced by Lantz crew in 1930. During mid-1930’s upheavals at Universal, Lantz opened his own studio with Universal’s blessing and financing.

Lantz was Andy Panda’s papa, and it was during Andy’s 1940 cartoon, “Knock Knock,” that Woody Woodpecker made his first cameo. Lantz’s lifelong wife, Gracie, named the character. Woody was designed and animated by Ben “Bugs” Hardaway, whose nickname was given to a very well-known Warner’s rabbit. It’s not coincidence that Woody’s crazed personality is very similar to his rodent Warner cousin’s. While Lantz was an excellent artist, one of his strengths was to enlist others who could convey the artistry, vitality and profound sense of life in Lantz productions. Besides Hardaway, the list of Lantz's talented alumni is a Who’s Who of animation. Tex Avery, Shamus Colane, Ed Benedict, Steve Bouts, Bill Nolan, Preston Blair, Alex Love, Dick Lundy, Mel Blanc, Michael Maltese and Ted Pierce all shared credits on Lantz productions.