The Art and Inventions of Max Fleischer

March 15, 2017
The animated cartoon did not spring fully formed from the mind of Walt Disney. It took several industry innovators to develop the processes and equipment needed to produce this popular form of entertainment. One of them was Max Fleischer (18831972), inventor of the Rotoscope technique, in which animation was traced frame by frame over live-action film footage. Pointer's account of Fleischer's life and work draws on his own experience in film and animation as well as interviews with Fleischer family members. It is also stocked with previously unpublished photographs and artwork, including trade ads and patent diagrams. Unlike Walt Disney's cheerfully naturalistic cartoons, Fleischer's creations are a little dark, almost edgy, and have been described as reminiscent of German expressionism and even surrealism. In Fleischer's own words, If it can be done in real life, it ain't animation. Among the memorable cartoon characters to emerge from the inkwells of Fleischer Studios were Betty Boop, Popeye, and Olive Oyl. The story of this artist-inventor and the early days of animation will appeal to all interested in film history and iconic cartoons.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)