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Fire And Ice, Wizards: Ralph Bakshi And Frank Frazetta
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Published: April 12, 2007
The general public tends to think of animation as a form of entertainment created solely for children and families. This mentality is not surprising when one considers the roots of animation. From its introduction and acceptance in mainstream culture, animation has continually produced childish characters that sought to entertain, not shock.
But in recent decades, there has been a reevaluation of the animation industry, with artists looking to address cultural violence and social injustice through this particular medium.
One of the innovators of this form of animation is Ralph Bakshi. Ralph Bakshi used animation as a way to portray the rampant violence and criminal underbelly endemic in American society. By using the medium of animation, Ralph Bakshi was able to accentuate these activities without having to fight the strong censorship of the major movie companies. The result of this endeavor saw him become one of the most influential animation artists in contemporary culture. The public reacted positively to Bakshi's stylization of criminal behavior and garnered him with praise as both a cultural critic and artistic innovator.
Ralph Bakshi was born in Haifa—then a part of the British Mandate of Palestine—on October 29, 1938. In 1939, as the clouds of the Second World War gathered over the European continent, Ralph Bakshi and his family moved to New York. Bakshi began his career working at Terrytoons studio, eventually animating and directing shows such as Mighty Mouse Series. Eventually, after working at various studios, Bakshi opened his own studio in 1968 and began producing a televised animated series based on the comic book character Spider Man . It wasn't long until Bakshi decided to start producing feature-length films and ultimately, altered the animation industry landscape.
Fritz the Cat , based on Robert Crumb's comic book, was the first animated feature that Ralph Bakshi produced. The movie would become one of the most influential works in the history of animation. Not only was it the first animated film to garner an X rating, but it was also one of the few films willing to address issues such as violence and race in popular culture. Thanks to the courage and audacity of Ralph Bakshi, animation would never be the same. Ralph Bakshi went on to lead other feature-length films that continued to push the boundaries of cultural tolerance. Today, violence in animation seems common, but we have Ralph Bakshi to thank for expanding the cultural reach of a new and exciting medium to include social criticism.
After producing a series of inner-city themed animated films, Ralph Bakshi decided to entirely change genres and began working on science fiction/fantasy films. Two of the most famous fantasy films are Wizards and Fire and Ice . Wizards was the first fantasy of Ralph Bakshi and saw him expand the palette of the animation audience by offering a whole new genre and thematic approach. Later, Bakshi would work with acclaimed artist Frank Frazetta on Fire and Ice . The film was a commercial and cultural flop, but recently, it's become a campy cult classic amongst fans. Both Fire and Ice and Wizards offer consumers with vivid, surreal animation with classic fantasy story lines—filled with burly men, wizards, and drama.
Frank Frazetta, himself a famous and respected artist, and Thomas Kinkade both worked with Ralph Bakshi on Fire and Ice . Today, both Frank Frazetta and Thomas Kinkade are artistic powerhouses. Thomas Kinkade's website claims he is the most collected living American Artist. These connections simply highlight the extent of Ralph Bakshi's effect on American Culture.
Ralph Bakshi exemplifies the best attributes of any artist: innovation, quality, and courage. He brushed aside the boundaries of popular culture and changed the perception of animation in the artistic landscape. Ralph Bakshi established animation as a form of cultural criticism and high-art, a trend and belief that continues today.
Sources:
Ralph Bakshi: Biography. Bakshi Productioins. 2007. 12 April 2007.
http://www.ralphbakshi.com/bio.php.
Frank Frazetta Biography. Frazzetaartgallery.com. 2006. 12 April 2007.
http://www.frazettaartgallery.com/ff/bio/index.h tml.
Thomas Kinkade: The Artist. The Thomas Kinkade Company. 2007. 12 April 2007.
www.thomaskinkade.com/magi/servlet/com.asucon.eb iz.biography.web.tk.BiographyServlet
Related Articles
One of the innovators of this form of animation is Ralph Bakshi. Ralph Bakshi used animation as a way to portray the rampant violence and criminal underbelly endemic in American society. By using the medium of animation, Ralph Bakshi was able to accentuate these activities without having to fight the strong censorship of the major movie companies. The result of this endeavor saw him become one of the most influential animation artists in contemporary culture. The public reacted positively to Bakshi's stylization of criminal behavior and garnered him with praise as both a cultural critic and artistic innovator.
Ralph Bakshi was born in Haifa—then a part of the British Mandate of Palestine—on October 29, 1938. In 1939, as the clouds of the Second World War gathered over the European continent, Ralph Bakshi and his family moved to New York. Bakshi began his career working at Terrytoons studio, eventually animating and directing shows such as Mighty Mouse Series. Eventually, after working at various studios, Bakshi opened his own studio in 1968 and began producing a televised animated series based on the comic book character Spider Man . It wasn't long until Bakshi decided to start producing feature-length films and ultimately, altered the animation industry landscape.
Fritz the Cat , based on Robert Crumb's comic book, was the first animated feature that Ralph Bakshi produced. The movie would become one of the most influential works in the history of animation. Not only was it the first animated film to garner an X rating, but it was also one of the few films willing to address issues such as violence and race in popular culture. Thanks to the courage and audacity of Ralph Bakshi, animation would never be the same. Ralph Bakshi went on to lead other feature-length films that continued to push the boundaries of cultural tolerance. Today, violence in animation seems common, but we have Ralph Bakshi to thank for expanding the cultural reach of a new and exciting medium to include social criticism.
After producing a series of inner-city themed animated films, Ralph Bakshi decided to entirely change genres and began working on science fiction/fantasy films. Two of the most famous fantasy films are Wizards and Fire and Ice . Wizards was the first fantasy of Ralph Bakshi and saw him expand the palette of the animation audience by offering a whole new genre and thematic approach. Later, Bakshi would work with acclaimed artist Frank Frazetta on Fire and Ice . The film was a commercial and cultural flop, but recently, it's become a campy cult classic amongst fans. Both Fire and Ice and Wizards offer consumers with vivid, surreal animation with classic fantasy story lines—filled with burly men, wizards, and drama.
Frank Frazetta, himself a famous and respected artist, and Thomas Kinkade both worked with Ralph Bakshi on Fire and Ice . Today, both Frank Frazetta and Thomas Kinkade are artistic powerhouses. Thomas Kinkade's website claims he is the most collected living American Artist. These connections simply highlight the extent of Ralph Bakshi's effect on American Culture.
Ralph Bakshi exemplifies the best attributes of any artist: innovation, quality, and courage. He brushed aside the boundaries of popular culture and changed the perception of animation in the artistic landscape. Ralph Bakshi established animation as a form of cultural criticism and high-art, a trend and belief that continues today.
Sources:
Ralph Bakshi: Biography. Bakshi Productioins. 2007. 12 April 2007.
http://www.ralphbakshi.com/bio.php.
Frank Frazetta Biography. Frazzetaartgallery.com. 2006. 12 April 2007.
http://www.frazettaartgallery.com/ff/bio/index.h tml.
Thomas Kinkade: The Artist. The Thomas Kinkade Company. 2007. 12 April 2007.
www.thomaskinkade.com/magi/servlet/com.asucon.eb iz.biography.web.tk.BiographyServlet
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