Max Fleischer Overview

Brothers Max and Dave Fleischer, the sons of European immigrants, arrived in New York City in 1887. As a teenager, Max attended various trade schools and art programs before he began work as a cartoonist, photographer, and photo-engraver for the Brooklyn... [more]

Brothers Max and Dave Fleischer, the sons of European immigrants, arrived in New York City in 1887. As a teenager, Max attended various trade schools and art programs before he began work as a cartoonist, photographer, and photo-engraver for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Both brothers took up animation at Joseph Bray's studio, and it was there that they learned their craft. In 1921, the Fleischer brothers decided to strike out on their own, and founded Out of the Inkwell Films. In one of their first releases, "Modeling," they rendered Koko the clown with an animation innovation they dubbed "rotoscoping." To make the animation as crisp and realistic as possible, the two developed the rotoscoping method to capture real movement. For Koko's segments, Dave donned a clown suit and performed in front of a motion picture camera. The film was then processed and displayed on an animation cel, where an artist would trace Dave's movement, frame by frame. When the cels were put onto film again, the physical movements were more realistic and natural than anything previously seen. The brothers patented the process and would continue to use it throughout their careers. Not content to limit themselves to regular animation, the Fleischers made forays into the more expensive clay animation. They also mixed live action with animation by filming footage of themselves, then carefully placing cutouts of Koko onto each individual frame. The breakthrough made the brothers famous, and in 1928 they renamed their enterprise Fleischer Studios. Within a few years, Fleischer Studios grew into one of the most important animation studios in America. Max focused his attention on the business side of things, while his younger brother turned his energies to animation. As their "Koko the Clown" series grew in popularity, the brothers sought to introduce new characters that could eventually spin off into their own stories. The Fleischers' most famous character was initially designed as a cute and charming dog. After a makeover that included spit curls and earrings, the character morphed into a flirtatious hottie named Betty Boop. Betty Boop was sexually in-the-know -- something rarely seen in the world of animation. While she flourished in the '20s, the introduction of the Hays Code, which censored anything it saw as licentious in films, dampened Boop's sexuality, and her appeal was effectively killed. As the studio grew, the Fleischers expanded their line to include Popeye and an animated adaptation of the classic "Gulliver's Travels." On the tail of these '30s successes, they were contracted in 1941 to animate a new comic book character created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Seigel. Using their rotoscoping technology and state-of-the-art animation techniques, the Fleischers turned Superman into a highflying man of steel. The cartoons were breathtaking in their accurate depiction of movement and gorgeous in their detail. In fleshing out Superman's character, they were also responsible for creating the famous catchphrases "faster than a speeding bullet" and "Look! Up in the sky -- it's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!" When the Fleishers' studio was acquired by Paramount a few years later, the brothers were asked to compete with Disney by creating a full-length animated feature. The new owners wanted them to cash in on the success of their "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" by making a feature entitled "Mr. Bug Goes to Town." Despite the brothers' objections, the studio threw a great deal of money and effort towards making a worthwhile film. Unfortunately, the timing was terrible -- due to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the film's release was pushed back. When finally released, the film was supported with very little advance publicity and almost no advertising. Not surprisingly, it was a complete flop. While the Fleischers' animated body of work is quite remarkable, their legacy has been their influence on future animators. To this day, the Superman cartoons are considered a benchmark in animation history. The rotoscoping technique, with its blending of live action and animation, has inspired films from "Pete's Dragon" to "Who Framed Roger Rabbit." Although the name "Koko the Clown" might draw a blank for many younger cartoon aficionados, the Fleischers' innovations remain the foundation for much of today's sophisticated animation. [show less]