American filmmaker.

Ralph Bakshi
Ralph Bakshi
Born	October 29, 1938 Haifa, Palestine (now Israel)

Ralph Bakshi (October 29 1938) is an American director of animated and occasionally live-action films. As the American animation industry fell into decline during the 1960s and 1970s, Bakshi tried to bring change to the industry by creating and directing a number of animated feature films that were aimed at adults instead of children.

Ralph Bakshi's films have created controversy while continuously breaking new ground in the form. He encouraged the public to look at animation in a new way by creating worlds that are sometimes familiar and sometimes alien, whose power and strangeness are completely absorbing. He pioneered animation with adult themes using political commentary and satire.

Life and career

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Early days

Ralph Bakshi was born of Krymchak descent on October 29, 1938, in Haifa, then part of the British Mandate of Palestine. In 1939, his family came to New York to escape World War II. He grew up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. As a child, Bakshi loved comic books and art in general. He was also a boxer during his teen years. Bakshi first attended the Thomas Jefferson High School ^* then was transferred to the School of Industrial Art, where he graduated with an award in cartooning in 1957. Bakshi made a name for himself in animation during the fading days of theatrical studio cartoons. At the Terrytoons studio (best known for the Mighty Mouse cartoons), he started as a cel polisher then graduated to cel painting.

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