Oh why is it that the very best people in the world eventually have to die?
Oliver Postgate was the man behind so many popular children's television animated character puppet series on British TV for many years. They were so good that even us adults enjoyed them. My personal favourite was 'The Clangers' - they never spoke, but their whistle sounds were far more expressive than human speech could ever attain!
He must surely go into the children's 'Hall of Fame' alongside Fred Quimby, who was the man behind the 'Tom and Jerry' cartoons.
For more details follow this link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7772620.stm
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4 comments:
We'll never see the likes of people like him again. I think the chap who did Wallace and Gromit (can't remember his name, is it Nick Parks) is absolutely brilliant. My favourite is "Chicken Run". I watch it time and time again just to see the facial expressions, they say more than words can describe.
Yes, it was Nick Parks. Had to Google him to confirm, and just spent a fascinating half hour or so reading about him and stories about his animations - he's extremely talented! Peter Sallis OBE (one of my favourite actors in 'Last of the Summer Wine') of course did the voice-over for Wallace, a voice which I've always thought suited him perfectly. Sallis is himself now well into his eighties!
Yes, I too have fond memories of Bagpuss and Co. Our girls enjoyed watching them back in the 1980s.
Unfortunately have to say that personally I didn't think Bagpuss was one of his best, as good as it is. However it's a very good example of taking an appealing fluffy animated character, identifying a target market, and then with heavy advertising (with ready-made 'branding') into that market and successfully volume selling overpriced merchandise.
I see Bagpuss is set to make a come-back, I wonder if the theoretical Sales and Marketing stuff (above) will work a second time around? No I think it's more a case that these animated characters never really lose their popularity anyway, especially if they came from the likes of Oliver Postgate, Nick Parks, etc., etc.
(But then there's also the now sadly unrecognised artists behind such as Pooh Bear, Captain Pugwash, Noddy & Big Ears, Andy Pandy, Muffin the Mule, Bill & Ben, etc., and even Bambi, who have all been derided over recent years due to silly 'political correctness'. .........Grump!)
(To explain, according to the p.c. bods, for example: Pooh Bear was obese, Captain Pugwash & co. were obsessed with sex, Muffin the Mule [err, is self explanatory!], Bill & Ben were gay, and Bambi was a lesbian! The claim is that the likes of these corrupt children.
'Certainly never did Me any harm, in fact for many years my pet dog was the closest best friend I had!!!!!!!!).
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