Hoodoo
2010-05-20 22:50:50 UTC
April 22, 2010
Ted Petok: Cartoonist won Oscar in '71 for short film
BY JOE ROSSITER
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
http://www.freep.com/article/20100422/NEWS08/4220397/1010/News08/Ted-Petok-Cartoonist-won-Oscar-in-71-for-short-film
Ted Petok, a metro Detroit cartoonist and illustrator who won an Academy
Award for an animated film about a shaggy feathered bird, died Tuesday
of coronary artery disease in Rockville, Md. He was 93.
The former West Bloomfield resident had moved to the Landow House
assisted living facility in Rockville a few months ago to be nearer to
family.
"The Crunch Bird," an animated short about a cranky bird with a
voracious appetite, was less than three minutes long and was produced
and directed by Mr. Petok.
Encouraged by a local theater owner, he submitted the film for
consideration and won an Oscar in 1971 in the short animated films category.
"Nobody was more amazed when he won than my dad," said his son Bill
Petok. "The award was presented by Cloris Leachman and Richard
Roundtree, and his response was, 'Oh boy, 'Crunch Bird,' my Oscar!' "
A native Detroiter, Mr. Petok graduated from Central High School in 1934
and briefly attended art school in Chicago. He worked in New York City
as a cartoon illustrator for magazines, then returned to Detroit in 1935
to work with Jam Handy, a now-defunct Detroit advertising firm.
Mr. Petok served in the Army Signal Corps during World War II and
occasionally submitted material to the Stars and Stripes newspaper for
publication. He reached the rank of captain.
After the war, he opened a studio in downtown Detroit doing commercial
artwork. With the emergence of TV, the market for animated advertising
took off. Mr. Petok's clients included Faygo soft drinks, Speedway
gasoline and General Motors.
"He was a creative guy who enjoyed entertaining people," his son said.
"But mostly he was just thrilled that someone would actually pay him for
something he loved to do. Here's a guy with no college, six months of
art school and he was making a decent living, providing for his family
and enjoying what he was doing."
After his Oscar success, Mr. Petok formed a distribution company and
went on to make dozens of animated shorts, including 1974's "The Mad
Baker." It starred a mad scientist and his creation, a monstrous
chocolate cake.
Mr. Petok's animation also appeared on "Sesame Street" and "The Electric
Company," and he did artwork for the Detroit Lions and the Detroit
Pistons, his son said.
In addition to his son Bill, survivors include another son, Fred, and
two grandchildren.
The funeral service is set for 2 p.m. today at the Ira Kaufman Chapel,
18325 W. Nine Mile Road in Southfield.
Burial is to be in Beth El Memorial Park in Livonia.
Ted Petok: Cartoonist won Oscar in '71 for short film
BY JOE ROSSITER
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
http://www.freep.com/article/20100422/NEWS08/4220397/1010/News08/Ted-Petok-Cartoonist-won-Oscar-in-71-for-short-film
Ted Petok, a metro Detroit cartoonist and illustrator who won an Academy
Award for an animated film about a shaggy feathered bird, died Tuesday
of coronary artery disease in Rockville, Md. He was 93.
The former West Bloomfield resident had moved to the Landow House
assisted living facility in Rockville a few months ago to be nearer to
family.
"The Crunch Bird," an animated short about a cranky bird with a
voracious appetite, was less than three minutes long and was produced
and directed by Mr. Petok.
Encouraged by a local theater owner, he submitted the film for
consideration and won an Oscar in 1971 in the short animated films category.
"Nobody was more amazed when he won than my dad," said his son Bill
Petok. "The award was presented by Cloris Leachman and Richard
Roundtree, and his response was, 'Oh boy, 'Crunch Bird,' my Oscar!' "
A native Detroiter, Mr. Petok graduated from Central High School in 1934
and briefly attended art school in Chicago. He worked in New York City
as a cartoon illustrator for magazines, then returned to Detroit in 1935
to work with Jam Handy, a now-defunct Detroit advertising firm.
Mr. Petok served in the Army Signal Corps during World War II and
occasionally submitted material to the Stars and Stripes newspaper for
publication. He reached the rank of captain.
After the war, he opened a studio in downtown Detroit doing commercial
artwork. With the emergence of TV, the market for animated advertising
took off. Mr. Petok's clients included Faygo soft drinks, Speedway
gasoline and General Motors.
"He was a creative guy who enjoyed entertaining people," his son said.
"But mostly he was just thrilled that someone would actually pay him for
something he loved to do. Here's a guy with no college, six months of
art school and he was making a decent living, providing for his family
and enjoying what he was doing."
After his Oscar success, Mr. Petok formed a distribution company and
went on to make dozens of animated shorts, including 1974's "The Mad
Baker." It starred a mad scientist and his creation, a monstrous
chocolate cake.
Mr. Petok's animation also appeared on "Sesame Street" and "The Electric
Company," and he did artwork for the Detroit Lions and the Detroit
Pistons, his son said.
In addition to his son Bill, survivors include another son, Fred, and
two grandchildren.
The funeral service is set for 2 p.m. today at the Ira Kaufman Chapel,
18325 W. Nine Mile Road in Southfield.
Burial is to be in Beth El Memorial Park in Livonia.
--
Trout Mask Replica
KFJC.org, WFMU.org, WMSE.org, or WUSB.org;
because the pigoenholed programming of music channels
on Sirius Satellite, and its internet radio player, suck
Trout Mask Replica
KFJC.org, WFMU.org, WMSE.org, or WUSB.org;
because the pigoenholed programming of music channels
on Sirius Satellite, and its internet radio player, suck