Isadore "Izzy" Sparber (March 7, 1906 - August 29, 1958) was an
American storyboard artist, writer, director and producer of animated
films. He is best known for his work with Fleischer Studios and its
successor, Famous Studios. When credited, his work appeared under
varying versions of his name, including "Izzy Sparber," "I. Sparber,"
"Irving Sparber," and "Isidore Sparber" or "Isadore Sparber."Sparber
worked for Fleischer Studios in the 1930s and early 1940s where much
of his early work was uncredited. However, he was credited as a writer
for several Superman cartoons (all with Seymour Kneitel), as well as
the feature-length films Gulliver's Travels and Mr. Bug Goes to Town.
He also wrote some Betty Boop cartoons, Color Classic cartoons and
Popeye cartoons with no credit. Sparber was first mentioned in a
Popeye cartoon as the namesake for a demolition company, Sparber
Destruction Co., in the cartoon Quiet! Pleeze(1941). When Paramount
Pictures took over Fleischer Studios in 1942, Sparber, Dan Gordon and
Seymour Kneitel were named as the new heads of the renamed Famous
Studios.Despite working without onscreen credit for most of his tenure
with the Fleischers, Sparber is credited with producing or
co-producing nearly 400 cartoons afterward, and directed at least 160
of them. Aside from Sparber directing a good amount of shorts about
Popeye, he was also directly responsible for numerous entries in
Famous Studios' Superman, Little Lulu/Little Audrey and Casper the
Friendly Ghost series.Sparber died on August 29, 1958 in New York City
at the age of 52. It has been said that this may have been a factor in
Paramount's 1959 decision to discontinue production of several cartoon
series and sell the rights to Harvey Comics, but apparently this is
not the case. During the reorganization of Famous Studios into
Paramount Cartoon Studios in late 1956, Sparber was fired along with a
number of other veteran Famous Studios staffers as a measure to cut
costs. That Sparber continued to collect credits long after he was
fired was a result of the long gestation time in animation; indeed,
Sparber's last cartoon, "Travelaffs", opened on August 22, 1958, one
week before his death.
American storyboard artist, writer, director and producer of animated
films. He is best known for his work with Fleischer Studios and its
successor, Famous Studios. When credited, his work appeared under
varying versions of his name, including "Izzy Sparber," "I. Sparber,"
"Irving Sparber," and "Isidore Sparber" or "Isadore Sparber."Sparber
worked for Fleischer Studios in the 1930s and early 1940s where much
of his early work was uncredited. However, he was credited as a writer
for several Superman cartoons (all with Seymour Kneitel), as well as
the feature-length films Gulliver's Travels and Mr. Bug Goes to Town.
He also wrote some Betty Boop cartoons, Color Classic cartoons and
Popeye cartoons with no credit. Sparber was first mentioned in a
Popeye cartoon as the namesake for a demolition company, Sparber
Destruction Co., in the cartoon Quiet! Pleeze(1941). When Paramount
Pictures took over Fleischer Studios in 1942, Sparber, Dan Gordon and
Seymour Kneitel were named as the new heads of the renamed Famous
Studios.Despite working without onscreen credit for most of his tenure
with the Fleischers, Sparber is credited with producing or
co-producing nearly 400 cartoons afterward, and directed at least 160
of them. Aside from Sparber directing a good amount of shorts about
Popeye, he was also directly responsible for numerous entries in
Famous Studios' Superman, Little Lulu/Little Audrey and Casper the
Friendly Ghost series.Sparber died on August 29, 1958 in New York City
at the age of 52. It has been said that this may have been a factor in
Paramount's 1959 decision to discontinue production of several cartoon
series and sell the rights to Harvey Comics, but apparently this is
not the case. During the reorganization of Famous Studios into
Paramount Cartoon Studios in late 1956, Sparber was fired along with a
number of other veteran Famous Studios staffers as a measure to cut
costs. That Sparber continued to collect credits long after he was
fired was a result of the long gestation time in animation; indeed,
Sparber's last cartoon, "Travelaffs", opened on August 22, 1958, one
week before his death.
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