From the September 2003 Peg-Board

Art director, filmmaker and teacher JULES ENGEL passed away on September 9, 2003 at the age of ninety-four.

Jules Engel was born in Budapest Hungary and his family moved to the US when he was a child. Jules began work at Mintz Studios, moving to Disney where he contributed to the big features like Fantasia and Bambi. He walked out on strike with his union brothers and sisters in 1941 and left Disney like many did afterwards.

He helped start UPA in 1944 and was a major part of the stylistic revolution it engendered. In 1962 he directed the Oscar-nominated Icarus Montgolfier Wright about space flight, from a script by Ray Bradbury.

In 1970 he began a program at the California Institute of the Arts, separate from the character animation program, that emphasized personal and abstract films. At first he called it Film Graphics; it later became the Experimental Animation Program. Jules continued to direct the program and mentor young talent until 2001.

The memorial at Forest Lawn on September 13 was one of the largest in memory. About one hundred and fifty packed the small North Church: filmmakers, former students, award winners, professors, directors, college presidents -- all came to pay tribute to their teacher, the cranky little man in the straw hat and ascot with the piercing black eyes.

One artist remembered how Jules placed emphasis on always doing personal artwork. When he asked her about her work she made excuses about professional pressures and her children. Jules dismissed it: "You will always find time for your creative work."

-- Tom Sito

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