CARTOONIST JOSEPH D. ORIOLO, CREATOR OF CASPER THE GHOST:- Friday, December 27, 1985
Cartoonist Joseph D. Oriolo, who created the lovable Casper the Friendly Ghost to allay his daughter's fear of the dark, has died, his family said Thursday. He was 72.
Mr. Oriolo, a 53-year veteran of the comic book and motion picture cartoon businesses, died Wednesday night after a brief illness in Hackensack (N.J.) Medical Center.
He created the Mighty Hercules television cartoon, the first action cartoon in which the characters were designed to look like real people. He produced and directed more than 1,000 cartoon features. He was awarded the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists' Golden Award last year.
At the time of his death, he was working with a son on his first full- length film, a revival of ''Felix the Cat,'' due for release at the end of 1986.
Donald Oriolo said his father became a cartoonist in 1931, worked as an animator on Popeye and Betty Boop and spent a short time with the Walt Disney studios.
But Mr. Oriolo always had a special place in his heart for Casper, the soft-spoken spook who refused to join his brother specters and hobgoblins in scaring little children.
''He created Casper the Friendly Ghost in 1944 for my sister, who was afraid of the dark,'' Donald Oriolo said. ''He felt everything he did was a personal jewel. There was nothing he did for the pure commercialism. He was an absolute genius.''
Mr. Oriolo produced and directed 254 episodes of ''Felix the Cat'' for television in the 1960s after creating many of its characters.
Mr. Oriolo is survived by his wife, Dorothy; two sons, Donald and Joseph Jr.; a daughter, Joan Gerish; two sisters and eight grandchildren
Cartoonist Joseph D. Oriolo, who created the lovable Casper the Friendly Ghost to allay his daughter's fear of the dark, has died, his family said Thursday. He was 72.
Mr. Oriolo, a 53-year veteran of the comic book and motion picture cartoon businesses, died Wednesday night after a brief illness in Hackensack (N.J.) Medical Center.
He created the Mighty Hercules television cartoon, the first action cartoon in which the characters were designed to look like real people. He produced and directed more than 1,000 cartoon features. He was awarded the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists' Golden Award last year.
At the time of his death, he was working with a son on his first full- length film, a revival of ''Felix the Cat,'' due for release at the end of 1986.
Donald Oriolo said his father became a cartoonist in 1931, worked as an animator on Popeye and Betty Boop and spent a short time with the Walt Disney studios.
But Mr. Oriolo always had a special place in his heart for Casper, the soft-spoken spook who refused to join his brother specters and hobgoblins in scaring little children.
''He created Casper the Friendly Ghost in 1944 for my sister, who was afraid of the dark,'' Donald Oriolo said. ''He felt everything he did was a personal jewel. There was nothing he did for the pure commercialism. He was an absolute genius.''
Mr. Oriolo produced and directed 254 episodes of ''Felix the Cat'' for television in the 1960s after creating many of its characters.
Mr. Oriolo is survived by his wife, Dorothy; two sons, Donald and Joseph Jr.; a daughter, Joan Gerish; two sisters and eight grandchildren
CARTOONIST JOSEPH D. ORIOLO, CREATOR OF CASPER THE GHOST:- Friday, December 27, 1985
Cartoonist Joseph D. Oriolo, who created the lovable Casper the Friendly Ghost to allay his daughter's fear of the dark, has died, his family said Thursday. He was 72.
Mr. Oriolo, a 53-year veteran of the comic book and motion picture cartoon businesses, died Wednesday night after a brief illness in Hackensack (N.J.) Medical Center.
He created the Mighty Hercules television cartoon, the first action cartoon in which the characters were designed to look like real people. He produced and directed more than 1,000 cartoon features. He was awarded the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists' Golden Award last year.
At the time of his death, he was working with a son on his first full- length film, a revival of ''Felix the Cat,'' due for release at the end of 1986.
Donald Oriolo said his father became a cartoonist in 1931, worked as an animator on Popeye and Betty Boop and spent a short time with the Walt Disney studios.
But Mr. Oriolo always had a special place in his heart for Casper, the soft-spoken spook who refused to join his brother specters and hobgoblins in scaring little children.
''He created Casper the Friendly Ghost in 1944 for my sister, who was afraid of the dark,'' Donald Oriolo said. ''He felt everything he did was a personal jewel. There was nothing he did for the pure commercialism. He was an absolute genius.''
Mr. Oriolo produced and directed 254 episodes of ''Felix the Cat'' for television in the 1960s after creating many of its characters.
Mr. Oriolo is survived by his wife, Dorothy; two sons, Donald and Joseph Jr.; a daughter, Joan Gerish; two sisters and eight grandchildren
Cartoonist Joseph D. Oriolo, who created the lovable Casper the Friendly Ghost to allay his daughter's fear of the dark, has died, his family said Thursday. He was 72.
Mr. Oriolo, a 53-year veteran of the comic book and motion picture cartoon businesses, died Wednesday night after a brief illness in Hackensack (N.J.) Medical Center.
He created the Mighty Hercules television cartoon, the first action cartoon in which the characters were designed to look like real people. He produced and directed more than 1,000 cartoon features. He was awarded the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists' Golden Award last year.
At the time of his death, he was working with a son on his first full- length film, a revival of ''Felix the Cat,'' due for release at the end of 1986.
Donald Oriolo said his father became a cartoonist in 1931, worked as an animator on Popeye and Betty Boop and spent a short time with the Walt Disney studios.
But Mr. Oriolo always had a special place in his heart for Casper, the soft-spoken spook who refused to join his brother specters and hobgoblins in scaring little children.
''He created Casper the Friendly Ghost in 1944 for my sister, who was afraid of the dark,'' Donald Oriolo said. ''He felt everything he did was a personal jewel. There was nothing he did for the pure commercialism. He was an absolute genius.''
Mr. Oriolo produced and directed 254 episodes of ''Felix the Cat'' for television in the 1960s after creating many of its characters.
Mr. Oriolo is survived by his wife, Dorothy; two sons, Donald and Joseph Jr.; a daughter, Joan Gerish; two sisters and eight grandchildren
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