Max Fleischer, with his company Fleischer Studios, Inc., was one of the pioneers of animation. From 1919 to 1942, he produced nearly 700 cartoons and live-action shorts. Among his numerous contributions to the animation industry was his invention of the Rotoscope in 1915, which revolutionized animation by allowing animators to trace over motion picture footage, frame by frame, to produce more realistic action. While developing the Rotoscope, Max filmed his brother Dave jumping around in a clown’s outfit. This became the basis for the first series that Max developed: Out of the Inkwell, featuring an animated clown. The clown and a live-action Max interacted, teasing and tormenting each other and causing all manner of chaos. In 1923, the clown was given a name: KoKo the Clown, who gained enormous popularity through the 1920s. Then, in 1930, Max created the character for which he became known worldwide: the inimitable Betty Boop, who remains an icon of American culture to this day. Betty, along with KoKo and the rascally dog Bimbo, were featured, together or separately, in over 140 cartoons. The 1930s also saw the Fleischer Studios bring animated life to Popeye the Sailor, and then Superman in the 1940s. Following the closure of Fleischer Studios in 1942, the films were dispersed all over, bought and sold, and bought again by various companies. As a result, today there is no single source where all the films can be seen. Since 2021, I, as Max’s granddaughter, have been locating and collecting as many of the films as possible to create a comprehensive digital library of all the Fleischer films. This effort includes finding the best assets, working with Thad Komorowski and Samantha Davis of Cineaste Restoration to restore the cartoons, and bringing them back to life in stunning 4K. With Mauricio Alvarado, I am presenting them once again on the silver screen so Max Fleischer’s work can take on a whole new life once more. Jane

Fleischer Reid