Tom And Jerry, Popeye Creator Gene Deitch Passes Away at 95

The animation filmmaker died in his apartment in Prague.

Gene Deitch, creator of Tom And Jerry and Popeye passed away in Prague

(Photo: Twitter)

Creator of immensely popular cartoon shows Tom And Jerry and Popeye, Gene Deitch passed away on Thursday, 16 April. He was 95. According to reports, he died in his apartment in Prague. He is survived by his wife and three sons, all of whom are cartoonists and illustrators.

The animation filmmaker directed 13 episodes of Tom And Jerry for MGM between 1961 to 1962 and also directed a few episodes of Popeye between 1960 and 1963. His animated short Munro won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1961, the first of its kind created outside the US to win an Oscar. Deitch also directed the animated feature Alice of Wonderland In Paris. In 2003, he was honoured with the Winsor McCay Award for his contribution to animation.

Tributes have poured in on Twitter from those who grew up watching the iconic cartoon shows. “We love you for making this cartoon,” read a tweet while another added, “Thank you for making our childhood awesome”. Another user tweeted, “Thank you for giving us such memorable cartoons which can't be erased so easily from our hearts.”