Ralph Bakshi
Directing
Ralph Bakshi (born October 29, 1938) is a Palestinian-born American animator and filmmaker. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. Between 1972 and 1992, he directed nine theatrically released feature films, five of which he wrote. He has been involved in numerous television projects as director, writer, producer and animator. Beginning his career at the Terrytoons television cartoon studio as a cel polisher, Bakshi was eventually promoted to director. He moved to the animation division of Paramount Pictures in 1967 and started his own studio, Bakshi Productions, in 1968. Through producer Steve Krantz, Bakshi made his debut feature film, Fritz the Cat, released in 1972. It was the first animated film to receive an X rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, and the most successful independent animated feature of all time. Over the next eleven years, Bakshi directed seven additional animated features. He is well known for his fantasy films, which include Wizards (1977), The Lord of the Rings (1978) and Fire and Ice (1983). In 1987, Bakshi returned to television work, producing the series Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, which ran for two years before it was canceled due to complaints from a conservative political group over perceived drug references. After a nine-year hiatus from feature films, he directed Cool World (1992), which was largely rewritten during production and received poor reviews. Bakshi returned to television with the live-action film Cool and the Crazy (1994) and the anthology series Spicy City (1997). He founded the Bakshi School of Animation and Cartooning in 2003. During the 2000s, he has focused largely on painting. He has received several awards for his work, including the 1980 Golden Gryphon for The Lord of the Rings at the Giffoni Film Festival, the 1988 Annie Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Art of Animation, and the 2003 Maverick Tribute Award at the Cinequest Film Festival.
Known for
Directing61
movieMidwest
2023
Director
movieTrickle Dickle Down
2012
Director
movieBabe, He Calls Me
1997
Director
movieMalcom and Melvin
1997
Director
tvSpicy City
1997
Director
tvWhat a Cartoon!
1995
Director
movieCool and the Crazy
1994
Director
tvRebel Highway
1994
Director
movieCool World
1992
Director
movieImagining America
1989
Director
movieThe Butter Battle Book
1989
Director
movieHound Town
1989
Director
movieThis Ain't Bebop
1989
Director
movieChristmas in Tattertown
1988
Director
movieFire and Ice
1983
Director
movieHey Good Lookin'
1982
Director
tvAmerican Playhouse
1982
Director
movieAmerican Pop
1981
Director
movieThe Lord of the Rings
1978
Director
movieWizards
1977
Director
movieThe Monsterizer
1975
Director
movieCoonskin
1975
Director
The Junker
1975
Director
movieHeavy Traffic
1973
Director
movieFritz the Cat
1972
Director
The Drifter
1970
Director
The Toy Man
1969
Director
The Frog
1969
Director
movieMouse Trek
1967
Director
movieBaron Von Go-Go
1967
Director
movieMini-Squirts
1967
Director
movieThe Fuz
1967
Director
movieMarvin Digs
1967
Director
movieFancy Plants
1967
Director
movieTraffic Trouble
1967
Director
movieThe Opera Caper
1967
Director
tvSpider-Man
1967
Director
movieScuba Duba Do
1966
Director
movieDr. Ha-Ha
1966
Director
movieThe Monster Master
1966
Director
movieThe Third Musketeer
1965
Director
movieDress Reversal
1965
Director
movieDon't Spill the Beans
1965
Director
Writing22
movieMidwest
2023
Writer
tvWhat a Cartoon!
1995
Writer
tvRebel Highway
1994
Writer
Tribe
1989
Writer
movieChristmas in Tattertown
1988
Characters
movieFire and Ice
1983
Characters
tvAmerican Playhouse
1982
Writer
movieWizards
1977
Writer
movieCoonskin
1975
Writer, Lyricist
movieHeavy Traffic
1973
Screenplay
movieFritz the Cat
1972
Screenplay
Visual Effects18
movieBabe, He Calls Me
1997
Animation
tvSpicy City
1997
Character Designer
tvWhat a Cartoon!
1995
Animation
movieCannonball Run II
1984
Animation
movieThe Cigarette and the Weed
1981
Animation
movieMini-Squirts
1967
Character Designer
movieTraffic Trouble
1967
Supervising Animation Director
Dr. Rhinestone's Theory
1967
Supervising Animation Director
Which Is Witch?
1967
Supervising Animation Director
Bugged By A Bug
1967
Supervising Animation Director
A Voodoo Spell
1967
Supervising Animation Director
movieScuba Duba Do
1966
Animation
movieThe Unsung Hero
1961
Visual Effects
movieThe Mysterious Package
1960
Animation
movieHouse of Hashimoto
1960
Animation
Acting16
tvRen & Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon
2003
Ralph Bakshi (voice)
tvRen & Stimpy: The Lost Episodes
2003
Ralph Bakshi (voice)
movieMalcom and Melvin
1997
Super Hero
movieBabe, He Calls Me
1997
Super Hero
tvSpicy City
1997
Connelly / Goldblum (voice) / Stevie (voice)
movieThe Cigarette and the Weed
1981
Cigarette / Weed (voice)
movieAmerican Pop
1981
Piano Player (voice)
movieWizards
1977
Fritz (voice, uncredited) / Storm Trooper (voice, uncredited)
movieCoonskin
1975
Cop With Megaphone (voice) (uncredited)
movieHeavy Traffic
1973
Various Characters (voice) (uncredited)
movieFritz the Cat
1972
Narrator / Pig Cop #1 (voice)
Production13
movieTrickle Dickle Down
2012
Producer
tvSpicy City
1997
Producer, Production Assistant
movieThe Butter Battle Book
1989
Producer
movieFire and Ice
1983
Producer
movieHey Good Lookin'
1982
Producer
movieAmerican Pop
1981
Producer
movieWizards
1977
Producer
movieMouse Trek
1967
Executive Producer
movieMini-Squirts
1967
Executive Producer
movieThe Fuz
1967
Executive Producer
movieMarvin Digs
1967
Executive Producer
tvSpider-Man
1967
Producer, Executive Producer
Creator4
Art2
movieThe Ren & Stimpy Show
1991
Storyboard Artist
movieMarvin Digs
1967
Production Design
Crew2
Camera1
movieCoonskin
1975
Additional Photography