We were saddened to learn of the recent death of beloved animation writer and historian and Animation Guild VP Earl Kress passed away recently at age 60 due to complications from liver cancer.
Kress’s numerous animation credits include The Fox and the Hound, DuckTales, Ewoks, Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs, Transformers, Pound Puppies, Taz-Mania, Baby Looney Tunes, Kim Possible and Krypto the Superdog. He began his work in animation in 1975 with The Oddball Couple, and went on to work for Warner Bros, Hanna-Barbera, DePatie-Freleng, Disney, Marvel, Filmation and Universal.
He received two Emmys and an Annie Award for writing for Pinky and the Brain and received a nomination for his work on Animaniacs. He also wrote the 2000 Road Runner short Little Go Beep and contributed to last year’s direct-to-DVD feature Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes.
Kress also produced several DVDs of classic Warner Bros. toons and wrote comic-books for The Simpsons and The Looney Tunes. In addition, he co-wrote the autobiography of voiceover legend June Foray with co-writer Mark Evanier and also worked as a voice actor and a puppeteer for The Muppets.
In the 2006 contract negotiations, Kress fought for proposal to guarantee health benefits for any writer who wrote at least one half-hour script in a coverage period, thus greatly increasing benefit coverage for freelance animation writers.
You can read his friend and colleague Mark Evanier’s beautiful obituary here:
http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2011_09_19.html#021305
Services will be held Friday at noon at Forest Lawn’s Old North Church, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive.
