Animation director Darrell Van Citters will preview at Comic-Con International in San Diego his upcoming book on the making of the classic 1960s animated TV special Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol.
Van Citters’ book, due to be published in the fall, recounts the making of the show in great detail, including interviews with animators and cast members who worked on it.
Produced in 1962 by the legendary UPA studio, Van Citters says Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol is the first animated Christmas special and expects interest in the classic show to increase.
Produced by Lee Orgel (1925-2004), the special featured a cast that included the late Jim Backus as Magoo, as well as Morey Amsterdam, Jack Cassidy, Royal Dano and Paul Frees. Broadway veterans Jule Styne and Bob Merrill wrote the score and lyrics.
Van Citters, whose work includes credits at Warner Bros. and Disney, currently heads up his own company, Renegade Animation.
