+22: When an Animation Master Disappeared

Charting the lost years and reemergence of John Hubley.

Detail of a John Hubley story sketch for Finian’s Rainbow (courtesy of Cartoon Modern)

Happy Thursday! In this issue of the Animation Obsessive newsletter, we’re headed back to the 1950s. Our subject is director and designer John Hubley — but not the parts of his career that you might know.

We’re digging into Hubley’s lost years, spent adrift, after the Hollywood blacklist got him fired from UPA in 1952. By late 1954, he’d taken over TV with his spectacular animated commercials. But what happened in between?

This is an under-studied subject. There are gaps. So, we’ve mined a variety of sources in an effort to piece together the clearest picture we can. What we’ve found is the story of an artist in crisis — and his triumphant struggle back from the brink.

Enjoy!

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