You may have never heard of Jules Engel, but his behind-the-scenes influence on anyone who loves animation and film have been tremendous! Listen to what Stephen Hillenburg, the Creator and Executive Producer of SpongeBob SquarePants, has to say about his Mentor: “He truly was the most influential artistic person in my life. I consider him my “Art Dad.” Stephen Hillenburg's expression of true regard for Jules Engel is one that is often expressed in numerous other ways by many of the three generations of students Engel taught. His positive influence as a Mentor is, indeed, impressive! Engel's students (and the students of their students) are numerous and productive as animation artists, producers, directors, and visual effects artists in the film and television industry; as owners and Presidents of film, television and effects studios; and as independent animation artists and educators around the world. Think about this ... from Henry Selick (Coraline) to Eric Darnell (Madagascar) to Mark Osborne (Kung Fu Panda, The Little Prince) to Jorge Gutierrez (The Book of Life) ...'impressive' is the least to be said of a list that ranks among Engel's many other students ever as noteworthy. This FIRST EDITION iPad app takes a glimpse into the story of Jules Engel's life in America. At the same time Engel's story begins to be told, the story of the historical beginnings of the animation industry in Hollywood begin to be told. From Engel's contributions to the early cinema productions of Fantasia and Bambi in the 1930-40's; to service in the Army Air Corps (Air Force) at the Hal Roach Motion Picture Unit Studios during World War II; to the creation of cartoons as one of the founding production staff members such as “Mr. Magoo,” “Madeline” and Dr. Seuss’ “Gerald McBoing Boing” in the 1950's; to the 1960’s when Engel was nominated for an Academy Award® as Producer on “Icarus Montgolfier Wright,” a short animation script written by Ray Bradbury for Format Films. Until his death in 2003, Jules Engel was wholly committed to his fine art practice, his personal film production, and his teaching at CalArts. He created thirty-three personal films and paintings, lithographs, and sculptures that number in the hundreds. Today, Jules Engel’s legacy continues to penetrate the animation industry in obvious ways through his students. Engel’s innovative ’presence’ in arts education and his personal art practice have done their part as well, in less obvious ways, to visualize an art history that acknowledges experimental animation a fine art. This FIRST EDITION of ANIMATION PIONEER JULES ENGEL for iPad introduces biography as an entertaining and compelling force field that embraces ‘knowledge.' The app is meant to introduce a beloved Artist-Mentor-Educator to the entire world, and to illustrate the power of positive teachings and philosophies in higher education that evolve global civilization, one person at a time. In closing, listen to what Jules Engel has to say about being a Mentor: “It is not what I give to a student that is most important, it is what I don’t take away.” Enjoy the app … learning is tons of fun!
[The Jules Engel Biography Project, “Visualizing Art History: Experimental Animation and Its Mentor, Jules Engel,” and “A Pocket of Jules” timeline and educational curriculum design within this app are intellectual properties presented by Dr. Janeann Dill, Authorized Jules Engel Biographer. IIACI: Institute for Interdisciplinary Art and Creative Intelligence (Think Tank).]