Ralph Bakshi, for those who don't know, is an American director most noted for his animated films. Starting his career as a lowly cell polisher in 1956, he eventually worked his way up to attaining a huge cult following, swiftly becoming a figurehead for satirical adult animation, and paving the way for many shows such as The Simpsons, South Park, and Family Guy. In 1972, his own first feature-length animated film, Fritz the Cat was released, surprising audiences with its portrayal of drugs, sex, and the biting satire of the times it was released in. Despite having all the potential to be an exploitation film (a film made exclusively to shock audiences) and even being released by a film company specializing that sort of film, it's really a lovingly made, intelligent film that's definitely worth watching by anyone who's interested in animation. His next film that I'll be touching on, Wizards, was released in 1977. This film is a sci-fi/fantasy tale about two wizards, born to the queen of the fairies in a nuclear apocalypse. One of them turns out to be a good wizard, the other evil. With the evil brother, Blackwolf, running a fascist empire, the other brother feels the need to stop him before he takes over what's left of the world. Along the way Avatar (the good brother) is joined by a colorful cast of characters to stop his brother. This movie provides interesting commentary about totalitarianism, technology, and war that's supplemented by a pleasant, cartoonish style interspersed with occasional live-action clips. It's an amazing film, and frequently overlooked by most people, to my chagrin. He has many other great films, and I'd recommend looking through his filmography and seeing what catches your fancy. He's even worked on more well-known films and TV shows, such as Spiderman (1968-1970) and the animated Lord of the Rings movie (which is brilliant). I hope you'll come to see this man for the genius as he is, and support his future movies!
