Bob Godfrey facts for kids

Roland Frederick Godfrey, known as Bob Godfrey, was a famous English animator. He was born on May 27, 1921, and passed away on February 21, 2013. His amazing career in animation lasted over fifty years!

Bob Godfrey is best known for creating popular children's cartoon series. These include Roobarb (from 1974), Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk (1976–77), and Henry's Cat (1983–93). He also made the funny Trio chocolate biscuit advertisements. These were shown in the UK in the early 1980s. Besides cartoons, he made a short film called Great (1975). This film won both a BAFTA and an Academy Award. It was a humorous story about the famous engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Life and Career

Bob Godfrey was born in West Maitland, Australia. However, his British parents moved back to England when he was a baby. He went to school in Ilford, Essex. Later, he studied at Leyton Art School. In the 1930s, he worked as a graphic artist for Lever Brothers. During World War II, he served as a Royal Marine. He was even part of the D-Day landings.

Starting Out

In 1950, Godfrey joined the Larkins Studio. He worked with Peter Sachs there. Later, he left to start his own company called Biographic. He co-founded it with Keith Learner and Jeff Hale. Other artists joined them later, like Nancy Hanna and Vera Linnecar in 1957. This company was created to make commercials for ITV. They even made the very first animated commercial shown on that network! While still at Larkins, Godfrey made two films: Big Parade (1952) and Watch the Birdie (1954). The second film was inspired by a painting by Paul Klee. Both films were made in the basement of his apartment.

The 1960s

Godfrey then created Do It Yourself Cartoon Kit (1961). This film made fun of animation and TV advertising. It used many different animation styles and materials. This made it one of his most exciting films to watch. The way he used cutout animation for the narrator was before Terry Gilliam became famous for it. Because of this, people sometimes mistakenly think Gilliam made the film. Michael Bentine was the narrator for the film. He worked with Godfrey on several other films and commercials.

Throughout the late 1950s and 1960s, Godfrey's animated work appeared in many TV commercials. In 1964, he started his own company, Bob Godfrey's Movie Emporium. This allowed him to work on his own creative projects, including children's cartoons. He also made other cartoons, like Henry 9 To 5, which won a BAFTA in 1971. Another cartoon he animated was Alf, Bill and Fred.

Besides animation, he also produced live-action commercials and short films. Some of these films starred the artist Bruce Lacey. Godfrey even appeared in some of his own commercials and had small roles in movies. He was in The Beatles' film Help! (1965) and Casino Royale (1967). In 1965, he animated four episodes of The Beatles. This was an animated TV show about the famous pop band. Godfrey also helped as an uncredited adviser on Yellow Submarine (1968).

The 1970s

In 1974, he produced Do-It Yourself Film Animation Show. This show was broadcast on BBC1. It aimed to encourage children to try animation. Each episode featured famous animators talking about their work. They also showed different animation techniques. Guests included Richard Williams and Terry Gilliam. Many new animators, like Nick Park, have said this series greatly influenced them. For both Roobarb (1974–75) and Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk (1976–77), Richard Briers was the voice actor.

Godfrey directed the short film Great (1975). This film was a funny look at the life and work of the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It mixed animation with some live-action scenes. Richard Briers provided the voice for Brunel. In 1976, Great became the first British film to win the Academy Award for Animated Short Film.

In a documentary from the late 1980s, animator Richard Williams said Godfrey helped him start his career. Williams explained, "Bob Godfrey helped me...I worked in the basement and would do work in kind, and he would let me use the camera...[it was] a barter system."

The 1980s and Later

Henry's Cat was created by Stan Hayward. Bob Godfrey animated and narrated it. It first aired on September 12, 1983.

Bob Godfrey received an MBE award in 1986. He also got the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bradford Animation Festival in 2007. His later films included funny social and political stories. These were based on the work of cartoonist Steve Bell. Examples include Beaks to the Grindstone and A Journalist's Tale. He worked with Bell again on the series Margaret Thatcher: Where Am I Now?. Over the years, he appeared in many TV shows and documentaries about animation. He also taught animation at West Surrey College of Art and Design.

Bob Godfrey had a long connection with the Royal College of Art. In 1985, under his guidance, Animation became a separate course. The first students graduated in 1987. Godfrey became a Senior Fellow there in 1989. He told The Guardian newspaper in 2001: "I teach the basics of animation, then it's up to the individual. Great illustrators don't always make great animators. I've known people who couldn't draw at all who were great animators. You can always spot the ones with real talent. They don't listen to you." Godfrey received another Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992. This was at the World Festival of Animated Film – Animafest Zagreb.

Death

Bob Godfrey passed away on February 21, 2013. He was 91 years old.

See also

In Spanish: Bob Godfrey para niños