Rudy Catladi obit

Animator Rudolf Cataldi dead

He was not on the list.

It is with a heavy heart to announce the passing of another icon in the animation industry. Lead animator, producer and timing-director Rudy Cataldi died peacefully at the age of 91.

He was married to a wonderful wife and mother, Consuelo. He leaves her and their children, daughter Christina and sons Johny and Tommy; also their three grandchildren Zachary, Giustino and Dominico.

Rudy was born in Newark, New Jersey to Vincenzo and Ada Cataldi. In 1943, the family took a bus across the country, moving from Newark to Los Angeles. There, Rudy got a job in the “traffic” department as a runner at the Disney Studios where every morning he’d walk in with Walt Disney, smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee. Walt liked Rudy so much that he asked him if he wanted to be an assistant animator. Rudy started at the young age of 16, training as an in-betweener under animator George Nicholas.

In 1945 Rudy joined the Marines, but before he could fight in the Korean War, he and his sergeant major were seriously injured in a stateside accident. As a result Rudy was released early from the military with an honorable discharge at the rank of corporal.

Rudy went on to start his own studio, Animation Associates in Hollywood, California, where he animated many commercials for television that included Flair Pen, Clairol Herbal Essence shampoo, Mr. Clean and the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.

There he and his longtime friend Lou Zukor created and produced Q.T. Hush for television, which aired on Sheriff John’s Lunch Brigade in 1960.

Rudy’s charisma and talent allowed him to quickly grow as a top rated animator. He worked with and knew many wonderful people in the industry such as Walt Disney, Grim Natwick, Chuck Jones, Stan Lee, Bill Hanna, Joe Barbera, Ralph Huelet, Jerry Hathcock and many others.

Rudy worked through an era when the best hand drawn cartoons ever were produced. His list is long and includes such classics as “Three Caballeros,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Cinderella,” “The Flintstones,” “The Smurfs,” “Jonny Quest,” “Top Cat,” “Scooby Doo,” “Yogi Bear,” “He-Man, The Masters of the Universe” “Josie and the Pussycats,” “The Muppet Babies” and “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” to name a few.

He finally retired after 58 years of doing what he loved best. Through his retirement he kept busy replying to fans from around the world, returning his bio, photos and autographed drawings. He was truly surprised by the attention.

Rudy will surely be missed. To learn more about this talented man, visit his website rudycataldianimator.com and enjoy yourself!


Animation department

2000 Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer (Video) (sheet timer)

1998 Silver Surfer (TV Series) (timing director - 1 episode)

1995 BattleTech (TV Series) (timing director - 1 episode)

X-Men: The Animated Series (TV Series) (sheet timer - 13 episodes, 1993 - 1994) (timing director - 13 episodes, 1992 - 1993)

1993 Sonic the Hedgehog (TV Series short) (animation timer - 12 episodes)

1992 My Little Pony Tales (TV Series) (animation director - 26 episodes)

1991 Spacecats (TV Series) (animation director - 13 episodes)

1991 Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars! (TV Series) (animation director - 13 episodes)

1990-1991 Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (TV Series) (animation director - 21 episodes)

1986-1991 Muppet Babies (TV Series) (animation director - 81 episodes)

1991 Little Shop (TV Series) (incidental character and background designer - 1 episode)

1990 Kid 'n' Play (TV Series short) (animation director - 1990)

1989 Pryde of the X-Men (TV Short) (animation director)

1989 Rude Dog and the Dweebs (TV Series) (animation director - 1989)

1988 Dino-Riders (TV Series) (animation director - 11 episodes)

1988 RoboCop (TV Series) (animation director - 1988)

1986-1988 Jem (TV Series) (sequence director - 60 episodes)

1987 The Little Wizards (TV Series short) (sequence director - 1987)

1987 Rock Odyssey (animator - as Rudolph Cataldi)

1987 G.I. Joe: The Movie (Video) (animation director)

1986-1987 The Transformers (TV Series) (sequence director - 30 episodes)

1986 G.I. Joe (TV Series) (sequence director - 30 episodes)

1986 Moses (Video short) (animator)

1985-1986 Paw Paws (TV Series) (animator - 18 episodes)

1985 The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo (TV Series) (animator - 13 episodes)

1981-1985 The Smurfs (TV Series) (animator - 144 episodes)

1985 The Jetsons (TV Series) (animator - 2 episodes)

1983 The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show (TV Series) (animator - 13 episodes)

1982 Pac-Man (TV Series) (animator - 13 episodes)

1982 Christmas Comes to PacLand (TV Short) (animator)

1982 Shirt Tales (TV Series) (animator - 1982)

1982 Jokebook (TV Series) (animator - 1982)

1982 The Smurfs Springtime Special (TV Short) (animator)

1982 My Smurfy Valentine (TV Short) (animator) / (sequence director)

1981-1982 ABC Weekend Specials (TV Series) (animator - 3 episodes)

- Miss Switch to the Rescue (1982) ... (animator)

- Bunnicula, the Vampire Rabbit (1982) ... (animator)

- The Puppy Saves the Circus (1981) ... (animator)

1981 Trollkins (TV Series) (animator - 13 episodes)

- Dr. Frankentroll, I Presume/Agent Double-O-Troll (1981) ... (animator)

- Trolltown Trollympics/The Troll Cat in the Hat (1981) ... (animator)

- The Abominable Trollman/The Moth That Ate Trolltown (1981) ... (animator)

- Supertroll/Flooky and the Troll Burglar (1981) ... (animator)

- Bermuda Trollangle/Fine Feathered Lumpkin (1981) ... (animator)

1981 Space Stars (TV Series) (animator - 11 episodes)

1981 The Kwicky Koala Show (TV Series) (animator - 1 episode)

1980 Yogi's First Christmas (TV Movie) (animation supervisor)

1980 The Flintstone Comedy Show (TV Series) (animator - 1 episode)

1980 The Flintstones: Fred's Final Fling (TV Short) (animator)

1979 Scooby Goes Hollywood (TV Movie) (animator)

1978-1979 Godzilla (TV Series) (animator - 20 episodes)

1979 The World's Greatest SuperFriends (TV Series) (animator - 8 episodes)

1979 Casper and the Angels (TV Series) (animator - 1979)

1979 Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (TV Series) (animator)

1978 Jana of the Jungle (TV Series) (animator - 1978)

1977 Scooby's Laff-A Lympics (TV Series) (animator - 13 episodes)

1977 A Flintstone Christmas (TV Movie) (animator)

1977 The All-New Super Friends Hour (TV Series) (animator - 7 episodes)

1977 C B Bears (TV Series) (animator)

1976 Jabberjaw (TV Series) (animator - 16 episodes)

1976 The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour (TV Series) (animator - 16 episodes)

1976 Dynomutt Dog Wonder (TV Series) (animator)

1976 The Mumbly Cartoon Show (TV Series) (animator - 1976)

1975 The New Tom & Jerry Show (TV Series) (animator)

1974 The City That Forgot About Christmas (TV Short) (animator)

1974 Hong Kong Phooey (TV Series short) (animator - 1 episode)

1973-1974 Star Trek: The Animated Series (TV Series) (animator - 22 episodes)

1974 Partridge Family 2200 AD (TV Series) (animator - 1974)

1974 Oliver Twist (animator)

1973 Treasure Island (animator)

1973 Mission: Magic! (TV Series) (animator - 16 episodes)

1972-1973 Lassie's Rescue Rangers (TV Series) (animator - 16 episodes)

1973 My Favorite Martians (TV Series) (animator - 1973)

1973 Wait Till Your Father Gets Home (TV Series) (animator - 2 episodes)

1972 A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done (Short) (animator - as Rudi Cataldi)

1972 Black & White (Short) (animator - as Rudi Cataldi)

1972 The Candy Man (Short) (animator - as Rudi Cataldi)

1972 The New Scooby-Doo Movies (TV Series) (animator - 16 episodes)

1972 The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie (TV Series) (animator - 2 episodes)

- Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family (1972) ... (animator)

- Yogi's Ark Lark (1972) ... (animator)

1972 The Roman Holidays (TV Series) (animator - 3 episodes)

1972 Love, American Style (TV Series) (animator - 1 episode)

- Love and the Bachelor Party/Love and the Latin Lover/Love and the Old-Fashioned Father/Love and the Test of Manhood (1972) ... (animator - segment "Love and the Old-Fashioned Father")

1971 The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show (TV Series) (animator)

1970 Harlem Globe Trotters (TV Series) (animator)

1970 Shinbone Alley (animator)

1969-1970 Scooby Doo, Where Are You! (TV Series) (animator - 17 episodes)

1969 The Banana Splits Adventure Hour (TV Series) (animator - 1 episode)

- Banana Splits Show # 3/A Trap for Turhan/A Letter of Peril/Danger Island 5/Danger Island 6 (1969) ... (animator)

1967 The Herculoids (TV Series) (animator)

1966 Space Ghost (TV Series) (animator - 1 episode)

1964-1966 The Flintstones (TV Series) (animator - 8 episodes)

1965 The Atom Ant Show (TV Series) (animator)

1965 The Secret Squirrel Show (TV Series) (animator - 1 episode)

1960 Q.T. Hush (TV Series) (animator - 100 episodes)

1955 The Butcher, the Baker, the Ice Cream Maker (Short) (animator)