1979 in animation
Events in 1979 in animation.
Events
January
January 5: Yuri Norstein's Tale of Tales premieres.March
March 19: The Peanuts TV special You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown premieres on CBS. This was the final Peanuts special to premiere during the 1970's.March 21: The first episode of The Perishers airs, based on Maurice Dodd's comic strip of the same name.April
April 1–2: Bill Melendez's TV special The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe premieres.April 1: Nickelodeon is launched.April 2: The first episode of Doraemon airs. It will run uninterrupted until 2005 and then still continue after being revived later that year.April 7: The first episode of Mobile Suit Gundam airs.April 9: 51st Academy Awards. Walter Lantz receives a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award. Special Delivery by Eunice Macauley and John Weldon wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.April 13: Payut Ngaokrachang's The Adventure of Sudsakorn is first released, the first and only cel-animated feature film made in Thailand.May
May 10–24: At the 1979 Cannes Film Festival Raoul Servais' Harpya wins a Palme d'Or for Best Short Film.May 30: The Chinese animated feature Prince Nezha's Triumph Against Dragon King is first released, directed by Yan Dingxian, Wang Shuchen and Xu Jingda.Specific date unknown: Studio Pierrot is founded.July
Studio Hibari is founded.August
August 17: The film Monty Python's Life of Brian is first released. It is primarily live-action but has an animated opening sequence by Terry Gilliam.August 30: Tim Burton's pencil-animated Stalk of the Celery Monster premieres.September
September 22:- * The animated TV series Casper and the Angels debuts on NBC. It combines Casper the Friendly Ghost with animated versions of the cast of Charlie's Angels.
- * Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo debuts on ABC. It marks the debut of the character Scrappy-Doo.
- * Fred and Barney Meet the Shmoo airs on NBC, consisting of three Flintstones series. One of the three, Fred and Barney Meet the Thing, was long stored away after ending its time slot in the early 1980s.September 28: Chuck Jones releases the anthology film The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie.Specific date unknown: Eugene Fedorenko's Every Child premieres.
October
October 1: The first episode of Doctor Snuggles airs.October 10: The first episode of The Rose of Versailles airs.December
December 15: Hayao Miyazaki's debut film The Castle of Cagliostro is first released, the second animated film in the Lupin III franchise.December 19: Don Bluth's Banjo the Woodpile Cat is first released, his first production after leaving Walt Disney Productions.December 21: Frank Zappa releases his concert film Baby Snakes which contains stop-motion animated sequences by Bruce Bickford.Specific date unknown
- The first episode of Amigo and Friends premieres.
- Kaj Pindal's animated short Caninabis premieres.
- Pavel Bazhov's The Fire-Fairy premieres.
- Len Lye's Free Radicals premieres.
- Vladimir Samsonov's Very Blue Beard premieres.
- Richard Condie's Getting Started premieres.
- The first episode of Alfie Atkins airs.
- Charlex is founded.
- Pixar is founded as the Graphics Group. It will be renamed to its current name in 1986.
Films released
- January 5 - General Ttoli
- January 20 - Colargol, the Conqueror of Space
- February 18 - Ganbare! Bokura no Hit and Run
- March 3 - Nutcracker Fantasy
- March 14 - Little Orbit the Astrodog and the Screechers from Outer Space
- March 17:
- * Heidi, Girl of the Alps
- * Taro the Dragon Boy
- * Triton of the Sea
- April 1–2 - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
- April 13 - The Adventure of Sudsakorn
- April 16 - Historias de amor y masacre
- April 29 - Maegami Tarou
- May 5 - Lupin the Thief: Enigma of the 813
- May 19 - Prince Nezha's Triumph Against the Dragon King
- June 30 - The Adventures of Manxmouse
- July 1 - Tomorrow's Eleven
- July 14 - Yamato: The New Voyage
- July 15 - Taegeuksonyeon Huin Doksuri
- July 21:
- * Adventures of the Polar Cubs
- * Starland Trio
- * Star Wars with Sun Wukong
- July 22 - Eunhahamdae Jiguho
- July 26 - Fly! Spaceship Geobukseon
- July 27:
- * Black Star and Golden Bat
- * SpaceBoy Cache
- July 28 - Dokkaebi Gamtu
- August 1 - Gancheopjamneun Ttorijanggun
- August 4 - Galaxy Express 999
- August 26 - Undersea Super Train: Marine Express
- September - Adventures of Captain Wrongel
- September 8 - Aim for the Ace!
- September 14 - The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie
- September 15:
- * Future Boy Conan
- * Les Misérables
- * Yakyū-kyō no Uta: Kita no Ookami Minami no Tora
- September 28 - Anne no Nikki: Anne Frank Monogatari
- October 7 - Daikyouryuu Jidai
- October 8 - The Revolt of the Thralls
- October 10 - Daddy-Long-Legs
- October 11 - Galaxy Express 999: Can You Live Like A Warrior!!
- October 20 - Seven Brothers
- October 24 - The Fabulous Adventures of the Legendary Baron Munchausen
- October 30 - The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone
- November 10 - Ganbare!! Tabuchi-kun!!
- November 18 - Gulliver's Travels
- November 23 - The Adventures of Sinbad
- November 25 - Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July
- December 13 - Jack Frost
- December 15 - Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro
- December 20 - The Little Convict
- December 22 - Uju Heukgisa
- December 23:
- * Animal Treasure Island
- * Scooby Goes Hollywood
- Specific date unknown:
- * Elpidio Valdés
- * ''Ubu et la Grande Gidouille''
Television series
- January 1 - Amigo and Friends debuts in syndication.
- January 4 - Nobara no Julie debuts in syndication.
- January 7 - Anne of Green Gables debuts on Fuji TV and Animax.
- February 3:
- * The New Fred and Barney Show debuts on NBC.
- * Zenderman debuts on Fuji TV.
- February 5 - Akai Tori no Kokoro debuts in syndication.
- March 21:
- * Daltanius debuts on Tokyo Channel 12.
- * The Perishers debuts on BBC1.
- April 2:
- * Doraemon debuts on TV Asahi.
- * Josephina the Whale debuts on Tokyo Channel 12.
- April 4 - The Ultraman debuts on TBS.
- April 7:
- * Animation Kikou Marco Polo no Boken debuts on NHK.
- * Mobile Suit Gundam debuts on Nagoya TV.
- * Risu no Banner debuts in syndication.
- April 19 - Paris no Isabelle debuts on TV Tokyo.
- July 19 - Kinpatsu no Jeanie debuts in syndication.
- July 27 - Kagaku Boken Tai Tansa 5 debuts on Tokyo Channel 12.
- September 1 - Rickety Rocket debuts on ABC.
- September 8:
- * Fred and Barney Meet the Thing debuts on NBC.
- * The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle & Jeckle debuts on CBS.
- September 9:
- * King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table debuts on Tokyo Channel 12.
- * The New Fat Albert Show debuts on CBS and in syndication.
- September 17 - Star Blazers debuts in syndication.
- September 22:
- * Casper and the Angels, The New Adventures of Flash Gordon, The New Shmoo, and The Super Globetrotters debut on NBC.
- * Mighty Man and Yukk, Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, Spider-Woman, The Plastic Man Comedy-Adventure Show, and The World's Greatest Super Friends debut on ABC.
- October 1 - Doctor Snuggles debuts on ITV/Channel 4.
- October 6 - Koguma no Misha debuts in syndication.
- October 7:
- * Gatchaman Fighter debuts on Fuji TV.
- * Gordian Warrior debuts on Tokyo Channel 12.
- October 10 - The Rose of Versailles debuts on Nippon TV.
- October 13 - Uchuu Kubo Blue Noah debuts on Yomiuri TV.
- October 25 - Sasurai no Shojo Nell debuts on Tokyo Channel 12.
- December 8 - Fred and Barney Meet the Shmoo debuts on NBC.
- December 31 - Alfons Åberg debuts on STV.
Births
January
January 2: Erica Hubbard, American actress.January 3: Rie Tanaka, Japanese actress.January 6: Cristela Alonzo, American comedian, actress, writer and producer.January 28: Angelique Cabral, American actress.February
February 8: Josh Keaton, American actor.February 13:- * Cissy Jones, American actress.
- * Mena Suvari, American actress.February 19: Brendan Hay, American television producer and writer.February 21:
- * Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, and filmmaker.
- * Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress, producer and singer.
- * Tituss Burgess, American actor and singer.February 23: Maryke Hendrikse, Bahamian-Canadian actress.
March
March 5: Riki Lindhome, American actress.March 9: Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor.March 10: Danny Pudi, American actor.March 14: Chris Klein, American actor.March 17:- * Stephen Kramer Glickman, Canadian actor.
- * Sunil Hall, American animator, storyboard artist, writer, director and producer.March 20: Duke Johnson, American director.March 24: Lake Bell, American actress.March 25: Lee Pace, American actor.March 27: Mia Ikumi, Japanese manga artist,.
April
April 1: Matt Silverstein, American television producer and writer.April 4: Natasha Lyonne, American actress.April 7: Nico Santos, Filipino-American actor.April 12: Jennifer Morrison, American actress.April 21: James McAvoy, Scottish actor.April 29: Alberto Mielgo, Spanish director, artist, and animator.May
May 1: Alisa Harris-Norico, American animator and production intern.May 4: Lance Bass, American musician, actor and member of NSYNC.May 5: Vincent Kartheiser, American actor.May 7: Crystal Chesney-Thompson, American animator, storyboard artist, sheet timer and director.May 8: Ryan Belleville, Canadian actor and comedian.May 9: Rosario Dawson, American actress.May 11: Pierre Bouvier, Canadian singer, musician and member of Simple Plan.May 19: Kyle A. Carrozza, American animator, storyboard artist, composer, writer and producer.May 22: Maggie Q, American actress.May 23: Josh Cooley, American animator, screenwriter, director, and voice actor.May 26: Elisabeth Harnois, American actress.May 30: Rie Kugimiya, Japanese actress.June
June 2: Morena Baccarin, Brazilian actress.June 5: Aspen Vincent, American actress and singer.June 9: Jefferson Utanes, Flipino voice actor,.June 18: Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese actress.June 20: Sarah Stiles, American singer and actress.June 21: Chris Pratt, American actor.June 24: Mindy Kaling, American actress and comedian.June 28: Felicia Day, American actress.June 29: Stephanie Lemelin, American actress and comedienne.July
July 6: Kevin Hart, American actor and comedian.July 12: Omid Abtahi, Iranian-American actor.July 13: Laura Benanti, American actress.July 14: Scott Porter, American actor.July 18: Jason Weaver, American actor and singer.July 22: Parvesh Cheena, American actor.July 24: Rose Byrne, Australian actress.August
August 1: Jason Momoa, American actor.August 9:- * Paul Robertson, Australian animator.
- * Aimee Steinberger, American animator, storyboard artist and sheet timer.August 10: JoAnna Garcia Swisher, American actress.August 11: Drew Nelson, Canadian actor.August 12: Peter Browngardt, American animator, storyboard artist, writer and producer.August 27: Aaron Paul, American actor.
September
September 8: P!nk, American musician.September 18: Alison Lohman, American actress.September 28: Anndi McAfee, American actress.October
October 4:- * Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress.
- * Caitríona Balfe, Irish actress.October 9:
- * Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian.
- * Brandon Routh, American actor.October 20: John Krasinski, American actor and filmmaker.
November
November 5: Leonardo Nam, Argentine actor.November 8: Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress.November 24: Ian Wasseluk, American animator, storyboard artist, character designer, prop designer, production assistant, writer and director.November 27: Ike Amadi, Nigerian actor.November 28: Daniel Henney, American actor and model.December
December 3: Tiffany Haddish, American comedian and actress.December 7: Eric Bauza, Canadian-American actor.December 11: Rider Strong, American actor.December 15: Adam Brody, American actor, writer, musician, and producer.December 17: Lil Rel Howery, American actor and comedian.December 27: Carson Palmer, American former football quarterback.December 29: Diego Luna, Mexican actor.December 30: Catherine Taber, American actress.Specific date unknown
- Edgar Duncan, American animator, background artist and prop designer.
- Mairon Bennett, Canadian voice actress.
Deaths
January
January 5: Billy Bletcher, American actor, dies at age 84.- January 16: Ted Cassidy, American actor, dies at age 46.
February
February 1: Mort Marshall, American actor, dies at age 60.February 13: Yuri Merkulov, Russian animator and film director, dies at age 77.February 15: George Dunning, Canadian animator and film director, dies at age 58.March
March 13: Tudor Owen, Welsh actor, dies at age 81.April
April 1: Barbara Luddy, American actress, dies at age 70.April 29: Hardie Gramatky, American novelist, comics artist and animator, dies at age 72.June
June 16: Lazar Lagin, Soviet science fiction writer, children's writer, satirist, and screenwriter, dies at age 75.June 25: Dave Fleischer, American animator, film producer and director, dies of a stroke at age 84.September
September 12: Les Clark, American animator and film director, dies at age 71.October
October 30: Oscar Conti, Argentine cartoonist, caricaturist, animator and comics artist, dies at age 65.November
November 21: Paul Wexler, American actor, dies at age 50.November 30: Dick Huemer, American animator, comic strip artist, and illustrator, dies at age 81.December
December 27: Nikolai Khodataev, Russian film director and animator, dies at age 87.Specific date unknown
- Adam Beckett, American animator, special effects artist and teacher, dies at age 28 or 29 in a house fire.