
Born: Irven LeRoy Spence
Birthday: April 24, 1909
Location: Lincoln, NE, U.S.
Occupation: Animator, Director
Years active: 1930-1992
Died: September 21, 1995
Irv Spence developed an interest in drawing in his youth. He and classmate Bill Hanna, drew cartoons for their high school newspaper.
His earliest animation work was for Charles B. Mintz’s Winkler Pictures. Irv then was hired by Ub Iwerks, where he worked on the Flip the Frog series until the studio shut its doors in 1936. Spence found work as an animator after that at Leon Schlesinger Productions in Tex Avery’s animation unit.
In 1938, Spence later moved to the cartoon department of Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), where he rejoined his old schoolmate, Bill Hanna. Spence animated for Friz Freleng, Milt Gross, Hugh Harman, and in the Bill Hanna/Joe Barbera unit while at MGM. Spence even animated for Tex Avery’s first four cartoons (Blitz Wolf, The Early Bird Dood It!, Dumb-Hounded and Red Hot Riding Hood) when Avery joined the studio in 1942, before returning to the Hanna/Barbera unit.
Spence left MGM briefly in the mid-40’s to work at John Sutherland Productions, but returned in 1947. he stayed there until his final departure from the studio in 1956 for Animation, Inc., to make commercials.
Seven years later, Irv rejoined his former bosses at Hanna-Barbera Productions. He animated for many animated television shows, including Jonny Quest, Frankenstein Jr. and The Impossibles, and The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show.
Additionally, Spence also worked for Chuck Jones for the 1970 television adaptation of Horton Hears a Who!, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises on The Ant and the Aardvark, and Ralph Bakshi’s Heavy Traffic, Coonskin, Wizards, and 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings.
Irv Spence was awarded the 1986 Winsor McCay Award for his lifetime contributions to the field of animation. Spence’s last animation credit was on Tom and Jerry: The Movie in 1992.
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