Ralph Bakshi Biography

Ralph Bakshi is an American director of animated films who rose to prominence with his debut feature film, ‘Fritz the Cat’, which went on to become the first animated film to receive an X rating from the Motion Picture Association of America. The movie became extremely popular and is the most successful independent animated feature ever made. ‘Fritz the Cat’ established him as a quirky, creative and bold director who openly courted controversy with his unconventional works. He began his career as a cel polisher in a cartoon studio, and impressed his employers with his undying sincerity and eventually rose through the positions to become a director. Though he was doing well in his career, he longed for the creative freedom that his job did not offer. He developed an interest in animation and became acquainted with several popular animators of his time from who he learnt the nuances of the art. After working with several studios he realized that the time was ripe for him to launch his directorial career, and chose to adapt a controversial comic strip by Robert Crumb as his debut film. ‘Fritz the Cat’ was an outrageous selection for a debut director—down and dirty, highly sexualized, and with a liberal sprinkling of profanity, the film did create controversy. But it also launched Bakshi’s directorial career with a bang.