Tom Klein
Professor, Animation | Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA, UNITED STATES
School of Film and Television
Biography
Tom Klein is a Professor and the Chair of Animation, serving from 2013 to 2020. His work on the avant-garde ‘mini-films’ of Shamus Culhane has been written about in The New York Times and Time Magazine, leading to subsequent appearances on TV and radio, including the BBC, Fox and CBC. His articles have appeared in such journals as Animation, Griffithiana, Animation Journal and Animation Studies. He appears in the film anthologies Animated Landscapes (UK) and What’s Up Tex? Il Cinema di Tex Avery (Italy).
He was a consultant for Universal Cartoon Studios during the productions of Woody Woodpecker (FoxKids) and From the Earth to the Moon (HBO). His biographical study of animator La Verne Harding is recognized as a seminal contribution to animation studies, appearing in the recent four-volume set, Animation: Critical and Primary Sources, published by Bloomsbury Press (2021). He also writes a popular blog that can be read on the Cartoon Research website and he is the designer of the strategy game Pirate Ring.
Tom served as Director of Animation for Vivendi-Universal’s educational software division. He is the Advisory Editor for the Hyperion Historical Alliance Annual, an academic journal of Walt Disney studio history, and for many years served as a board member of the Society for Animation Studies. His role as both a film historian and professional animator provides him many insights on how classical training is applied to contemporary digital animation techniques.
Education (2)
UCLA: M.F.A., Animation 1994
Rutgers University: BA, Undergraduate Studies
Areas of Expertise (3)
Animation History
Narrative and Design
Interactive Animation
Industry Expertise (3)
Training and Development
Research
Education/Learning
Affiliations (3)
- Society for Animation Studies
- Hyperion Historical Alliance
- ASIFA-Hollywood
Links (2)
Articles (3)
That Noisy Woodpecker Had an Animated Secret
The New York TimesStory about how Klein discovered hidden art in Woody Woodpecker cartoons.
Must-See Los Angeles Art Show: ‘Woody Woodpecker & The Avant-Garde’
Cartoon BrewStory about an exhibit Klein curated at LMU's Laband Art Gallery.
LMU Receives $13 Million from The Walter Lantz Foundation
LMU websiteStory about a major donation to LMU from the Walter Lantz Foundation.
