Cartoonist Bill Mauldin died of respiratory failure at a nursing home in Newport Beach where he had lived since mid-2001 while battling Alzheimer's disease. He was awarded in 1944 for his World War II cartoon G.I.’s, Willie and Joe, and again in 1959 for providing his visual commentary on Boris Pasternak’s treatment by the Soviets.

Artist Al Hirschfeld, one of the best known caricaturists in history, died in his sleep at his home in New York City on January 20, 2003. He was 99. Best known for his witty caricatures of actors and personalities, Hirschfeld's drawings also provided the inspiration for the "Rhapsody in Blue" segment of FANTASIA 2000. Directed by Eric Goldberg, the segment evoked New York in the 1930s. Hirschfeld, whose life was detailed in the 1996 documentary, THE LINE KING, was also well known in the American theater community.

The Board of Directors of AOL Time Warner Inc. has unanimously elected CEO Dick Parsons to the newly-combined position of chairman and chief executive officer. The appointment will become effective at the May 16, 2003 annual shareholders meeting, which is when Steve Case will step down as chairman, as previously announced. AOL's stock has fallen 70% since it acquired Time Warner in 2001, a consequence many stockholders had blamed on Case, a major architect of the merger. Case will remain a director of the company and will continue to co-chair the merger strategy committee.

Estelle Blanc, wife of legendary voice actor Mel Blanc, died Sunday, January 12, 2003 in Santa Monica, California of natural causes. She was 92. Born in Denver, Colorado, Estelle Rosenbaum began her career in early radio with soon-to-be husband Mel in 1932 in Portland, Oregon where they co-hosted a one-hour radio show called COBWEBS AND NUTS. Married in 1933, the couple moved to Los Angeles in 1936. There, Mel joined Warner Bros. where he gained fame as the signature voices of the characters Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester & Tweety, Tazmanian Devil, Wyle E.

Karl Cohen of ASIFA-SF has brought AWN the news that animator Zack Schwartz, one of the founders of UPA, passed away on January 13, 2003 in Israel. After working at Disney, most notably as an art director on BAMBI and FANTASIA, Schwartz went on to work under Frank Tashlin at Screen Gems and was a founder of UPA. In 1946, Schwartz sold his interest in the studio and moved to New York, where he worked in television advertising, eventually becoming an advertising agency executive.

Citing issues that have arisen out of the merger of AOL Time Warner, merger architect Steve Case has decided to step down as chairman of the company, effective at the annual shareholders meeting in May 2003. Case notified CEO Dick Parsons and the Board of Directors of his decision over the weekend of January 11, 2003.

Nickelodeon animation head Albie Hecht has been appointed president of the cable channel The New TNN. In his new position, Hecht will oversee TNN as it repositions itself as television's first entertainment network for men, building upon its existing predominantly male audience composition. As part of this transition, Diane Robina will leave her current role as general manager of the network.

Dr. Steve Sullivan has been promoted to research and development director at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). Sullivan, who most recently headed up a computer vision team within the R&D group, has been instrumental in developing systems for matchmoving, image-based modeling and rendering, and motion-capture. In 1996, Sullivan received a PhD. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with an emphasis on automatic object modeling, recognition and surface representations.

Kevin Prendiville, former visual effects supervisor at Ring of Fire, has joined The Syndicate as the studio's new VFX supervisor and lead flame artist. Previously, Prendiville was the Henry artist at Hollywood-based visual effects house Novocom, where he worked on commercials for Discover Card, AT&T, Miller Lite, Chevy Blazer, Levis, Allsport and Mountain Dew. His music video work at Novocom included clips for Michael Jackson and Lenny Kravitz, and a special effects heavy Garth Brooks track that won the Country Music video of the year award in 1995.

Raiding the pool of talent left after Mill Film removed itself from the feature effects business, Cinesite Europe, Ltd. has appointed Mill Film's former managing director Antony Hunt as managing director and former director of miniature effects at Mill Film José Granell as visual effects supervisor/director of models. These senior staff members join CG artists Simon Stanley-Clamp, Andy Kind, Ivor Middleton and Royston Wilcocks, all also formerly of Mill Film. Cinesite Europe, Ltd.

As previously rumored, Thomas Schumacher has left his post as head of Disney Feature Animation to become president, Buena Vista Theatrical Worldwide, the Disney unit that oversees Disney's live stage productions around the world. David Stainton will replace Schumacher as president, Walt Disney Feature Animation. Both divisions will fall under the auspices of The Walt Disney Studios and will work directly with chairman and CEO Michael D.

Fox Kids Europe N.V. (FKE) has announced that Bruce Steinberg will succeed Ynon Kreiz as chief executive officer. Kreiz had previously announced his resignation effective in December 2002, and Steinberg will take over the position immediately, reporting directly to the supervisory board of Fox Kids Europe.

Patrick Kennedy has been promoted to executive vice president of Sony Pictures Digital, with overall responsibility for the company's Digital Networks Division. In his previous role as senior vice president of Sony Pictures Digital, Kennedy was responsible for the formation of the Digital Networks Division, which officially launched in April 2002. The division, an integral component of the Sony Pictures Digital organization, is charged with becoming the leading creator and distributor of digital entertainment services to consumers on all devices.

Pat Wyatt has left her post as president of Fox Home Video and Consumer Products, with the aim of starting up an independent production company specializing in anime, with a focus on original direct-to video properties. The company will also produce theatrical features, according to VARIETY. The name and details of the company are forthcoming. Wyatt told VARIETY her intentions are to reconnect with her family roots in Japan by "bringing eastern culture to the west." Wyatt has presided over the Home Video unit for the past five years.

GTN Travelling Pictures has added visual effects artist Michael Orlando to its staff. In his former position as CGI artist at ILM, Orlando’s credits include an array of visual effects for feature films including STAR WARS: EPISODE II "ATTACK OF THE CLONES," THE TIME MACHINE, MEN IN BLACK II and MINORITY REPORT. Orlando has also worked in the effects divisions of Paramount Pictures, Disney, Sony ImageWorks and Cinesite. In addition to his 3D skills, Michael also has experience in the design and construction of model miniatures, mechanical action props, photography and oil painting.

Recently launched independent animation studio Qurios Entertainment has added award-winning animator and artist David Stoten to its roster. Stoten's diverse career began as a caricaturist and sculptor for SPITTING IMAGE, the satirical British TV show. This led to collaboration with fellow artist Tim Watts; together they directed and animated THE BIG STORY, a short film that won a BAFTA Award and was nominated for an Oscar.

John S. Wadsworth, Jr., honorary chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia Limited, has joined Pixar's Board of Directors, bringing the number of directors to seven. Wadsworth, who is an advisory director for Morgan Stanley globally, has spent nearly two decades overseeing the firm's policy and business strategies throughout Asia and Australia, including serving on the Investment Banking Operating Committee, Chairman of the Firm Investment Account Committee, and Chairman of Morgan Stanley Ventures.

U.S. manga publisher TOKYOPOP is expanding its presence in broadcast and film and has hired Steve Galloway to fill the newly created position of executive director of development. In this position, Galloway will help develop and sell TOKYOPOP's intellectual properties into domestic film and TV media in order to generate additional revenue streams, build brand recognition and position the company as an effective partner for broadcast projects.

Corus Entertainment Inc. held its annual General Meeting on December 11, 2002 and outlined its action plan to position Nelvana as a key component of the company's overall business strategy, which includes a focus on vertical integration and content ownership. In addition, the company announced the appointment of Doug Murphy to executive vice president, business development for Nelvana.

William "Tex" Henson, who supervised animation on ROCKY & BULLWINKLE and was a force behind the popularity of CHIP 'N DALE, died Monday, December 2, 2002 of head injuries after being hit by a pickup truck in Dallas, Texas. He was 78 years old. Born in Dallas, Henson moved to California to join Disney Studios in 1944, where he was an animator on films such as SONG OF THE SOUTH, PECOS BILL and PETER AND THE WOLF. He was also one of the forces behind Chip & Dale's leap from bit players to outright stars. The chipmunk duo went on to star in 23 theatrical cartoons.