Friz Freleng
| Friz Freleng | |
|---|---|
 Freleng, circa 1950s. | |
| Born | Isadore Freleng August 21, 1905 Kansas City, Missouri |
| Died | May 26, 1995 Los Angeles, California |
| Cause of death | Natural causes |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Animator Director |
| Years active at Warner Bros. Cartoons | 1933–1937, 1939–1962 |
| Years active at DePatie-Freling | 1963-1981 |
| Years active at Warner Bros. Animation | 1981-1986 |
Isadore "Friz" Freleng (August 21, 1905 – May 26, 1995), credited as I. Freleng early in his career, was an American animator, cartoonist, director, producer, and composer known for his work at Warner Bros. Cartoons on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons.
He introduced and/or developed several of the studio's biggest stars, including Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Tweety, Sylvester, Yosemite Sam (to whom he was said to bear more than a passing resemblance), Granny, and Speedy Gonzales. The senior director at Warners' animation studio, Freleng directed more cartoons than any other director in the studio (a total of 266), and is also the most honored of the Warner directors, having won five Academy Awards and three Emmy Awards. After Warner Bros. closed their animation studio in 1963, Freleng and business partner David H. DePatie founded DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, which produced cartoons (including The Pink Panther theatrical shorts), feature film title sequences, and Saturday-morning cartoons through the early 1980s.
Freleng died of natural cases on May 26, 1995, at the age of 89.
