UPA designer and director Gene Detich died yesterday, at the age of ninety-five. Deitch worked for UPA in Los Angeles and ran the New York studio before he moved to the former Czechoslovakia for a work project, in 1959. He fell in love with a Czech woman, Zdenka Najmanova, and remained ever since.

Born in 1924, in Chicago, Eugene Deitch grew up in Los Angeles. In his twenties, he designed covers for the Record Changer, a magazine for jazz enthusiasts. One was UPA storyman Bill Bernal, who brought Deitch to the studio as an apprentice. Deitch worked as a layout assistant for Bill Hurtz on the first Columbia shorts. In 1949, Deitch left UPA for the Jam Handy Organization, but he was lured back with an offer to run UPA-NY, in 1951.

The work of the New York studio was mainly television commercials. A memorable campaign was for Piel’s Beer, with a pair of animated brothers, Harry and Bert. After working for UPA, Deitch managed Terrytoons and produced the Academy Award-winning independent short Munro. In Czechoslovakia, he directed many cartoons, including thirteen new Tom and Jerry films in the early 1960s.

Deitch is survived by his wife, Zdenka, his children, a granddaughter, and a great-granddaughter. His three sons all became artists: Seth is a graphic designer; Simon worked in animation; Kim is the creator of underground comix.