10 Facts About Ion Popescu-Gopo

Ion Popescu-Gopo was a prominent personality in the Romanian cinematography and the founder of the modern Romanian cartoon school.

Ion Popescu-Gopo was, together with Liviu Ciulei and Mirel Iliesiu, one of the few Romanian film artists who won an award at the Cannes Film Festival in the 20th century.

Ion Popescu-Gopo attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Bucharest.

Ion Popescu-Gopo made Maria, Mirabela, which is a Romanian-Russian co-production.

Ion Popescu-Gopo's career started as a designer and cartoonist in 1939, publishing caricatures and editorial cartoons in newspapers.

Ion Popescu-Gopo's most known cartoon character is a little black and white man sometimes referred to as "Gopo's Little Man" after his creator.

Later in his life Popescu-Gopo confessed that he tried to start an "anti-Disney rebellion".

Unable to surpass Disney's animation characters in color and beauty, Popescu-Gopo tried to be more profound in message and substance and simplify the form and techniques used.

Ion Popescu-Gopo died in Bucharest on 29 November 1989, just weeks before the Romanian Revolution.

Ion Popescu-Gopo suffered a heart attack while trying to push his car, stuck in snow, into his garage.