14 Facts About Michael Maltese

1.

Michael Maltese was an American story man for classic animated cartoon shorts.

2.

Michael Maltese wrote for a total of 1,027 cartoons during his tenure at Warner Bros.

3.

The son of Italian immigrants, Maltese graduated from the National Academy of Design.

4.

Michael Maltese married Florence Sass in April 1936; writer Warren Foster served as Best Man.

5.

Michael Maltese began his career in animation as a cel painter at Fleischer Studios in 1935.

6.

Michael Maltese was the voice of the Lou Costello-esque character in Wackiki Wabbit and the Benito Mussolini duck in The Ducktators.

7.

Michael Maltese wrote One Froggy Evening, the first appearance of future Warner Brothers mascot Michigan J Frog.

8.

Michael Maltese is the writer of Chilly Willy's Academy Award-nominated theatrical short The Legend of Rockabye Point, directed by fellow Warner alumnus Tex Avery.

9.

Jones's unit would be resurrected early in 1954, with Michael Maltese departing Lantz to rejoin his longtime collaborator several months afterwards; Michael Maltese's first post-shutdown Warner credits by release would be on Rocket-Bye Baby and Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z, a Road Runner short.

10.

Michael Maltese departed Jones' unit for the second and final time in 1958, with his final credit appearing on 1961's The Mouse on 57th Street.

11.

Michael Maltese wrote for a total of 200 storyboards for Hanna-Barbera.

12.

Michael Maltese briefly worked with Jones at Sib-Tower 12 Productions on writing Tom and Jerry shorts from 1963 to 1965.

13.

Michael Maltese wrote comic books published by Western Publishing, including for many of the Warner Brothers and Hanna-Barbera characters whose animated exploits he scripted.

14.

Michael Maltese died on February 22,1981, at Los Angeles's Good Samaritan Hospital after a six-month bout with cancer, aged 73.