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He started his career as a Vaudeville drag queen rapid sketch artist. He was friends and business associates with Thomas Edison. He built one of the largest and most powerful pre World War I movie studios in America and the world. He died a penniless bum run down like a dog on Pico Boulevard by a bus. And along the way he did the first known film animation, taught Winsor McCay how to animate. And helped launched the film and animation industries. And a lot of you out there are going J. Stuart Who-the-hell-are-you-talking-about?

Tom Sito salutes J. Stuart Blackton (cartoon above) and the 100th birthday of animation. Come on out to the ASIFA-Hollywood archive tonight, April 6th at 6 PM to 9 PM (2114 W. Burbank Blvd, Burbank, CA) for cake, light refreshments, and talk about the past 100 years and maybe the next 100 years. With luck, no one will be run over by a bus.  ¶ 8:42 AM