Ted Petok, a metro Detroit cartoonist and illustrator who won an Academy Award for an animated film about a shaggy feathered bird, died Tuesday of coronary artery disease in Rockville, Md. He was 93.
The former West Bloomfield resident had moved to the Landow House assisted living facility in Rockville a few months ago to be nearer to family.
"The Crunch Bird," an animated short about a cranky bird with a voracious appetite, was less than three minutes long and was produced and directed by Mr. Petok.
Encouraged by a local theater owner, he submitted the film for consideration and won an Oscar in 1971 in the short animated films category.
"Nobody was more amazed when he won than my dad," said his son Bill Petok. "The award was presented by Cloris Leachman and Richard Roundtree, and his response was, 'Oh boy, 'Crunch Bird,' my Oscar!' "
A native Detroiter, Mr. Petok graduated from Central High School in 1934 and briefly attended art school in Chicago. He worked in New York City as a cartoon illustrator for magazines, then returned to Detroit in 1935 to work with Jam Handy, a now-defunct Detroit advertising firm.
Mr. Petok served in the Army Signal Corps during World War II and occasionally submitted material to the Stars and Stripes newspaper for publication. He reached the rank of captain.
After the war, he opened a studio in downtown Detroit doing commercial artwork. With the emergence of TV, the market for animated advertising took off. Mr. Petok's clients included Faygo soft drinks, Speedway gasoline and General Motors.
"He was a creative guy who enjoyed entertaining people," his son said. "But mostly he was just thrilled that someone would actually pay him for something he loved to do. Here's a guy with no college, six months of art school and he was making a decent living, providing for his family and enjoying what he was doing."
After his Oscar success, Mr. Petok formed a distribution company and went on to make dozens of animated shorts, including 1974's "The Mad Baker." It starred a mad scientist and his creation, a monstrous chocolate cake.
Mr. Petok's animation also appeared on "Sesame Street" and "The Electric Company," and he did artwork for the Detroit Lions and the Detroit Pistons, his son said.
In addition to his son Bill, survivors include another son, Fred, and two grandchildren.
The funeral service is set for 2 p.m. today at the Ira Kaufman Chapel, 18325 W. Nine Mile Road in Southfield.
Burial is to be in Beth El Memorial Park in Livonia.
(Bio credited to JOE ROSSITER of the Detroit Free Press)
The former West Bloomfield resident had moved to the Landow House assisted living facility in Rockville a few months ago to be nearer to family.
"The Crunch Bird," an animated short about a cranky bird with a voracious appetite, was less than three minutes long and was produced and directed by Mr. Petok.
Encouraged by a local theater owner, he submitted the film for consideration and won an Oscar in 1971 in the short animated films category.
"Nobody was more amazed when he won than my dad," said his son Bill Petok. "The award was presented by Cloris Leachman and Richard Roundtree, and his response was, 'Oh boy, 'Crunch Bird,' my Oscar!' "
A native Detroiter, Mr. Petok graduated from Central High School in 1934 and briefly attended art school in Chicago. He worked in New York City as a cartoon illustrator for magazines, then returned to Detroit in 1935 to work with Jam Handy, a now-defunct Detroit advertising firm.
Mr. Petok served in the Army Signal Corps during World War II and occasionally submitted material to the Stars and Stripes newspaper for publication. He reached the rank of captain.
After the war, he opened a studio in downtown Detroit doing commercial artwork. With the emergence of TV, the market for animated advertising took off. Mr. Petok's clients included Faygo soft drinks, Speedway gasoline and General Motors.
"He was a creative guy who enjoyed entertaining people," his son said. "But mostly he was just thrilled that someone would actually pay him for something he loved to do. Here's a guy with no college, six months of art school and he was making a decent living, providing for his family and enjoying what he was doing."
After his Oscar success, Mr. Petok formed a distribution company and went on to make dozens of animated shorts, including 1974's "The Mad Baker." It starred a mad scientist and his creation, a monstrous chocolate cake.
Mr. Petok's animation also appeared on "Sesame Street" and "The Electric Company," and he did artwork for the Detroit Lions and the Detroit Pistons, his son said.
In addition to his son Bill, survivors include another son, Fred, and two grandchildren.
The funeral service is set for 2 p.m. today at the Ira Kaufman Chapel, 18325 W. Nine Mile Road in Southfield.
Burial is to be in Beth El Memorial Park in Livonia.
(Bio credited to JOE ROSSITER of the Detroit Free Press)
Ted Petok, a metro Detroit cartoonist and illustrator who won an Academy Award for an animated film about a shaggy feathered bird, died Tuesday of coronary artery disease in Rockville, Md. He was 93.
The former West Bloomfield resident had moved to the Landow House assisted living facility in Rockville a few months ago to be nearer to family.
"The Crunch Bird," an animated short about a cranky bird with a voracious appetite, was less than three minutes long and was produced and directed by Mr. Petok.
Encouraged by a local theater owner, he submitted the film for consideration and won an Oscar in 1971 in the short animated films category.
"Nobody was more amazed when he won than my dad," said his son Bill Petok. "The award was presented by Cloris Leachman and Richard Roundtree, and his response was, 'Oh boy, 'Crunch Bird,' my Oscar!' "
A native Detroiter, Mr. Petok graduated from Central High School in 1934 and briefly attended art school in Chicago. He worked in New York City as a cartoon illustrator for magazines, then returned to Detroit in 1935 to work with Jam Handy, a now-defunct Detroit advertising firm.
Mr. Petok served in the Army Signal Corps during World War II and occasionally submitted material to the Stars and Stripes newspaper for publication. He reached the rank of captain.
After the war, he opened a studio in downtown Detroit doing commercial artwork. With the emergence of TV, the market for animated advertising took off. Mr. Petok's clients included Faygo soft drinks, Speedway gasoline and General Motors.
"He was a creative guy who enjoyed entertaining people," his son said. "But mostly he was just thrilled that someone would actually pay him for something he loved to do. Here's a guy with no college, six months of art school and he was making a decent living, providing for his family and enjoying what he was doing."
After his Oscar success, Mr. Petok formed a distribution company and went on to make dozens of animated shorts, including 1974's "The Mad Baker." It starred a mad scientist and his creation, a monstrous chocolate cake.
Mr. Petok's animation also appeared on "Sesame Street" and "The Electric Company," and he did artwork for the Detroit Lions and the Detroit Pistons, his son said.
In addition to his son Bill, survivors include another son, Fred, and two grandchildren.
The funeral service is set for 2 p.m. today at the Ira Kaufman Chapel, 18325 W. Nine Mile Road in Southfield.
Burial is to be in Beth El Memorial Park in Livonia.
(Bio credited to JOE ROSSITER of the Detroit Free Press)
The former West Bloomfield resident had moved to the Landow House assisted living facility in Rockville a few months ago to be nearer to family.
"The Crunch Bird," an animated short about a cranky bird with a voracious appetite, was less than three minutes long and was produced and directed by Mr. Petok.
Encouraged by a local theater owner, he submitted the film for consideration and won an Oscar in 1971 in the short animated films category.
"Nobody was more amazed when he won than my dad," said his son Bill Petok. "The award was presented by Cloris Leachman and Richard Roundtree, and his response was, 'Oh boy, 'Crunch Bird,' my Oscar!' "
A native Detroiter, Mr. Petok graduated from Central High School in 1934 and briefly attended art school in Chicago. He worked in New York City as a cartoon illustrator for magazines, then returned to Detroit in 1935 to work with Jam Handy, a now-defunct Detroit advertising firm.
Mr. Petok served in the Army Signal Corps during World War II and occasionally submitted material to the Stars and Stripes newspaper for publication. He reached the rank of captain.
After the war, he opened a studio in downtown Detroit doing commercial artwork. With the emergence of TV, the market for animated advertising took off. Mr. Petok's clients included Faygo soft drinks, Speedway gasoline and General Motors.
"He was a creative guy who enjoyed entertaining people," his son said. "But mostly he was just thrilled that someone would actually pay him for something he loved to do. Here's a guy with no college, six months of art school and he was making a decent living, providing for his family and enjoying what he was doing."
After his Oscar success, Mr. Petok formed a distribution company and went on to make dozens of animated shorts, including 1974's "The Mad Baker." It starred a mad scientist and his creation, a monstrous chocolate cake.
Mr. Petok's animation also appeared on "Sesame Street" and "The Electric Company," and he did artwork for the Detroit Lions and the Detroit Pistons, his son said.
In addition to his son Bill, survivors include another son, Fred, and two grandchildren.
The funeral service is set for 2 p.m. today at the Ira Kaufman Chapel, 18325 W. Nine Mile Road in Southfield.
Burial is to be in Beth El Memorial Park in Livonia.
(Bio credited to JOE ROSSITER of the Detroit Free Press)
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