Biography

Irven Spence was born on April 24, 1909 in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. He was an assistant director, known for Rugged Rangers (1942), Rats in Spats (1941) and The Lord of the Rings (1978). He was married to Alice Amelia Hossfeld and Olivia Pietzsch (née Wilson). He died on September 21, 1995 in Dallas, Texas, USA.

Childhood friend of William Hannah, with whom he attended Compton High School in California (1923-27). He was involved in drawing cartoons for school newspapers, but it was Hannah's prompting which led Spence to work in animation.

Swedish-American animator, noted for his loose, rubbery animation. His output was prolific and he turned out numerous iconic cartoons for Ub Iwerks, MGM (where he helped create Tom & Jerry) and Hannah-Barbera (assisting in the development of characters for "The Flintstones", "The Jetsons", and "Yogi Bear"). He was a recipient in 1986 of the prestigious 1986 Winsor McCay Award for lifetime achievement in animation.