Alan Zaslove
Alan Zaslove got his start in the animation business in 1943 as an office boy at Warner Bros. After falling in with animation legends like Chuck Jones, Shamus Culhane, and Bobe Cannon, he began work at United Productions of America as... a paint jar washer. But conditions improved once he began as an animator, starting with the 1954 short "Fudget's Budget." Zaslove continued to work as an animator on numerous productions through the 1970s, including "The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo" and "George of the Jungle." While he continued to animate during the 1980s, his role shifted more to that of a director, helming episodes of shows like the futuristic "The Jetsons," the quasi-socialist "Smurfs," and the "Tranformers" rip-off "Challenge of the GoBots." By 1987, Zaslove had moved up once again, working as a producer on the popular Disney spin-offs "Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers" and "DuckTales," both of which earned the producer Emmy nominations. He was no less busy during the 1990s, becoming one of the driving forces behind the superhero spoof "Darkwing Duck" and the "Aladdin" television show.