was an American animator and film director with a long career working in numerous countries. Among his best-known works are the animated adaptations of the Raymond Briggs books When the Wind Blows and The Snowman. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for The Magic Pear Tree (1968).
Early life and education On June 5, 1933, Murakami was born in San Jose, California. At age 9, following the signing of Executive Order 9066, Murakami was interned with his Japanese-American family at the Tule Lake War Relocation Center, a concentration camp in northern California. After the end of World War II, Murakami and his family settled in Los Angeles, California.
Murakami attended Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles.
Career In 1955, Murakami was an animator at UPA in Burbank. Murakami worked on the Boing Boing Show.
Following a short stint with Toei Animation in Tokyo, Murakami joined TVC in London in 1960. He returned to Los Angeles in 1965, and established Murakami Wolf Productions. Murakami then moved to Ireland in 1971 and established Quarteru Films.
Murakami formed Murakami-Wolf Films with Fred Wolf. He also directed the music video for "King of the Mountain", the single from Kate Bush's album Aerial. In 1989, with his former partner Fred Wolf, he established Murakami Wolf Dublin to produce the hit animation series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
He also worked on 3 films for Roger Corman in the 70s-80s, including directing Battle Beyond The Stars, as well as Les pêcheurs de perles for Pascavision in 1993.
Murakami was the subject of a 2010 feature documentary film made by Irish director Sé Merry Doyle and produced by Martina Durac and Vanessa Gildea of Loopline Films called Jimmy Murakami - Non Alien which premiered in Dublin at the 2010 IFI Stranger than Fiction Film Festival.
Personal life Murakami died at the age of 80 on February 16, 2014, in Dublin, Ireland. He was survived by his wife, Ethna and their two Irish-born daughters, Deirdre and Claire.
Filmography YearTitleArt /Animation departmentDirectorProducerWriterNotes1957Trees and Jamaica Daddy DesignerShort (segment "Jamaica Daddy")1958Sailing and Village BandDesignerShort (segment "Village Band")1959Picnics Are Fun and Dino's SerenadeDesignerShort (segment "Dino's Serenade")1001 Arabian NightsLayout artist (uncredited)Theatrical filmThe Violinist AnimatorShort 1961The Insects1964The Top1965CharleyTV movie1967George... the PeopleAnimatorShort Produced for US Information AgencyThe BoxShortBreathAnimator and designerShort1968And Of Course You (with Chuck Swenson)Short Produced for US Information Agency1968The Magic Pear Tree ShortOscar nomination1969The Good Friend1971The PointTV Movie, uncreditedVon Richthofen and BrownArt director & Second unit director (uncredited)Theatrical film1972Clerow Wilson and the Miracle of P.S. 14AnimatorTV Movie1973The Naked ApeAnimatorTheatrical film1974The Mad Magazine TV SpecialTV movieFree to Be... You & MeAnimator and graphic designerTV Movie1975PassingShort1979Death of a Bullet1980Humanoids from the DeepUncreditedTheatrical filmBattle Beyond the StarsTheatrical film1981Heavy MetalAnimatorTheatrical film (segment "Soft Landing")1982The SnowmanTV Short1986When the Wind BlowsMusic video by David BowieWhen the Wind BlowsSpecial sequence animator (segment ''Military Command Sequence'')Storyboard artistTheatrical film1988The Lion, the Witch, & the WardrobeAnimation directorMini-Series, 2 episodes1989Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesTV series, seasons 1-51990Dream ExpressShort1992Urbanus: Het lustige kapoentjeStoryboard artistShort1993Opéra imaginaireTV movie (segment "Pêcheurs de perles")1995-1997The Story Keepers TV series, 13 episodes1998Oi! Get Off Our TrainTV ShortThe BearStoryboard consultantShort2001Christmas Carol: The MovieStoryboard artistTheatrical film2005King of the MountainMusic video by Kate Bush2008SandpiperShort2010Jimmy Murakami: Non AlienAnimator & voice appearanceDocumentary
References
External links
Murakami's filmography