John Albert Stokes (2 April 1920 – 20 March 2013) was a British animation director best known for his work on the 1968 Beatles film Yellow Submarine.
Life and career Jack Stokes began his training at Southend College of Art. After serving in the RAF during the Second World War, Stokes was fortunate to be taken on as a trainee animator at David Hand's Gaumont British Animation studio which at the time had recently opened at Moor Hall in Cookham, Berkshire. He served as an animator for the Animaland division led by Bert Felstead. Such opportunities were almost unknown in Britain in the post-war years.
By the early 1960s he had established his own studio, Stokes Cartoons, producing work for cinema and television. It was during this time that he began working with the Canadian film-maker George Dunning, and with his friend John Coates who ran another London animation studio, TVC. In 1965 TVC produced an animated series for US television entitled simply The Beatles which, although it was very successful in the United States was never shown on British television. Following on from this, Stokes was commissioned to create animations for the title sequences of the Beatles' 1967 film, Magical Mystery Tour. Then in 1968, along with Bob Balser, he created his most well-known animations, from the work of illustrator Heinz Edelmann, for the film Yellow Submarine, directed by Dunning.
Throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s he worked on a number of films and television series, including episodes of Roobarb and adaptations of Beatrix Potter's The Tailor of Gloucester and Charles Kingsley's The Water Babies. In 1975–76, Richard Williams chose him and Gerald Potterton to represent the London contingent of Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure.
He retired in his 80s, and died on 20 March 2013, aged 92.
Filmography +Feature FilmsYearTitleAnimation Director1968WonderwallTitles and Special Effects (credited to Stokes Cartoons)1968Yellow SubmarineAnimation Director1969Moon Zero TwoAnimator (title sequence – credited as Stokes Cartoons)1971Tiki TikiAnimator1975Tarzoon: Shame of the JungleAdditional Animator1978The Water BabiesStoryboard Artist1981Heavy MetalSequence Director, Animator (segment "Den")1985Asterix Versus CaesarLayout Artist, Storyboard Artist1987The Big BangLayout Artist1991The Princess and the GoblinAdditional Animator1992The Magic VoyageCharacter Animator, Storyboard Artist1997Prince ValiantAnimation Director, Animation Layout Artist, Animator2001Christmas Carol: The MovieAnimator +Short FilmsYearTitleCredit1962The Ever-changing Motor CarAnimator1963The AppleAnimator1964Paynes Poppets: Back RowDirector1964Paynes Poppets: In FrenchDirector1965Kindred SpiritAnimator1966Rock 'n Roll MusicDirector1967InsydoutsydinDirector, Writer1967Scotch AllDirector1972Boom Bom BoomDirector1974The Little MermaidEffects Animator1996Famous FredSpecial Effects +TelevisionYearTitleCredit1965– 1969The BeatlesDirector, Designer1974RoobarbAnimator, Unit Director1984– 1985The Family-NessDirector1992– 1998The World of Peter Rabbit and FriendsDirector1996– 1999Percy the Park KeeperStoryboard Artist1997–KipperStoryboard Artist +Television MoviesYearTitleCredit1983David Macaulay: CastleAnimation Director, Layout Artist, Storyboard Artist1989GranpaKey Animator1991Father ChristmasKey Animator1995The Wind in the WillowsAdditional Storyboard Artist1996The Willows in WinterKey Animator1998The BearLayout Artist1999Santa's Special DeliveryDirector
References
External links
Filmography on the British Film Institute website