Don Duga Does Demo at Holiday Market Plus
 
Riverhead, NY (November 29, 2007)—Don Duga, the legendary animator of Rankin/ Bass Christmas classics like Frosty the Snowman, The Year Without a Santa Claus, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and full-length features like The Last Unicorn (starring Mia Farrow and Jeff Bridges), will be at the East End Arts Council’s Holiday Market PLUS,121 East Main Street in Riverhead, to give an animation demonstration for children.  On Saturday, December 15th, at 12:00, in conjunction with Laura Helms’ Story Hour, Mr. Duga will show the kids how he draws some of the world’s most beloved characters, even sketching those kids right into the scenes.

Don Duga has been at the forefront of American animation for more than 40 years, having worked with some of the most prestigious animation studios in the world. He is a versatile animator, director and producer. His experience ranges from work with UPA and Rankin/Bass Studios to commercials, Sesame Street and feature films. Don has storyboarded such classic characters as Mr. Magoo and Underdog, and has worked on animated features such as the Mad Monster Party and Day Dreamer. As a storyboard artist at Rankin/Bass Studios, Don specialized in laying out the essential frame work for the various film projects. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Don worked animating commercials for various national companies. A relationship with Hostess Foods proved to be a large success for Don, where he designed and brought to life such memorable characters as Twinkie the Kid, Captain Cupcake, King Ding Dong, and Fruit Pie the Magician. Polestar Films and Associated Arts, a company DUGA co-founded along with animator Irra Verbitsky, has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Carnegie Medal for Best Children’s Film of the Year and the Asifa East Award for their work on Owen, which was narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker. The Holiday Market PLUS features beautiful and unique handcrafted gifts made by local artisans, and will be open daily through the 23rd of December.  For more information, call Laura Helms at 631-727-0900.
 
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Laura Helms
Communications Coordinator
East End Arts Council
133 East Main Street
Riverhead, NY 11901
631-727-0900