Graham Anderson

Graham Michael Joseph Anderson (October 9, 1909-September 28, 2004) was a Canadian-born American filmmaker, producer, animator, and was the founder of Games Animation, Inc. back in 1940.

Anderson taught at the California State University in Los Angeles, up until his death in September 2004. He died on September 28 at the age of 94 due to a heart attack.

Early life
Anderson was born on October 9, 1909 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to parents Joseph Christopher Anderson, a businessman, and Jessica Samantha Anderson, a banker.

Anderson attended Northern Secondary School in Toronto in 1921 and graduated in 1926 with a degree in independent film. This would later prompt Anderson shifting to animation.

In 1938, Anderson applied for an animation role at Walt Disney Productions, to which he got accepted. He worked on several short films, centering around the Disney mascot Mickey Mouse. From 1942 until 1945, Anderson temporarily left the company due to the impact of the second World War in order to pursue working at the Marines.

He returned in 1946, after the war concluded. In 1955, Anderson left Walt Disney Productions, after working on over 21 short films, including 6 theatrical films in his time working at the company. Anderson would later shift to Hanna-Barbera Productions, where he would work with William Hanna and Joseph Barbara.

Games Animation, Inc.
While at Hanna-Barbera Productions, Anderson founded his animation production studio, Games Animation Productions, with the name "Games" referencing his name. GAP, an abbreviation for Games Animation Productions, produced several television programs, including the hit children's television series The Odd Parents, which aired from 1979 until 1985.

In 1976, Games would step down as president, hiring then-head of Paramount Pictures, Michael Eisner to take over the role. Games would still serve as CEO of the company.

In 1978, Games Animation Productions was acquired by Gulf+Western Industries, and the company was rebranded to Games Animation, Inc. Anderson was still in leadership of the company.

Personal life
Anderson is of Irish heritage, according to a 1968 interview. He was a teacher at the California State University in Los Angeles, California, where he taught from 1967, up until 1999, when he retired from teaching.

Michael Eisner
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Illness and death
Anderson was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer in 1989 at the age of 79. He was taken to the hospital where he remained for 6 months. He soon recovered from cancer in 1990. He had been prone to multiple organ-related problems throughout the remainder of his life, including an infected kidney, which he got treatment for.

In July 2004, Anderson created and developed the show Toonville, a live-action/animated comedy series produced by Nickelodeon Productions, Games Television Studios and Paramount Television Animation. It would end up being his last piece of media to be created.

On September 19, 2004, Anderson was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Hospital after suffering a massive heart attack. He was hooked up to life support. His younger children, including William, and his wife, Christina Bellsworth-Anderson, were informed, and rushed to Cedars-Sinai to see their father. Anderson was weakened from the heart attack, and was barely able to move.

His wife and his kids were worried for him. However, it was only a matter of time before it happened. On September 28, 2004, at approximately 3:35 AM PST, the doctors were monitoring his health still. A report came in while monitoring Anderson's health and reported the illness had spread all across his body, saying he wasn't going to make it. With his fellow animation peers watching, the doctors made the difficult decision to remove Anderson from life support, and thus, Games Anderson died on September 28, 2004 at 3:40 AM PST.

Public reaction
Once word of Games Anderson's death got out from the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the public was immediately shook by his passing. William Anderson, his son, hired a group of animators and created an animated tribute to his father. Publicly, on September 29, 2004, the finished animation was released, to positive public reception. A statue of Games Anderson was built at the Games Animation, Inc. headquarters in Studio City, Los Angeles, where it has remained a national statue.

Legacy
Anderson's legacy impacted the animation industry, the film industry and the television industry. When he died, news broke out worldwide. TBA.