Tuesday, December 09, 2008

RIP Oliver Postgate

I was sad to hear today that Oliver Postgate has died. But at 83 he had a good innings, and he packed more into his life that most people will manage. I strongly recommend his autobiography 'Seeing Things' - he invented many animation techniques for TV on the fly and his life is a fascinating story. A true maverick.

I never tire of the mice's song


Moon-based japes


Welsh wintering

8 comments:

Unknown said...

It is very sad news, but there's some solace in hearing how many people feel the same. I went through a phase of making felt Clangers and one of them was introduced to him, which I'm enormously proud of. Seeing Things is indeed a lovely book, about the life of a thoughtful, warm, curious and deeply humane man.

K said...

That is a shame. I grew up with Bagpuss, and Postgate's voice will always be redolent of comfort and reassurance for me. And "Mice not sing, mice not work!" is a family saying.

The book is indeed very good.

Eldpollard said...

Well that certainly is sad to hear. I'm a fan of his work. I'll need to rewatch Ivor the engine. That or Noggin the Nog. Or (and this is far more likely) both.

Unknown said...

That voice...I could scarcely believe how moved I could be just hearing a few line spoken by it so many years later. I feel an evening of clip-surfing coming on.

Though I will be wary about Ivor the Engine - the dragons always used to scare me, even though I knew they were kindly

Teresa Bowman said...

I was very sad to hear the news. Oliver Postgate was a big part of my childhood, as he was for everyone who grew up in Britain in the 70s and 80s.

"Seeing Things" is an excellent book - what an extraordinarily clever and inventive man he was, too. I like how he was known in his family as "the White Knight" because of all his mad inventions.

Silas Humphreys said...

I am wearing my Bagpuss badge in tribute.

Jackson said...

being from the states, i have to ask. do you really call it sledging?

John A said...

Yes.