Meet the Pink Panther

Book excerpt: In the early 1960s the celebrated producer/animator team of David DePatie and Friz Freleng was commissioned to create an animated sequence for the 1964 film The Pink Panther, directed by Blake Edwards and starring Peter Sellers as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau. DePatie-Freleng brought this Pink Panther to life by creating one suave, cool animated cat that earned DePatie-Freleng their 1964 Oscar for Best Animated Short, The Pink Phink. The character grew so popular that it soon spun off into its own series of theatrical shorts attached to the Pink Panther films, then expanded into a cartoon series and television specials. This summer The Pink Panther returns to the screen with a new film, The Pink Panther, starring Steve Martin. In conjunction with MGM's film and on the heels of the Pink Panther's 40th Anniversary. Hope and Sybil Freleng, daughters of Friz Freleng, pay tribute to their father by opening his archives and exploring the history of everybody's favorite pink cartoon character. Meet the Pink Panther is a delightful trove of Panther imagery, including never-before-seen art and witty and simple text about the Pink Panther. Designed with a retro look that is reminiscent of the Pink Panther from his premier in the 60s, Meet the Pink Panther is a sophisticated package that will appeal to parents who remember him with humor from their childhood and to children who can't help but be impressed by the consummate character of cool.