I always use the name I. Klein. When I started to work professionally and needed a professional name, I boiled it down to that simple thing—in my drawings, on my paintings, on my cartoons, and on my animation.
Q: What animation studio did you start with?
I. Klein: I started with Hearst International, when I was about 18 years old. I'm really a pioneer. Even though I was just a kid, I was given stuff right away to animate. The first ones were Mutt and Jeff, and then later, Krazy Kat. I stuck by Krazy Kat for quite a few years. Later, of course, the studios started to create their own characters instead of using newspaper strips.
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Q: How did you get to work for Disney?
I. Klein: I had a friend by the name of Ted Sears. We'd been friends right from the beginning at Hearst International—though he was a story man, never became an animator. He seemed to admire what I did. When I arrived in Hollywood, Ted happened to mention to Walt Disney that I was working for Charles Mintz. So Walt said, "Why isn"t Klein working for me?" Ted said, "Why don"t you ask him?" So, several days later, I gave Mintz notice and two weeks later I was at Disney"s.
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