February 24, 1912

Jiří Trnka (February 24, 1912, to December 30 1969), was a Czechoslovakian puppeteer, illustrator and film maker. Wikipedia lists his birthdate as February 24, 1912. I have seen other citations of a different date. Since so many sources now just quote Wikipedia without making their sources explicit, it can be hard to establish the facts: 10 sources quoting one mistake echoes the bad information and gives it an undeserved credibility.

Jiri Trnka's first illustrated work was Mr. Boska The tiger of Vítezslaw Šmejc,(1937). He would go on to illustrate most of the classic European fairytales, those dear to Czeckoslovakia, and books, such as Alice in Wonderland. His love of puppeteering and film were combined and he is now remembered most for his films in which his own puppets star. Trnka had a studio " in the Old Town section of Prague..., an ancient music hall where Mozart once played. It was here that Jiří Trnka produced all of his great puppet films." Jiri Trnka's studio is listed as the producer of lots of "Mike the Cat" films, written and drawn by Trnka's fellow Prague artist, Josef Lada.

"How Mike the Cat helped Bobes the Goat, who wore out the village servant's boots on a slide, and the servant wanted to get rid of him for that," is an example.

Jiri Trnka is much honored in his homeland. In 2012 they issued a 500 crown coin with a profile of his head on one side. He is called the "Walt Disney of the East." But this last is by ignorant people. Trnka struggled against his government to the extent possible. Disney did nothing comparable. Walt Disney is not worthy of being called the Jiri Trnka of the West.