the famous character of the same name) and created the pilot show for the award-winning Felix the Cat television series. Making use of many former Fleischer/Famous directors, 260 Felix shorts were made for television syndication in 1960. Oriolo built on this success in 1963 with both The Mighty Hercules and Beetle Bailey. In 1967 Oriolo Studios created Johnny Cypher in Dimension Zero. In 1969, Ribbon no Kishi was brought to the U.S. by Joe Oriolo and Burt Hecht. It was retitled Princess Knight and purchased from Mushi Productions; English dialogue scripts were written and voices dubbed. Later, the business arrangement between Oriolo and Hecht fell apart; and as part of the settlement, Hecht departed with the Princess Knight masters in 1970. As a result, the company ultimately scrapped the show before it could be broadcast. For a number of years, it was thought that all of the English-language dubs of the series had been either lost or destroyed. However, the English-language masters of the series were found in the Netherlands in 1996. By 1971, Oriolo had taken complete control of Felix the Cat and continued to market the character right up until his death. Death A resident of Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, Oriolo died at the age of 72 at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, New Jersey. He is buried in George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey. Felix the Cat: The Movie is dedicated to his memory. References External links 1913 births 1985 deaths Animators from New Jersey American animated film directors American animated film producers American cartoonists American people of Italian descent American storyboard artists People from Union City, New Jersey People from Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey Fleischer Studios people Famous Studios people