Albert “Al” Brodax was born on February 14, 1926, and died on November 24, 2016.
He was an American film and television producer.
Al was sometimes credited as “Al Broadax”.
When he was age of eighteen, Brodax enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in World War II.
Al was wounded in action, and was subsequently awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Medical Badge, and three battle stars.
From 1950 to 1960, he worked in program development for the William Morris Agency, where he helped develop Your Show of Shows, Pulitzer Prize Playhouse, and Omnibus.
Brodax joined King Features Syndicate in 1960 as the head of their then-newly created film and television development department.
Following his Paramount’s contract to produce Popeye cartoons ran out in 1957, King Features acquired the television rights.
He oversaw the production of over 200 new shorts in 1960–62, with five different animation studios simultaneously involved.
That fast pace of production, coupled with limited animation due to low budgets, resulted in shorts that are held in low esteem by Popeye fans.
He was also the producer of King Features’ animated revival of Krazy Kat, as well as Cool McCool, Beetle Bailey, Snuffy Smith, and Casper the Friendly Ghost (1963–64 segments of The New Casper Cartoon Show).
When he saw the Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show, Brodax approached the band’s management with the idea of producing an animated series featuring the Fab Four.
Those series, of which was 39 episodes were produced, premiered on September 25, 1965 on ABC.
Al was later involved in the production of the Beatles’ animated film, Yellow Submarine, for United Artists, as producer and co-screenwriter.
From 1969 to 1980, he worked as a freelance producer/writer/lyricist/director.
Brodax was the animation supervisor for ABC’s children’s show Make a Wish (1970–75), and for Animals, Animals, Animals (1975–80).
During 2004, he released a memoir, Up Periscope Yellow: The Making of the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine.
Al resided in Weston, Connecticut, where he was the head of the Brodax Film Group, a television and production company.
Al Brodax passed away at 90 years old.