The Real Reason Ralph Bakshi's Wizards Vanished (1977)

In 1977, Fox released two fantasies. One changed cinema. The other lost its screens to make room for it. Ralph Bakshi's Wizards is the hand-drawn post-apocalyptic fairy tale that vanished from cinemas when Star Wars arrived. Built with experimental rotoscoping, an IBM photocopier, and repurposed World War II propaganda, it carries an uncredited voice by Mark Hamill and laid the groundwork for Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings (1978). This is the making of Wizards (1977): Bakshi's path from Fritz the Cat to a PG fantasy at 20th Century Fox, the world of Montagar, the handmade animation, the George Lucas overlap, the box-office clash, the sequel that never was, and a decades-late apology to the Bodé family. Video Chapters 00:00 - The 1977 Fantasy That Competed With Star Wars 00:59 - Ralph Bakshi's Rebellious Early Years in Animation 03:05 - Pitching a PG Fantasy to 20th Century Fox 04:36 - A World of Magic and Mutants: Exploring Montagar 06:07 - The Handmade Animation of Wizards 07:54 - Mark Hamill and the Uncredited Voice Cast 09:51 - The George Lucas Connection and Star Wars Production 11:50 - The IBM Photocopier Trick 14:32 - Rotoscoping WWII Propaganda in a Fairy Tale 17:04 - The Box Office Clash: Wizards vs Star Wars 18:51 - How Wizards Inspired The Lord of the Rings (1978) 21:05 - Becoming an Animated Cult Classic 22:16 - The Wizards 2 Sequel That Never Was 22:50 - Fifty Years of Ralph Bakshi's Wizards Subscribe to Golden Flicker for hidden histories of 20th-century cinema. #Wizards1977 #RalphBakshi #AnimationHistory #ClassicCinema #GoldenFlicker