Animation director Michael Sporn dies

Animation director Michael Sporn, known for his adaptations of children's stories that were shown on HBO, PBS and other networks, had a childhood that was interrupted. When he was a toddler, his father abandoned the family, and it left a hole in Sporn's life.

"His stepfather wanted to adopt him when he was about 12," said Sporn's wife, actress Heidi Stallings. "Michael told his stepfather he loved him, but he said, 'If my father ever tries to find me, I have to make sure my name is still Sporn.' I think that's why a lot of his films were about family."

Sporn, 67, died Sunday in New York. He had pancreatic cancer.

He was nominated for a best short film animation Oscar for his adaptation of the William Steig story "Doctor DeSoto" (released in 1984), and nominated for a prime-time Emmy for his version of another Steig story, "Abel's Island" (1988).

Other adaptations of illustrated works include "Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile" (1987) from a book by Bernard Waber, and "The Man Who Walked Between Towers" (2005) from a story by Mordicai Gerstein.

-- Los Angeles Times