Joy Batchelor

Joy Ethel Batchelor 12 May 1914 14 May 1991 was an English animator director screenwriter and producer She married John Halas in 1940 and subsequently coestablished Halas and Batchelor cartoons whose best known production is the animated feature film Animal Farm 1954 which made her the first woman director of an animated feature since Lotte Reiniger Together they created over 2000 shortsfilms and produced roughly 70 propaganda pieces during World War II for the British government She helped cowrite write animate produce and direct many of their productions One of her projects as an art director was Cinerama Holiday 1955 Joy directed and wrote Ruddigore 1967 a televisionfilm adaptation of WS Gilberts opera of the same name which became the first opera to be adapted into an animated film She later worked in television directing series including animated shows like The Jackson 5ive 1971 Batchelor died on 14 May 1991 just two days after her 77th birthday