Jan Svochak, head animator for 30 years on the "Hawaiian Punch" TV commercial campaign, died September 6, 2006 in Cape Coral, Florida of lung cancer. He was 81.
Born in Malý Slavkov, in what is now Slovakia on July 7, 1925, he moved with his family to the United States in the 1930's. During the Second World War, he served in the United States Army tank corps (20th Armored Division), where he was part of the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp.
Following The War, he began as an animator at Famous Studios, assisting Marty Taras with cartoons featuring such characters as Baby Huey, Little Audrey, and Herman and Katnip.
It was at JJ Sedelmaier Productions where he was the Head Animator of the famed "Hawaiian Punch" commercial campaign.
On September 7, 1968, he married Cheryl Seebohm. They had two sons. David was born September 19, 1969; and after several miscarriages, Jan and Cheryl decided to adopt. Peter was born November 9, 1978 and adopted shortly thereafter.
In the early 1970's, Jan was at Perpetual Motion Pictures, where he worked on the "Mr. Hipp" show for NBC's Saturday evening "Weekend" program, a predecessor of "Saturday Night Live". Also for Perpetual, he animated several "Berenstain Bears" TV specials in the early 1980s, along with "Strawberry Shortcake in Big Apple City".
At Buzzco Associates, he animated 1983's "Deck The Halls With Wacky Walls", also known as "The Wacky Wallwalker Christmas Special". He was an animator for the never-released "The MAD Magazine TV Special", produced by Format Films in 1974.
In 1987, Jan was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and had to have his entire stomach and part of his esophagus removed. He often said that the only reason he survived for the following twenty years was by the grace of God and the constant care and attention of his loving wife (whom he called "Drahoušek" - Czech for "Darling").
In the summer of 2000, Jan and Cheryl visited his home in Malý Slavkov. That was the first time he had been back in 37 years. While there, Jan donated a sum of money to the local Catholic church so they could install a new set of electronic bells. On the day he died, they rang those bells in his honor.
Jan lived a full life which included skiing in the Swiss Alps, the Italian Alps, Colorado, and Vermont. He was an avid soccer fan (his favorite team was the Cosmos back in the 80's; and, of course, his favorite player was Pelé).
Jan also freelanced for Pelican Films, Byron Rabbitt, Zanders, Ink Tank, and Jumbo.
A longtime officer of New York Cartoonists Local 841, he served on its pension board after it merged with Camera Local 600.
