Critically acclaimed for directing favorite American cartoons like "Tom and Jerry" and "Popeye the Sailor Man," Academy Award-winning animation director Gene Deitch shared some of his lesser known works with audiences at SF State last night.

The free event, presented by SF State's Animation Society club and the San Francisco chapter of the Association Internationale du Film d' Animation, drew more than 50 audience members. Students, faculty and animation enthusiasts gathered in the Coppola Theatre to view five never-before-seen films that Deitch described as his "greatest flops." Deitch expressed to audiences how the process of creating successful films also involves creating a large number of unsuccessful ones.

"Anything he does, I enjoy," said SF ASIFA President, Karl Cohen, who also teaches part time at SF State in the cinema department. "[Deitch] is a wealth of knowledge and he's entertaining."

Deitch, bespectacled and dressed in a navy blue shirt and khakis, recalled stories from his 62 years in the animation industry where he struggled with many unsuccessful projects, despite his overall success.

His credits include work at United Productions of America and Terrytoons in Hollywood, as well as an Academy Award for his adaptation of Jules Pfeiffer's "Munro." From 1945 to 1951, he also served as a primary graphics contributor and later as the art director for the legendary jazz magazine "The Record Changer," and even drew a short-lived newspaper cartoon strip entitled "Terr'ble Thompson."

"[The film industry] is not all roses," said Deitch, cautioning the aspiring filmmakers in the crowd. "There are failures of making bad films and there are failures of losing friendships [over making films], but it's all part of the game."

Last week, the 84-year-old director flew into San Francisco from Prague, Czech Republic, where he has been living since 1959. He was a part of a retrospective program for the San Francisco International Animation Festival that took place from Nov. 13 to Nov. 16.

Deitch screened eight films throughout yesterday evening's event, including a 1968 animated film called "The Giants." According the Deitch, he considers it a "failure" because it was not properly entered to the Academy Awards and subsequently cost the film an Oscar that year.

On the other hand, Deitch said that "The Giants" made him one of the only six directors to have their films banned by Communist leaders in former Czechoslovakia for being "objectivist." The film didn't have a clear hero or villain, and the two main characters were "equally ugly and equally vicious," a formulation that completely clashed with black and white ideologies of Communism.

Also screened was an unreleased version of Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are." Deitch explained how he created the original soundtrack by using heavy turntables and poor recording equipment. His music was later rejected in the final version for a more orchestral sound, even though Deitch said that Sendak called his "a work of genius."

A similar tale unfolded when Deitch adapted William Steig's award-winning children's picture book, "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble." According to Deitch, Steig supposedly opted to use his son's music for the film instead of Deitch's narration and music.

"[Deitch] understands that a business is a business," said Cohen. "If anyone else [in the filmmaking process] is in power, they can destroy an artist's creation by a stroke of a memo."

Deitch, however, has still managed to stay afloat in the sometimes ruthless industry and maintain the respect of his peers and dedicated fans, old and new.

Berkeley City College animation student, Marian Sun, 23, was only recently introduced to Deitch's work last Sunday when he spoke at De Anza College in Cupertino, Calif., but was immediately enthralled by his work.

"I like his sense of humor," said Sun, who conceded that Deitch's cartoons transcended generational differences. "[Deitch's] cartoons feel like ones that we would all grow up with."

In 2003, Deitch was awarded the prestigious "Annie" by ASIFA, Hollywood, for a lifetime contribution to the art of animation.

"As long as people give me things to do, I'll keep doing it," said Deitch.