Bananation: Goodbye, Curious George's Writer

Alan J. Shalleck

November 14, 1929 - February 6, 2006

Justice was served on 19 October, 2007. One of Shalleck's killer, Rex Ditto, 31 has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and robbery with weapon. His accomplice and gay lover, Vincent Puglisi, 56 is scheduled for trial early next year.

Bananation pays tribute to Alan J. Shalleck, co-writer of the cartoon, Curious George, the mischievious monkey who had animated the kids' world since the 1980s. With his success of the televlsion series (about 100 short episodes) on Disney Channel, he and Curious George's creator, Margret Rey, colloborated on a series of book squeals. In Singapore, Curious George was not a known cartoon character in the 1980s.

Born in Westchester County, NY, Shalleck's career in children's entertainment dated back to 1950 when he joined CBS and worked in its mailroom. A drama major from Syracuse University, he rose to become an associate producer for 'Winky Dink and You', a morning kid show which ran from 1953 to 1957. After producing numerous children's films, he formed his company and the rest are history. However, he closed down his New York production company and worked as a children story teller at the Boynton Beach Borders bookstore, Florida in the early 1990s. He formed a new company, Reading By GRAMPS, and appeared publicly at book stores and local events. He also tutored, mentored and conducted workshops on improving reading skills for kids. A man with a goal to excite children in reading, his death is a loss to the future of our kids.

Shalleck, 76 was brutally stabbed 80 times at the abodmen, neck and groin. His body was found under a pile of trash in the front yard of his impeccably landscaped mobile home at Boynton Beach. Neighbors had seen his murderers, Ditto and Vincent visiting, and police claimed that their acquaintance was through a sex club. However, Ditto claimed that Shalleck engaged his carpet cleaning service from a newspaper advertisment. Now, who's telling the truth about how they met?

Ditto's side of his story began like this: His attorny advised him to plead guilty (although he calimed that he didn't do it) and take a life sentence without the chance of parole. He intended to fire his attorney and defend himself but the judge advised against the idea in view of his mental incompetency. Ditto (inset: left) struggled with mental illness since the age of 18. He met Vincent (inset: right) in January; the relationship was short yet dramatic. Vincent initiated the breakup but returned with a pair of sneakers and a watch to win Ditto's heart. Apparently, both items became the evidences that police used against Ditto. He alleged that he was framed because Vincent knew he had a criminal record. Currently locked up in prison, Ditto passed his time studying his case. He sold his lunch to fellow inmate to buy a stamped envelope to mail a letter to the judge requesting for permission to defend himself. Maybe mental experts can save me the time of googling and enlighten me if the ability to think rationally remains in the subconscious mind of the insane?

So far, there isn't any wacko-jacko alike accusation towards Shalleck for his association with children. The divorced man maybe living a secret gay life, but he had brought 50 years of joy to generation and generation of children. I am not sure if our local papers reported this case. If they do and parents learned that shalleck was gay, I hope they would not boycott Curious George at Borders or worst, throw away what titles their kids already have. Like the late writer, the stories are innocent: let our kids continue to be curious with George.
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