Mark Jones, a veteran animator and director of classic B-horror comedies such as “The Leprechaun” and “Rumpelstiltskin,” died on January 16 in Los Angeles after a brief stay at West Hills Hospital. He was 72 years old.
Jones’ friend and collaborator George Saadi confirmed Jones’ death to Variety. His 73rd birthday would have been Saturday, January 17th, but he missed it by just a few hours.
Jones was best known for writing and directing the 1992 cult classic Leprechaun, starring Jennifer Aniston and Warwick Davis. The film spawned seven sequels. The most recent film, Leprechaun Returns, was released in 2018. His other notable works include 1995’s Rumpelstiltskin, a feature-length retelling of a classic fairy tale, and 1997’s The Nightman, a made-for-TV movie about a musician who is struck by lightning and gains the power to hear evil frequencies.
Jones began working as a Saturday morning cartoon. He sold his first script to Filmation Studios and then joined DePatie Freleng, where he wrote “Mr. Magoo” and “The Pink Panther.” He then moved on to the legendary animation company Hanna-Barbera, where he worked on scripts and story editing for films such as “Super Friends” and several “Scooby-Doo” projects.
His other notable animation screenwriting credits include “Fangface,” “Yogi’s Space Race,” “Plastic Man,” “Heathcliff” and “Mr. T.”
Jones also worked on several live-action series in the ’80s and early ’90s. These include “The Misadventures of the Robo Sheriff,” “Riptide,” “The A-Team,” “The Fall Guy,” and “Superboy.” His recent feature directorial work includes 2013’s “Scorned,” 2008’s “Triloquist” and 2004’s “Quiet Kill.”
A private memorial service for Ms. Jones is planned for the near future.
