Lunch with June Foray

In addition to her voice work, June has cultivated a very special relationship with ASIFA. After joining the newly-founded Hollywood branch of ASIFA in 1964 and working closely with co-founder Ward Kimball, she became president in 1973 and held that office until 1979. Believe it or not, it was June who started the Annie Awards in 1972. "I thought, who would be the best to honor? The older people first, so it was Max and Dave Fleischer. They were the first ones. [Some] said 'Oh, nobody'll show up.' Four hundred people showed up, and they had a ball."

June also headed weekend conventions at USC where professionals all over the field of animation, including the Chuck Jones and Friz Freling, would come in as guest speakers. Impressed with June, Walter Lantz enlisted her help to organize a convention of his own at the American Film Institute.

It was inspiring to hear about her willingness to help and contribute to her community. I had read about how she led a boycott against overpriced beef in the 1970's. "I'm a very progressive person. You know, they made liberal a dirty word, which is stupid." Her passion to challenge what we take for granted can be seen in her book, Perverse, Adverse and Rottenverse, in which she tears cultural idioms a new one. "All of the ancient shibboleths that we've been taught by our mothers and fathers, I shatter the hell out of most of them."