M.A.S.K. Animated Series Voice Director Stu Rosen Passes Away at 80

Emmy and Peabody award winner Stu Rosen known for his contributions in American children's television has passed away at 80 years old. Rosen created the acclaimed Dusty's Treehouse show in 1970 that ran for a decade and also appeared in reruns on Nickelodeon. In the '80s and '90s, he would then move on to voice direction on several animated shows including M.A.S.K., Hulk Hogan's Rock N' Wrestling, Biker Mice From Mars, Defenders of the Earth, Captain N the Game Master, The Legend of Prince Valiant, Little Shop, Kissyfur, and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Rosen also voice directed the feature film My Little Pony: The Movie, the TV special The Glo Friends Save Christmas, the fan-favorite TV short Pryde of the X-Men, and Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock.

Rosen is also credited as the casting director for several animated shows including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Eek!stravanganza, The Incredible Hulk (1996), and the aforementioned Captain N: The Game Master. He also contributed his own voice talent as supporting characters on several of the shows he directed.

I'm friends with a few M.A.S.K. voice actors who worked with Stu Rosen and they posted these comments on Facebook:

I must acknowledge someone's passing....I came to Los Angeles in 1985 to voice on an animated series, M.A.S.K. (Mobile Armored Strike Kommand) for network TV and ended up doing 8 characters over 75 episodes. Our original Director was Marsha Goodman, but other commitments meant she had to move on and hand the directing reigns over to Stu Rosen. Stu directed the majority of the episodes. A few years later, when he was between gigs, I was able to get him a few v/o jobs, as I'd also moved into directing...although, at that time, it was dubbed anime, not original animation. I had not seen him in decades but just learned that he's passed away, at 80, of cancer. - Doug Stone

May Stu rest in peace and condolences to his family and friends - Mark Halloran

Stu Rosen (far left) with M.A.S.K. voice actors/staff circa 1985
Courtesy Doug Stone

As a humble fan who has fond childhood memories of many of these animated shows, I say thank you Stu Rosen for your contributions to children's television. Rest In Peace.