LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – Lenny Lipton, the man behind Peter, Paul and Mary’s folk song, “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” and the man who developed the ZScreen for today’s digital 3D projection systems died on October 5 of brain cancer at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. He was 82. His wife just recently confirmed his death to The New York Times.
While a freshman studying engineering and physics at Cornell, Lipton (an avid reader) was inspired, sat down at a typewriter belonging to fellow student Peter Yarrow and wrote a poem about a boy named Jackie Paper and his imaginary dragon friend. Yarrow found the poem and used it for the lyrics to the popular song we know today. It was released in 1963 and hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Lipton received writing credit on the song and the royalties, her the HR helped him pursue his interest in filmmaking.
From the release of the song came the 1978 animated series and specials on CBS – Puff the Magic Dragon in the Landing of the Living Lies and Puff and the Incredible Mr. Nobody. The children book (which this author still owns) has sold more than million copies.
In the Hollywood film circle, Lipton is known for developing the ZScreen electro-optical modulator (a tool in digital 3D projection) through the company he started, StereoGraphics. RealD acquired StereoGraphics in 2005 while Lipton remained as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
Lipton is survived by his wife Julie and children, Jonah, Noah, and Anna.
