The film features voice work by Lorenzo Music and Paul Frees. There are many names in the crew recognizable from other work, such as David Fincher (who did special effects), Henry Selick, Kaj Pindal, and John Van Vliet.
TCM's blog Movie Morlocks discusses the career of John Korty and the circumstances surrounding the making of the film. Ward Jenkins collects a bunch of YouTube clips and interviews Harley Jessup, the art director of the film.
The 1980s were an odd decade for animation. Disney was rebuilding, Don Bluth was attempting to overtake them and Bakshi was in his rotoscope period. The decade also saw lots of independent animated features that were interesting but failed to have much box office success. It wasn't until the later '80s, when Disney got back on track and Spielberg got involved with animation that a new normal was established. Prior to that, films like Twice Upon a Time, Heavy Metal, Grendel Grendel Grendel, The Plague Dogs, Rock and Rule, The Adventures of Mark Twain and When the Wind Blows were looking to take animation in new directions, but due to inexperience and audience prejudices, they failed.
While these films had small, but professional budgets, this kind of film is made today on a shoestring by independents like Bill Plympton, Nina Paley and Signe Baumane. If those types of films are interesting to you, take a look at Twice Upon a Time.
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