Phil Young, Veteran Animator Of The Disney Renaissance, Dead At 80
Young worked at Disney from 1977 to 2002, animating on all the well-known features of that golden age.
RIP
Marcell Jankovics, Giant Of Hungarian Animation, Dies At 79
With his folkloric, psychedelic works, Jankovics raised the profile of Hungarian animation and earned a global cult following.
RIP, Olivier Jean-Marie, ‘Zig & Sharko’ Creator And ‘Oggy And The Cockroaches’ Director
Olivier Jean-Marie, whose work marked the childhoods of a generation in France and beyond, died on May 13.
Animation Advice From The Late ‘Simpsons’ Artist Edwin Aguilar
The “Simpsons” assistant director, who passed away last month, gave an illuminating masterclass shortly before his death.
RIP Roy Naisbitt, Master Layout Artist And Longtime Collaborator Of Richard Williams
Naisbitt was exceptionally skilled as a draftsman, and had a talent for distorted perspectives and unconventional camera moves.
RIP Gary Leib, New York Filmmaker, Animator, And Cartoonist, 65
Leib created animation for The New York Times and films including “American Splendor” and “American Ultra.”
Yasuo Otsuka, Influential Japanese Animator And Mentor, Dies At 89
“It was Otsuka-san who taught me the fun of working,” Hayao Miyazaki once wrote.
Brenda Banks, One Of The First Black Women Animators In America, Dies At 72
Even as she built up an impressive career working with the likes of Ralph Bakshi, Hanna-Barbera, and Warner Bros., Banks remained very private about her life.
RIP: Vinnie Bell, 89, A Pillar Of The New York Animation Scene For Half A Century
In his long career, Bell animated for prominent studios including Terrytoons, Hubley Studios, Perpetual Motion Pictures, and J.J. Sedelmaier Productions.
Allan Burns, Screenwriter Who Worked On ‘Rocky & Bullwinkle,’ Dies At 85
Burns had a short but productive animation career, creating such memorable characters as George of the Jungle and the Cap’n Crunch cereal mascot.
Disney Great Dale Baer, An Animator For Five Decades, Has Died At 70
Quiet and shy, Baer’s name may not be as familiar as other contemporary animators, but he was a highly respected animator’s animator and beloved by colleagues.
RIP: Dave Creek, Lead Character Designer Of ‘Bob’s Burgers,’ Dies After Skydiving Accident
Creek succumbed to injuries from a skydiving accident last weekend.
Industry Artist Tuck Tucker, A Veteran Of ‘Spongebob’ And ‘Hey Arnold!,’ Dies At 59
Tucker worked in roles including layout, storyboard, writing, and directing, picking up credits on influential series like “The Simpsons,” “Rugrats,” and “The Ren & Stimpy Show.”
Doug Crane, Renowned East Coast Animator, Dies At 85
Crane’s epic career ran from Terrytoons in the 1950s to MTV in the 1990s and beyond, spanning series, commercials, and features.
In Memoriam: Remembering The Animation Industry Figures Who Died In 2020
A tribute to the talents the community lost this year: animators and cartoonists, directors and producers, voice artists, dancers, and basketball players.
Ken Spears, ‘Scooby-Doo’ Co-Creator And Titan Of Saturday Morning Cartoons, Dies At 82
Spears’s death comes only four months after the passing of his long-time business and creative partner Joe Ruby.
Tony Eastman, Veteran East Coast Animator And Director, RIP
A mainstay of the East Coast animation scene, Tony Eastman worked on everything from “Doug” to “Beavis & Butt-head.”
Marge Champion, Actor And Dancer Who Was Model For ‘Snow White,’ Dies At 101
Hired by Disney as a teen, Champion acted out movements which animators then rotoscoped.
Anatoly Prokhorov, ‘Kikoriki’ Creator And Pioneer Of Russian Independent Animation, Dies At 72
Prokhorov co-founded the Soviet Union’s first private animation studio and created the hugely successful series “Kikoriki.”
Sue Nichols Maciorowski, Veteran Artist Of Modern Disney Films, Dies At 55
She worked as a visual development artist, character designer, and story artist on most of Disney’s 2d features of the 1990s.
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