Monday, April 21, 2008

Did you know...

Just read that Disney animator Ollie Johnston passed away on April 14. Don't remember hearing it on the news (probably drowned out by all the election coverage!). Anyway, he was one of Disney's Nine Old Men. You can read more about it here.

4 comments:

van dyke said...

Thanks for posting this. A while back, I had occasion to meet Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston and was able to shake both their hands and thank them for all their inspirational work. Mr. Johnston's effect on the animation industry is revolutionary - not to mention character drawing in general. I'll miss him deeply.

Alicia Padrón said...

So sad.. and Wow Van Dyke, that must of been an amazing experience!

You know Tom, the first time I visited the MGM studios in Orlando (I was maybe 16) I remember taking the animation tour. Back then you could only see the animators working behind a glass. See their workspaces, with all the cool art materials and see their tables with the light boxes and cool circular things they use for tracing the cells... and I tell you.. I was in heaven! I stayed there for almost over an hour. I didn't leave... my tour group left as well as my parents.. I told them I would meet them outside the ride one hour later. I just wanted to soak it all in, I wanted to be one of them so badly..

Now years later, I'm so glad I chose this path. I'm not a disney animator but I'm something very close and even better (at least for me).
Children's book illustrator. So fulfilling.... I can now die happy :o)

Tom Barrett said...

Yeah, I want to make it there myself. Sadly, they don't do the 2D stuff anymore (except for "The Emperor's New School"). Some of my favorite movies are The Aristocats and 101 Dalmations, not only for the stories, but the animation itself. I love how you can still see the sketch lines in many of the frames, how hand-made it looks.

Alicia Padrón said...

I know.. i love the look of those movies. That is irreplaceable, isn't it?