obituaries - The Ink and Pixel Club

Sara — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:11:14 +0000

Though I don’t want my Friday post to become the Friday Memorial Link, I couldn’t let this week pass without noting the sad and sudden death of animation and comics writer Dwayne McDuffie. Judging by what I’ve seen on Twitter, the whole internet is mourning for him, and with good reason. McDuffie’s impact on the world of animation alone was huge. He played a major role in making the animated version of the DC Comics universe the powerhouse that it is today as a producer, writer, and story editor on the amazing Justice League TV series and writer of the direct-to-DVD movies Crisis on Two Earths and All-Star Superman, the latter of which was just released this week. McDuffie story edited Static Shock, the series based on the character he co-created with artist John Paul Leon. He also produced and story edited on the Ben 10 series.

In celebration of Dwayne Mc Duffie’s life and work, I’m sending you over to The World’s Finest, a treasure trove of all things DC animated. Check out their sections on Justice League and Static Shock for all the episode guides, images, and behind the scenes goodies you could ever need, including some interviews with McDuffie himself.

One more link that I can’t resist sharing: McDuffie was well known and respected in the world of comics for insisting that characters who were not caucasian males be treated as real characters and not stereotypes or representatives of an entire group of people. During his time as an editor at Marvel Comics, McDuffie noticed that a not insignificant percentage of Marvel’s African-American superheroes were following a particular pattern. In response, he submitted a bitingly humorous “pitch” that got his point across loud and clear.

obituaries - The Ink and Pixel Club

Sara — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:59:14 +0000

I’m hesitant to call today’s feature “fun links,” since they’re meant to honor someone who passed away. But we’re celebrating the life and work of Bill Justice, who passed away last week at the age of 97. While he may be gone, the joy and wonder and fun that he created over his long career remain with us.

If you already know about Bill Justice and his contributions to DIsney animation and Imagineering, consider this a refresher course. If you don’y know the man, you almost certainly know his work and now is a perfect time to learn exactly who helped bring Thumper to life, made Mary Poppins more magical, and got pirates to sing.

Jutice’s IMDB page gives a general overview of the film work he did at Disney. His Disney Legends page give a more in depth look at his career as an animator and his work for the Disney parks. This L.A. Times obituary includes some quotes from some of Justice’s friends and colleagues.

I had the great pleasure of meeting Bill Justice when he gave a talk at a museum near my home. It was years ago so my memory is a little fuzzy, but I recall him being an enthusiastic and engaging speaker. He explained the reason for the redesign of Mickey’s eyes, revealed some of his tricks from the “Spoonful of Sugar” sequence in Mary Poppins, and quickly corrected a local paper’s assertion that he was one of the Nine Old Men, which he claimed could get him in big trouble. He ended his talk by tossing paper plates that he had drawn Disney characters on into the audience frisbee style, except for the last one, which he handed to a little girl. Everything I’ve read about Bill Justice indicates that he was a man who loved what he did and everything I remember about him confirms that.

obituaries - The Ink and Pixel Club

Sara — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:05:34 +0000

I was saddened to hear of the death of animator Pres Romanillos on July 17. An extremely talented artist – some of his work can be seen on his art blog, Romanillos worked on numerous animated films for Disney and Dreamworks. Most recently, he worked on Prince Naveen in The Princess and the Frog. He had been battling leukemia and the cancer ultimately took his life at the unfairly young age of 47.

Cartoon Brew’s obituary for Romanillos includes a number of links to tributes and remembrances by his friends and family. My heart is with them during this sad time.

obituaries - The Ink and Pixel Club

Sara — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:38:33 +0000

Eddie Carroll passed away last Tuesday, April 6, at age 76. He was a talented actor known for his one-man show in which he impersonated legendary comedian Jack Benny. He was also a writer and penned some scripts for television animation. But animation fans probably know him best – even if they didn’t know his name – as the current voice of Jiminy Cricket. Carroll got the part after Cliff “Ukelele Ike” Edwards – the original voice of Pinocchio’s miniscule conscience, passed away. He started in 1973 and continued to serve as the Cricket’s voice until his death. Carroll’s spot-on imitation of Edwards’ voice can be heard in countless TV shows, video games, Disney park attractions, and anywhere else that Jiminy made an appearance since the early 70s. The L.A. Times obituary discusses his life and various talents and font of pop culture knowledge Mark Evanier has posted a nice tribute on his site, along with several follow-up posts about Carroll and his work.

obituaries - The Ink and Pixel Club

Sara — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:54:27 +0000

Saturday, March 13, would have been the 50th birthday of accomplished story artist Joe Ranft. Ranft worked on Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King among other DIsney features, and all of the Pixar films up to Cars in 2006. He also occasionally left the drawing board for the microphone, providing voices for characters like Heimlich the caterpillar in A Bug’s Life and Wheezy the squeaky toy penguin from Toy Story 2. Tragically, Joe Ranft lost his life in a car accident five years ago. The above video – a story reel, appropriately enough – was created by Disney director John Musker and originally shown at the memorial service for Joe Ranft. If you can watch all the way through and not end up with a lump in your throat, you’re made of sterner stuff than I am.

obituaries - The Ink and Pixel Club

Sara — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 13:26:21 +0000

Yesterday brought the sad news that Art Clokey, best known as the creator of Gumby and Davey and Goliath, had passed away at age 89. This obituary gives a nice overview of his life and work. Above is Clokey’s short film “Gumbasia” – the name being a combination of “gumbo”, the nickname for the clay-like mud Clokey used to play with when visiting his grandfather’s farm, and the Disney film Fantastia. Clokey’s work was a huge influence on the world of animation and he will be greatly missed.

obituaries - The Ink and Pixel Club

Sara — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:31:10 +0000

You’ve probably heard by now that Roy E. Disney, nephew of Walt, passed away on December 16 at age 79. He is best remembered by animation fans as a champion of the art form who fought to keep traditional hand-drawn animation alive at Disney. I am glad to know that he lived long enough to see hand-drawn features return to Disney, a sentiment that has been expressed in many tributes to the man.

The obituary from the Los Angeles Times has a good overview of Roy Disney’s life and accomplishments.