Ollie Johnston passes away...a sad day for Disney fans
from www.thedigitalbits.com
We've another bit of sad news to report, I'm afraid. We've today seen the end of an era in film. Animation legend Ollie Johnston has passed away. He was 95. Perhaps the best thing that can be said today is that Johnston lived a long and full life, and gave us some incredible gifts over the years. Johnston was the last surviving member of Walt Disney's hand-picked team of animators, the legendary Nine Old Men. As such, he worked on nearly all of Disney's early and most beloved animated classics, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Song of the South, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, Sword in the Stone, Mary Poppins, Robin Hood, The Rescuers, The Fox and the Hound and my personal all-time favorite, The Jungle Book. Johnston often worked closely with his best friend and fellow animator, Frank Thomas, who passed away in 2004. The two of them had their own website together and were the stars of the 1995 documentary Frank and Ollie, which is available on DVD and we simply can't recommend it more highly (you can read Barrie's review here - and if you visit their website, be sure to read this story - trust me, it's worth it). The pair is pictured below, both in reality and as they appeared in a cameo in Brad Bird's The Incredibles (Ollie's the one on the right in both pictures). It's funny - I was looking around today for pictures of Ollie for this post, but there aren't all that many good ones without Frank in them. And you know... somehow, I suspect Ollie would rather they be remembered together anyway. You can read more at Animated News and CNN. I think I speak for all us when I say, Ollie... you'll be missed. Thanks for all the great memories.
from www.thedigitalbits.com
We've another bit of sad news to report, I'm afraid. We've today seen the end of an era in film. Animation legend Ollie Johnston has passed away. He was 95. Perhaps the best thing that can be said today is that Johnston lived a long and full life, and gave us some incredible gifts over the years. Johnston was the last surviving member of Walt Disney's hand-picked team of animators, the legendary Nine Old Men. As such, he worked on nearly all of Disney's early and most beloved animated classics, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Song of the South, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, Sword in the Stone, Mary Poppins, Robin Hood, The Rescuers, The Fox and the Hound and my personal all-time favorite, The Jungle Book. Johnston often worked closely with his best friend and fellow animator, Frank Thomas, who passed away in 2004. The two of them had their own website together and were the stars of the 1995 documentary Frank and Ollie, which is available on DVD and we simply can't recommend it more highly (you can read Barrie's review here - and if you visit their website, be sure to read this story - trust me, it's worth it). The pair is pictured below, both in reality and as they appeared in a cameo in Brad Bird's The Incredibles (Ollie's the one on the right in both pictures). It's funny - I was looking around today for pictures of Ollie for this post, but there aren't all that many good ones without Frank in them. And you know... somehow, I suspect Ollie would rather they be remembered together anyway. You can read more at Animated News and CNN. I think I speak for all us when I say, Ollie... you'll be missed. Thanks for all the great memories.