There have been so many great animators from the last century to the present time. From Walt Disney to John Lasseter, these talented individuals have entertained and amazed us. The following are some of the top animators in cinema history.
1. Chuck Jones
If you like cartoon characters such as the Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, or Pepé Le Pew, you can thank Chuck Jones for his animation genius. Jones made his way up the ladder of success by starting as a cel washer. He then became an animator and finally an animation director at Warner Bros. He was the director of most of the famous cartoons by Warner Bros. in the 1950s.
He helped develop the comedic personalities of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. These cartoons are still popular today because of the great characterization, crazy faces, and wacky antics that this type of animation is famous for. He also created some “out of the box” minimalist animation, including The Dot and Line in 1965.
2. John Lasseter
John Lasseter was raised by a mother who was an art teacher and a father who worked as a parts manager at a car dealership. His mother’s artistic influence contributed to John’s interest in the field of animation. He is probably best known for directing massive hits such as A Bug’s Life, Toy Story, and Cars. He has also worked as a film producer on many of Pixar’s movies, including the big hit, Frozen. ,
He also worked with Disney and is currently the head of Skydance Animation. Lasseter joined Skydance Animation when a deal in August 2017 was formed between Skydance and Paramount. While many on this list are old-school animators, John Lasseter is known for creating cutting-edge animation with modern computer technology. He created one of the first short animated films that brought to life characters through computer generation.
3. Tex Avery
Fred “Tex” Avery is another famous animator who worked at Warner Bros. Avery is known for creating a sarcastic, even absurd, brand of humor. His style was very different from many of the other animators of his time, especially Walt Disney. He also led the way with great technical innovation. He worked with famous animation characters such as Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, and Bugs Bunny.
Besides Warner Bros., Avery also made well-known cartoon clips for MGM. Even though he didn’t create the character of Bugs Bunny, he contributed to Bugs’ screwball personality. One of his best-known cartoons is Tortoise Beats Hare, which came out in 1941. Red Hot Riding Hood in 1943 is probably his most famous work.
4. Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator who is known throughout the world for his animation genius. He is one of the few animators outside of the United States to make a worldwide name for himself. He began his career at Toei animation in the 1960s.
He found success when directing The Castle of Cagliostro. In 1985 he started Studio Ghibli with colleagues. Besides beautiful animation, Miyazaki is known for his great storytelling skills. He received Japan’s equivalent of an Academy Award in 1997 for his work, Princess Mononoke. At the time it was released, it was the highest-grossing domestic film ever in Japan. He became semi-retired in 2013 and won an Academy Honorary Award in 2014.
5. Walt Disney
No list would be complete without Walt Disney. Even though John Lasseter, Chuck Jones, and the others on this list are well-known, Walt Disney is probably the most famous animator in the world. The animation studio he built is still in operation and still thriving.
Disney started out making short cartoon clips with his famous Mickey Mouse character. In 1937, during the Golden Age of Animation, Disney released Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, his first feature-length cartoon. Not only was Disney a great animator, but he was also a great film producer. He still holds the record for the most Academy Awards, winning 22 Oscars.