As we approach the final moments of 2012, we’d like to take this opportunity to remember and honor all the talented men and women of the animation and vfx community who passed away during this year. Animation Guild, ASIFA and Women in Animaton will host the annual afternoon of remembrance on March 3rd this year, at the Hollywood Heritage Museum (Lasky-DeMille Barn, 2100 N. Highland Ave, Across from the Hollywood Bowl).
Gerry Anderson, 83, creator of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, UFO
Frank Andrina, 83, TV animation director
Iris Beckerman, animator, ASIFA east board member, wife of Harold Beckerman
Jan Berenstain, 88, co-creator of The Berenstain Bears
Lucille Bliss, 96, actress, voice of Smurfette, Crusader Rabbit
Ernest Borgnine, 95, actor, voice of Mermaidman on SpongeBob SquarePants
Dave Borthwick, director, Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb, Doogal
Jack Bosson, artist, animator instructor at Woodbury and Gnomon
Ray Bradbury, 91, renowned fantasy author, Farenheit 451, Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Dave Brubeck, 91, composer, This Is America, Charlie Brown
Richard “Kip” Carpenter, 82, screenwriter, The Borrowers, Famous Five
Ernie Chan, 71, artist, The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
Kristin “Casey” Clayton, special effects painter and final checker for Disney, Filmation and Hanna-Barbera
John Coates, 84, animation producer, The Snowman, When the Wind Blows
Franco Cristofani, animation director, The Chipmunks, Fat Albert
Tissa David, 91 animator, teacher, Raggedy Ann & Andy, Abel’s Island
Patricia Disney, 77, former wife of Roy Disney
Jim Duffy, TV animation producer, Rugrats, G.I. Joe, Jem, Captain Planet
Jake Eberts, 71, producer, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, The Dark Knight,
Ethel Falkenberg, ink and paint supervisor, The Beatles, Tubby the Tuba
Jean “Moebius” Giraud, 73, comic artist, Blueberry, Arzach
Edd Gould, artist and animator, 24, Eddsworld
Karen Greslie, 68, animation color stylist, PowerPuff Girls, Samurai Jack
Leland Hartman, 82, layout artist, TinyToon Adventures, Sleeping Beauty
Jim Hiltz, 85, TV director/storyboard artist, Rocky and His Friends, George of the Jungle,
Daphne Huntington, 87, artist, Goober and the Ghost Chasers
Fyodor Khitruk, 95, director and animator, Winnie the Pooh, The Lion and the Bull
Thomas Kinkade, 54, artist, Fire and Ice
Peter Kranjcevich, 36, technical director, Tinker Bell, Kim Possible, Titan A.E.
Joe Kubert, 85, comic-book artist, Sgt. Rock
Bob Lambert, 55, Disney digital pioneer,
Ken Landau, 86, layout artist, Smurfs, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, Pac-Man, Super Friends,
Don Markstein, 65, author and creator of Toonpedia
Rusty Mills, 49, TV producer/director/storyboard artist, Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs, Tiny Toon Adventures
Sheldon Moldoff, 92, DC comic-book artist, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Batman
Eileen Moran, 60, visual effects produce, Avatar, The Lord of the Rings trilogy
Connie Morgan, artist, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Heavy Traffic, Popeye TV series
Keiji Nakazawa, 73, manga artist/writer, Barefoot Gen, Hadashi no Gen
Mark Nelson, 59, writer, The Real Ghostbusters, Smurfs, G.I. Joe
Margaret Nichols, 82, film and TV animator/director, The Transformers, Smurfs, The Black Cauldron, The Muppet Babies, Rescuers Down Under, The Little Mermaid
Rod Parkes, 70, animator, Charlotte’s Web, Archie’s Fun House, Hong Kong Phooey, Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour
Bretislav Pojar, 89, stop-motion director, The Lion and the Song, The Bear
Buzz Potamkin, 66, TV animation producer, Johnny Bravo, Dexter’s Laboratory, Cow and Chicken
Al Rio, 49, comic-book artist, Gen and DV8, animation director, Disney’s Aladdin TV series
Geri Rochon, 62, animation supervisor, The Angry Beavers, Starchaser: The Legend of Orin
Ken Sansom, 85, voice of Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh movies and TV series, 1988-2007
Maurice Sendak, 83, author/producer, Where the Wild Things Are, Little Bear, George and Martha, Seven Little Monsters, Really Rosie
Mel Shaw, 97, Disney animator, visual development artist, Fantasia, Bambi, The Wind in the Willows, The Rescuers, The Great Mouse Detective
Robert B. Sherman, 87, songwriter, Mary Poppins, The Aristocats, The Jungle Book
Jose Silverio, storyboard revisionist/animation checker Dora the Explorer, The Ren & Stimpy Show,
Marcia Sinclair, 89, inker/painter, The Prince and the Pauper, Animation Guild board member
Dan Thompson, animation director/producer, G.I. Joe, Rugrats, Jem, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Tiny Toon Adventures, As Told By Ginger
Ken Walker, 91, animator, The Prince and The Pauper, Cool World, The Great Grape Ape Show
Manon Washburn, 89, ink & paint artist, A Boy Named Charlie Brown, Bravestarr: The Legend, The Secret of NIMH, Snoopy Come Home, Wizards
Run Wrake, 49, animator/director, Rabbit, Stop for a Minute
(Thanks to Tom Sito and Jerry Beck for helping us with this list.)
