Featured Artists
Bob Singer
Bob Singer was born in Santa Barbara, California and spent his early years in nearby Santa Paula, California. He attended the Art Center School in Los Angeles, majoring in advertising illustration and graduating in 1954 with honors and BPA degree.
After a year with Carson/Roberts advertising agency, Bob entered the animation industry in 1956, working for such studios as Shamus Culhane, Warner Bros., U.P.A. Pictures, Hanna-Barbera, and Marvel. During his career at Warner’s, he painted backgrounds for various Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck cartoons and completed storyboards for a series of four hour-long science-oriented films. At U.P.A. Pictures Bob worked on numerous Mr. Magoo TV shows and was art director on the feature-length film “Gay Purree.” Over at Hanna-Barbera, where he spent twenty-seven years, Bob served as layout supervisor on “Charlotte’s Web” and on many of the studio’s television shows, including “Scooby Doo,” “Space Ghost,” “Superfriends,” “Josie and the Pussycats,” and Wacky Racers.” He founded the Character Design Dept. and eventually became art director of publicity and advertising.
During this period Bob began to teach classes in Layout, Character Design, and Storyboard and was a guest lecturer at U.S.C. and several local high school and elementary schools.
After leaving Hanna-Barbera in 1966 Bob worked for Marvel Productions and Sepp/Inter, where he acted as associate producer on the ‘Snorks.” In 1988 Bob established his own company, Singer/Bandy Group and for the next two years designed greeting cards, cassette covers, coloring books , plush dolls, picture puzzles and illustrated nine storybooks.
In 1990, he returned to Hanna- Barbera as a storyboard director and designer of animation cel art, finally retiring in 1993. For several years Bob did guest appearances at various Warner Bros. Stores around the world, U.S., Hawaii and Australia lecturing and demonstrating his storyboard technique and helping to sell limited editions that he designed, now numbering over 30.
Bob has been a member of the Motion Picture Academy since 1964. In 1992 he wrote a book called “How To Do Animation Storyboards.” He continues designing occasionally for the industry and lecturing for art schools.
Eyvind Earle
Eyvind Earle (April 26, 1916 – July 20, 2000) was an American artist, author and illustrator, noted for his contribution to the background illustration and styling of Disney animated films in the 1950s. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rahr West Art Museum, Phoenix Art Museum and Arizona State University Art Museum have purchased Earle's works for their permanent collections. His works have also been shown in many one-man exhibitions throughout the world.
Clem Hall
Clem Hall was an Imagineer during the 1970s and 1980s. He is notable for his work on such park attractions as The Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, and many more.
T. Hee
Thornton Hee, better known as T. Hee, was an animator, director, and teacher. His career spanned stints at Leon Schlesinger Productions, Walt Disney Studios, UPA Studios, and Terrytoons. Hee was well respected for his caricature work as seen in The Coo Coo Nut Grove, The Woods are Full of Cuckoos, the opening credits of The Life of Riley, and his Christmas card designs. Hee is also recognized for his work directing the Dance of the Dance of the Hours segment of Fantasia (1940), and went on to teach character design and caricature, even co-founding the Character Animation program at Cal Arts.
Frank Thomas
Frank Thomas was an American animator and pianist. He was one of Walt Disney's top team of animators known as the Nine Old Men. He began his career at the Disney Studio in 1934 as only the 224th employee! He retired from Disney as an animator in 1978, working on many of the most beloved animated feature films created by the studio. He also was the pianist for the Dixieland band, Firehouse Five Plus Two.
Mary Blair
Mary Blair (October 21, 1911 – July 26, 1978) was an American artist who was prominent in producing art and animation for The Walt Disney Company. She is known for creating concept art for such films as Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Song of the South and Cinderella. Blair also created character designs for theme park attraction at Disneyland (It's a Small World), Epcot's World Showcase, and the Contemporary resort. Her work is also seen in many children's books, including multiple Golden Back Books, and some currently remain in print. Blair was inducted into the prestigious group of Disney Legends in 1991.
Charles Boyer
Charles Boyer is a Disney Legend who initially accepted a job at Disneyland in 1960 with the anticipation of the job being temporary. Boyer's career with the company lasted for 39 years, with Charles becoming the first full-time artist for Disneyland. During this time, he created nearly 50 different lithographs for collectors and a plethora of other artwork that was used for magazines, brochures, flyers, and oil portraits commissioned by the company for retiring employees. Charles Boyer retired in 1999 and was honored as a Disney Legend in 2005.
Virgil Ross
Virgil Ross (1907-1996) was an American artist, cartoonist, and animator who worked for Charles Mintz, Ub Iwerks, Filmation, Hanna Barbera, and Marvel. He is most known for his extensive work with the Warner Bros. Studios where he worked directly with Leon Schlesinger, Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, and Friz Freleng!
Lee Blair
Lee Blair was an American artist best known for his work as part of the California Watercolor movement. He also has gained attention due to being the younger brother of animator Preston Blair, and the husband of Disney Legend Mary Blair.
Harper Goff
Harper Goff (March 16, 1911 – March 3, 1993) Considered the “Second Imagineer” after Walt himself, Harper Goff started working on Walt’s “Disneylandia” project as early as 1951, during pre-production work on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. While “Disneylandia”, Walt’s original Americana-inspired traveling show, was not to be, Walt’s basic idea would develop into what would ultimately become Disneyland. Goff’s well-known contributions to Disneyland include early design work for Main Street and the Jungle Cruise, and Goff would also later provide concept artwork for Epcot Center’s World Showcase. Goff’s contributions to the history of the Walt Disney Studios and Disney Parks have established him as a fan-favorite Imagineer and earned him the title of Disney Legend.