Top Ten Favorite Animators

I love animated cartoons! So without further ado, these are my top 10 most favorite animators of all time! ^.^

10. Tex Avery

One of the most famous person who did the Golden Age of American Animated Cartoons is Tex Avery. He worked at Warner Brothers from 1935 until 1941, where he was credited with creating Daffy Duck and with developing Bugs Bunny into a wacky star. (Bugs was then taken even further by Chuck Jones and other directors.) Tex Avery left Warner Brothers in 1941 and was hired by MGM, where he created the popular Droopy Dog, Screwy Squirrel and other slapstick characters. The MGM cartoons that were directed by Tex Avery are Blitz Wolf (1942), Red Hot Riding Hood (1943) and King Size Canary (1947). In 1980, Tex Avery died from lung cancer.

9. Richard Williams

Richard Williams is a Canadian–British animator. The production of Richard Williams’s The Thief and the Cobbler began in 1964. The films that were directed by Richard Williams are the Academy Award winning A Christmas Carol (1971), and Raggedy Ann (1977). In 1988, Richard Williams was an animation director of one of the greatest motion pictures of all time, Who framed Roger Rabbit (1988). In the 1990’s, Richard Williams’s The Thief and the Cobbler was completed. My favorite film that has Richard Williams is Who framed Roger Rabbit (1988).

8. Seth McFarlane

Seth MacFarlane is the creator of the animated series for grown ups, Family Guy. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design (1995), he began work as an animator for Hanna-Barbera, working on Cartoon Network programs. His short Larry and Steve (1996), based on a student film called The Life of Larry, won over Fox Network executives and MacFarlane was offered his own show. He animated a pilot for Family Guy on his own and the show made its debut on Fox on January 31, 1999. MacFarlane is a voice of Peter Griffin, Brian Griffin and Stewie Griffin. After a rough few years, the show emerged as a top-selling DVD and rerun favorite. The success of the show led to MacFarlane's other animated series in 2005, American Dad!, and a Family Guy spin-off, The Cleveland Show. He wrote and directed the 2012 comedy Ted (starring Mark Wahlberg and a comically foul-mouthed teddy bear), and in 2013 hosted the Academy Awards broadcast. Family Guy is a popular cartoon TV shows in the 2000’s of all time.

7. Friz Freleng

One of the most prolific and successful animators of the 20th century, Isadore "Friz" Freleng was the director of Merry Melodies and Looney Tunes for Warner Brothers cartoons, and the guy behind the popular TV cartoon The Pink Panther. The cartoon characters that were created by Friz Freleng are Porky Pig, Yosemite Sam and Sylvester. The Warner Bros. cartoons that were directed by Friz Freleng are You Ought to be in Pictures (1940), Rhapsody Rivets (1941), Pigs in a Polka (1943), Little Red Riding Rabbit (1944), Baseball Bugs (1946), Tweetie Pie (1947), Bugs Bunny Rides Again (1948), High Diving Hare (1949), Speedy Gonzales (1955), Three Little Bops (1957), Birds Anonymous (1957), Show Biz Bugs (1957) and Knighty Knight Bugs (1955). In 1965, Friz Freleng had lost his job at Warner Bros. Friz Freleng teamed with David H. DePatie to form DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, an animation studio that had great success with the Pink Panther television cartoon. The studio also produced several other cartoons for TV, including a number of specials based on the work of Dr. Seuss. Sadly, Friz Freleng died in 1995.

6. Nick Park

Nick Park is the stop-motion animator who has won four Oscars for films featuring absent-minded inventor Wallace and his mute dog, Gromit. Park was a student at the National Film and Television School when he met Peter Lord and David Sproxton of Aardman Animations. He joined their studio in 1985 and worked on TV commercials while polishing A Grand Day Out, his first short film with Wallace and Gromit. Shown in 1990 on BBC, the film became an international hit and was nominated for an Oscar the next year. It lost to another short film by Park, Creature Comforts (1989), but since then Park has picked up Oscars for the Wallace & Gromit short films The Wrong Trousers (1993) and A Close Shave (1995), and for the feature Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005). Aardman Animations, with Lord and Park at the helm, also made the animated feature Chicken Run, a box office smash that had the voice talents of Mel Gibson and Imelda Staunton.

5. Matt Groening

Matt Groening's animated creations, the Simpson family, first appeared on Tracey Ullaman Show, which opened on the Fox network in the late 1980’s. In 1989, The Simpsons the greatest cartoon TV shows of all time was launched. The Simpsons were a bright-yellow family of cartoon goofballs: parents Homer and Marge Simpson, heck-raising son Bart, brainy daughter Lisa and infant Maggie. Bart was the early star of the show and became famous for catchphrases like "Eat my shorts." But in time Homer, the dumb but good-hearted dad, became many viewers' favorite. At first the popularity of The Simpsons worried those who considered it a glamorization of a dysfunctional family (it was even condemned by Barbara Bush, the First Lady of the United States). But by 2000 the show had become the longest-running animated series in television history, and a decade later the show was still running and still a popular success. Matt Groening branched out and started Futurama, another animated series that began in 1999 and ran for five seasons. In 2011, I met Matt Groening and Nancy Cartwight (the voice of Bart Simpson) in L.A. The Simpsons is the greatest and a popular cartoon TV shows in the 1990’s of all time. The Simpsons is my favorite cartoon TV shows in the 1990’s of all time.

4. Don Bluth

Don Bluth is the icon of kid’s movies and the icon of cartoons. In 1982, Don Bluth directed The Secret of NIMH. When The Secret of NIMH was released in 1982, it didn’t do well at the box office, but today, The Secret of NIMH (1982) is considered a cult classic. Four years later, Don Bluth directed An American Tail (1986). Fortunately, the film was a box office success and the film became the highest grossing non-Disney animated film at that time. An American Tail (1986) is my favorite cartoon that was directed by Don Bluth. Two years later, Don Bluth directed The Land Before Time (1988). Fortunately, the film was a box office success but unfortunately, Land Before Time (1988) was the last Don Bluth cartoon that has Steven Spielberg. In 1989, Don Bluth directed All Dogs go to Heaven. When All Dogs go to Heaven was released in 1989, it was a box office flop, but today, All Dogs go to Heaven (1989) is considered a cult classic. In the early 1990’s, Don Bluth directed Rock-a-Doodle. Sadly, Rock-a-Doodle (1992) had bombed at the box office, and the critics gave bad reviews. In the 1990’s, Don Bluth and Gary Goldman directed Thumbelina (1994), A Troll in Central Park (1994), and The Pebble and the Penguin (1995). Sadly, Thumbelina (1994), A Troll in Central Park (1994), and The Pebble and the Penguin (1995) are both box office failures, and the critics gave bad reviews. Following the failures of Rock-a-Doodle (1992), Thumbelina (1994), A Troll in Central Park (1994), and The Pebble and the Penguin (1995), Sullivan Bluth Studios was closed down. On November of 1997, Don Bluth and Gary Goldman directed Anastasia. When Anastasia was released on November of 1997, it was a box office success. Three years later, Don Bluth and Gary Goldman directed Titan A.E. When Titan A.E. was released in 2000, it was a box office disaster. Following the failure of Titan A.E., Fox Animation Studios was closed down.

3. William Hanna and Joe Barbera

Along side of Walt Disney and Jim Henson, William Hanna and Joe Barbera are the symbols of childhood. William Hanna and Joe Barbera are the famous animators because they are the creators of the most famous imaginary characters, including Tom and Jerry, Fred Flintstone, and George Jetson. In the 1940’s and 1950’s, William Hanna and Joe Barbera directed Tom and Jerry cartoons. In 1957, William Hanna and Joe Barbera had lost their jobs at MGM. During that same year, George Sidney, William Hanna and Joe Barbera founded Hanna Barbera studios. The cartoon TV shows that were made by Hanna Barbera are The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Scooby Doo and The Smurfs. Like Sesame Street, Looney Tunes, The Muppets and Disney, Hanna Barbera is a popular children’s icon. Hanna Barbera is the icon of cartoons. Hanna Barbera has the library of sound effects. In 2001, Hanna Barbera studios was closed down and moved to Warner Bros. Animation. During that same year, William Hanna was passed away. Meanwhile, Joe Barbera was working at Warner Bros. Animation until his death in 2006.

2. Chuck Jones

One of the most famous Looney Tunes director of all, Chuck Jones. Chuck Jones is the icon of Looney Tunes. The cartoon characters that were created by Chuck Jones are Marvin the Martian, Pepe le Pew, Penelope Pussycat, Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. The Warner Bros. cartoons that were directed by Chuck Jones are Long Haired Hare (1949), Fast and Furry-ous (1949), For Scent-imental Reasons (1949), The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950), Rabbit of Seville (1950), Rabbit Fire Trilogy, Operation: Rabbit (1952), Feed the Kitty (1952), Don’t Give up the Sheep (1953), Duck Amuck (1953), Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953), One Froggy Evening (1955), Gee Whiz-z-z (1956), Ali Baba Bunny (1957) and What’s Opera Doc (1957). In 1964, Chuck Jones had lost his job at Warner Bros. Jones worked on Tom and Jerry cartoons and many other projects including the hit TV version of the Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966). In the 1980s and 1990s Warners cartoons enjoyed renewed popularity and Jones became a revered guru from animation's first golden age. In 2002, Chuck Jones was passed away.

Now, my other favorite animators that are honorable mentions!

Henery Selick, the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and Coraline (2009)
Butch Hartman the creator of Fairly OddParents and Danny Phantom

1. Walt Disney

One of the most famous animator in the 20th century, Walt Disney. Walt Disney is my favorite animator because he is a creator of my favorite cartoon characters, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Walt Disney founded the animation and entertainment empire which still bears his name. He began as a cartoonist in Kansas City in the 1920s, with partner Ub Iwerks (1901-71). Walt, his brother Roy and Iwerks ended up in Hollywood in 1923. In 1928, Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse. From 1929 to 1939, Walt Disney produced Silly Symphonies series. In the 1930’s, Walt Disney created Donald Duck, Pluto and Goofy. Walt was the boss, and the studio moved from short films into animated cartoon feature films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940), Dumbo (1941), Bambi (1942), Cinderella (1950), Lady and the Tramp (1955), Sleeping Beauty (1959). Later, Walt Disney expanded into live-action features like Song of the South (1946), 20000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) and Mary Poppins (1964), and then into television -- the family-friendly variety program The Wonderful World of Disney was a prime-time staple from 1954-83. During Disney's life his studios won 48 Academy Awards. In 1955 Disney opened a theme park, Disneyland, in Anaheim, California; it was an immediate hit and became the public flagship of the Disney empire. Unfortunately, Walt Disney died from lung cancer in 1966. Five years after Walt Disney’s death, Walt Disney World was completed.