Ollie Johnston

Ollie Johnston was a pivotal animator at Walt Disney Studios who worked on classic films like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Pinocchio," and "Bambi." He was responsible for animating iconic characters such as Thumper in "Bambi" and the stepsisters in "Cinderella." His career at Disney spanned over four decades.

The "Nine Old Men" was a nickname given by Walt Disney to his core team of lead animation directors, which included Ollie Johnston. This group, which also featured Frank Thomas and Ward Kimball, was instrumental in defining the studio's signature animation style. They essentially created the foundational principles of character animation used today.

Yes, Ollie Johnston co-authored the definitive textbook on character animation titled "The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation" alongside his lifelong friend and colleague Frank Thomas. Published in 1981, this book is still considered the bible of traditional animation techniques. They also co-authored "The Disney Villain" in 1993.

Yes, Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas made a brief voice cameo in Brad Bird's 1999 animated film "The Iron Giant." They voiced the two old train conductors who say "We're in the front car." This was a loving tribute to the legendary animators by the director.