Progress City, U.S.A.

Frank Thomas, left, and Ollie Johnston in 2004’s The Incredibles

As I predicted, many heavy-hitters of the animation community have begun to share their thoughts and remembrances of Disney animator Ollie Johnston. One thing that is obvious from reading all these posts is that Johnston was universally loved and respected; it’s rare in any industry for such a prominent individual to pass on without anyone having something nasty to intimate about them. Johnston has been repeatedly described as a gentle, incredibly friendly and giving man as well as a fiercely talented animator. He was also one of the greatest personality animators in Disney history.

Below are some of the better tributes I’ve found to Ollie. I’ll add to this list as I come across more.

Cartoon Brew has a list of links, information and videos.
Animated News
Rhett Wickham
Will Finn
Steve Hulett
John Canemaker
Hans Perk
Floyd Norman
The extensive official Disney press obituary

Ollie, seated, with frequent collaborator Frank Thomas

Jenny at the Blackwing Diaries has posted the very sad news that Ollie Johnston, Disney animator and the last of Walt’s Nine Old Men, passed away today at the age of 95. I’m sure that many tributes will begin to appear very soon, so any attempt for me to eulogize Ollie here would be glaringly deficient. I never met the man in person, but his work and the work of his peers has affected my life greatly. His contribution to the art of animation is incalculable, as is the effect of his training and mentoring on the subsequent generation of animators that studied under him. He was an artist, a teacher, a family man and a heck of an engineer. His passing marks the end of an era; he is the last of the titans to fall. He will be missed.

Cartoon Brew points out that today is the 95th birthday of animation legend Ollie Johnston. Ollie is the last surviving member of Walt’s closest circle of animators, the Nine Old Men. He joined the Disney Studios in 1935, and went on to animate for most of the major features of the Golden Age and beyond. He was inducted as a Disney Legend in 1989.

I highly recommend that everyone check out the fantastic documentary about Johnston and lifelong friend and fellow animator Frank Thomas, Frank and Ollie. It’s a great look at the lives of two legends. Thomas and Johnston also wrote a seminal animation text, Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life.

Happy birthday, Ollie!