Asian artists have always been a part of Hollywood from the silent era to today. Historically, animation houses benefited from their work, particularly the Walt Disney Studio. Animation artists of Asian ancestry worked on early Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse shorts and contributed to many films from the Golden Age of Disney. While some left the studio after the bitter labor strike in 1941, others were affected by forced relocation and internment during World War II. Many worked in the postwar Hollywood era and beyond.
Today, we highlight a few of them- Cy Young, Milton Quon, Chris Ishii, Gyo Fujiwaka, Tyrus Wong, Willie Ito & Iwao Takamoto.
Snow White (1937) Disney was so impressed with Cy Young’s work that he hired him to run the new Special Effects Department at the studio, along with Ugo D’Orsi. Their first major project was Snow White, the first animated feature film produced in the U.S. Its financial success enabled construction of a larger studio in Burbank.
Fantasia (1940) and Dumbo (1941) – Fantasia was a high-concept film featuring eight animated stories set to classical music. Cy Young worked on three sections, including The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Chris Ishii and Milton Quon worked alongside Young on Fantasia and later Dumbo..
Gyo Fujiwaka, an illustrator in Disney’s promotional department, designed the art for the large book version of Fantasia. She also created other consumer projects for the studio.
Bambi (1942) – Tyrus Wong was the lead production illustrator on Bambi. Taking inspiration from the art of the Song Dynasty, he created the atmospheric backgrounds featured throughout the film.
Cinderella (1950), Peter Pan (1953), and Lady and the Tramp (1955) Iwao Takamoto learned how to draw in the Manzanar internment camp and joined Disney in 1945. He worked as an assistant animator on these three films. Willie Ito was a Disney artist who worked alongside Takamoto on Lady and the Tramp. Remember the famous spaghetti scene? Willie Ito worked on that.
Scooby Doo (1969) Iwao Takamoto left Disney to work at Hanna-Barbera Studios, and while there, designed main characters, including Scooby-Doo, Astro from The Jetsons, and many more.
Many of the above-mentioned artists continued working in animation after leaving Disney. Some created new characters, others directed commercials, TV, and features.
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