Celebrating the Art, Craft and Business of Animation https://www.awn.com/ en-US 15 Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:16:10 -0800 Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:16:58 -0800 https://www.awn.com/news/noted-photographer-and-filmmaker-paul-de-nooijer-dies-82 Known as one of the forerunners of staged photography made popular in the Netherlands, his stop-motion works combined photography with film, often made in collaboration with son Menno. Dan Sarto https://www.awn.com/news/noted-photographer-and-filmmaker-paul-de-nooijer-dies-82 Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:16:10 PST In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/french-animation-director-philippe-vidal-dumas-passes-59 The industry veteran was known for his work on series such as ‘The Garfield Show,’ ‘Bobby & Bill,’ and the recent ‘Belfort & Lupin,’ which won a Pulcinella Award this spring. Dan Sarto https://www.awn.com/news/french-animation-director-philippe-vidal-dumas-passes-59 Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:38:35 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/phil-mulloy-british-animator-known-dark-satiric-work-dies-76 Revered for his unflinching films that skewered politics, religion, and human nature with cutting humor and minimalist style, the filmmaker died last Thursday at the age of 76. Dan Sarto https://www.awn.com/news/phil-mulloy-british-animator-known-dark-satiric-work-dies-76 Mon, 14 Jul 2025 10:31:19 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/master-stop-motion-animator-co-hoedeman-dies-84 The distinguished director known for his films at the NFB, including 1977 Oscar-winning ‘The Sand Castle’ and 1972 BAFTA-winning ‘Tchou-tchou,’ passed away on May 26 in Montreal.   Dan Sarto https://www.awn.com/news/master-stop-motion-animator-co-hoedeman-dies-84 Tue, 27 May 2025 14:17:16 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/henson-creature-shop-innovator-david-barrington-holt-passes-79 The long-time leader of The Jim Henson Company’s first Creature Shop in Los Angeles, whose pioneering work included development of the ground-breaking Henson Performance Control System that revolutionized computer-driven puppetry, died of cancer on March 13. Dan Sarto https://www.awn.com/news/henson-creature-shop-innovator-david-barrington-holt-passes-79 Sat, 06 Apr 2024 8:59:38 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/animationworld/binocular-briefs-september-2023-tribute-paul-bush This month, we pause to remember the iconic animator and filmmaker, who died in a tragic motorcycle accident August 17.  Chris Robinson https://www.awn.com/animationworld/binocular-briefs-september-2023-tribute-paul-bush Thu, 07 Sep 2023 10:25:31 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/remembering-fabulous-witty-and-norm-breaking-paul-bush The British experimental short filmmaker, known for his early scratch frame films ‘His Comedy’ and ‘The Albatross’ as well as his single frame works like ‘Five Minute Museum,’ was killed in a motorcycle accident in Wales last Thursday. Victoria Davis https://www.awn.com/news/remembering-fabulous-witty-and-norm-breaking-paul-bush Tue, 22 Aug 2023 8:04:17 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/paul-reubens-pee-wee-herman-fame-dies-70 The noted comedian, writer, producer, voice artist, and actor, best known for his ground-breaking kids’ show, ‘Pee-Wee’s Playhouse’ and films including Tim Burton classics ‘Pee-wee’s Big Adventure’ and ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas,’ passed away July 30 from cancer. Dan Sarto https://www.awn.com/news/paul-reubens-pee-wee-herman-fame-dies-70 Mon, 31 Jul 2023 13:50:42 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/randy-fullmer-disney-feature-animation-veteran-dies-73 The multi-talented effects animator, VFX supervisor, artistic coordinator, and producer on films including ‘The Lion King’ and ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame,’ also renown as a master guitar builder for top musicians, passed away July 10. Dan Sarto https://www.awn.com/news/randy-fullmer-disney-feature-animation-veteran-dies-73 Wed, 26 Jul 2023 12:13:43 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/raoul-servais-pioneering-father-belgian-animation-passes-94 With a style that ‘blended expressionism and magical realism,’ the filmmaker produced 16 shorts and one feature, including the award-winning ‘Harpya’ and ‘Nocturnal Butterflies;’ he also served as ASIFA president for a decade and founded continental Europe’s first animation training course in 1960 at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent. Nancy Denney-Phelps https://www.awn.com/news/raoul-servais-pioneering-father-belgian-animation-passes-94 Tue, 21 Mar 2023 10:25:48 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/disney-legend-burny-mattinson-dies-87 The longest-serving Disney employee, who most recently worked on ‘Strange World,’ passed away today following a short illness. Dan Sarto https://www.awn.com/news/disney-legend-burny-mattinson-dies-87 Mon, 27 Feb 2023 16:19:22 PST In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/award-winning-independent-animator-gil-alkabetz-dies-65 The acclaimed Israeli director, whose short films ‘Rubicon’ and ‘Morir de Amor’ won prizes around the world, was a longtime fixture in the independent animation and international festival universe. Jon Hofferman https://www.awn.com/news/award-winning-independent-animator-gil-alkabetz-dies-65 Fri, 16 Sep 2022 15:57:50 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/oscar-winning-birds-director-ralph-eggleston-dies-56 The versatile, multiple Annie Award-winning Pixar production designer, art director, and director designed or art directed such acclaimed films as ‘Toy Story,’ ‘Finding Nemo,’ ‘The Incredibles,’ ‘Cars,’ ‘WALL-E,’ and ‘Inside Out,’ and won an Academy Award for writing and directing the 2000 short film ‘For the Birds.’ Jon Hofferman https://www.awn.com/news/oscar-winning-birds-director-ralph-eggleston-dies-56 Mon, 29 Aug 2022 8:46:23 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/heavy-metal-director-gerald-potterton-dies-91 The famed filmmaker and Oscar-nominated animator, known for his work on projects ranging from the seminal feature, ‘Yellow Submarine,’ to shorts like ‘The Selfish Giant’ and ‘Christmas Cracker,’ passed away last night at a Quebec hospital. Dan Sarto https://www.awn.com/news/heavy-metal-director-gerald-potterton-dies-91 Wed, 24 Aug 2022 13:39:09 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/pat-carroll-voice-ursula-little-mermaid-dies-95 The television comedy star turned voiceover acting legend brought to life one of Disney’s most memorable villains. Max Weinstein https://www.awn.com/news/pat-carroll-voice-ursula-little-mermaid-dies-95 Tue, 02 Aug 2022 8:04:38 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/paul-coker-jr-designer-iconic-rankinbass-characters-dies-93 The artist, who began his career as an illustrator for ‘Mad Magazine,’ cemented his legacy by creating the heroes and villains of many stop-motion holiday classics. Max Weinstein https://www.awn.com/news/paul-coker-jr-designer-iconic-rankinbass-characters-dies-93 Mon, 01 Aug 2022 9:57:07 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/yu-gi-oh-creator-kazuki-takahashi-dies-60 The widely influential manga artist leaves behind a legacy cemented by his multimedia franchise’s global reach. Max Weinstein https://www.awn.com/news/yu-gi-oh-creator-kazuki-takahashi-dies-60 Fri, 08 Jul 2022 16:30:51 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/animationworld/iconic-zagreb-animator-borivoj-dovnikovic-passes-92 The global animation community mourns the loss of the great Croatian animation director, author, founder of the Zagreb School of Animation, and former ASIFA Secretary General. Nancy Denney-Phelps https://www.awn.com/animationworld/iconic-zagreb-animator-borivoj-dovnikovic-passes-92 Mon, 14 Feb 2022 9:00:03 PST In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/visual-effects-legend-douglas-trumbull-dies-79 From ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ to ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ and ‘Blade Runner,’ the VFX visionary created some of cinema’s most widely influential and iconic imagery, and the ground-breaking processes used to produce them. Max Weinstein https://www.awn.com/news/visual-effects-legend-douglas-trumbull-dies-79 Tue, 08 Feb 2022 13:43:33 PST In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/robert-blalack-oscar-winning-ilm-co-founder-dies-73 The visionary visual effects artist helped develop ‘Star Wars’ production pipelines that forever changed the filmmaking industry. Max Weinstein https://www.awn.com/news/robert-blalack-oscar-winning-ilm-co-founder-dies-73 Mon, 07 Feb 2022 16:43:05 PST In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/famed-historian-giannalberto-bendazzi-passes-75 The prolific author of more than 30 books, including must-haves ‘Cartoons: One Hundred Years of Cinema Animation’ and the three-volume ‘Animation – A World History’ passed away on Monday, December 13. Nancy Denney-Phelps https://www.awn.com/news/famed-historian-giannalberto-bendazzi-passes-75 Wed, 15 Dec 2021 8:58:19 PST In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/legendary-nfb-pinscreen-animator-jacques-drouin-dies-78 For more than 30 years, the filmmaker and editor championed use of the unique, legendary animation tool; for years, he was the only person in the world using it to animate, a skill pioneered by famed Russian animator Alexandre Alexeieff, in turn passed on by Drouin to filmmaker Michèle Lemieux. Dan Sarto https://www.awn.com/news/legendary-nfb-pinscreen-animator-jacques-drouin-dies-78 Mon, 30 Aug 2021 15:46:32 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/courage-cowardly-dogs-thea-white-passes-81 Voice of beloved Muriel Bagge from John Dilworth's Cartoon Network series succombs to complications from cancer. Lindsey Whitener https://www.awn.com/news/courage-cowardly-dogs-thea-white-passes-81 Tue, 03 Aug 2021 8:18:27 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/winsor-mccay-award-winner-marcell-jankovics-dies-79 The famed Hungarian animation director and historian, who won a Palme d'Or and garnered an Oscar nomination in addition to his ASIFA-Hollywood honor, passed away May 29. Dan Sarto https://www.awn.com/news/winsor-mccay-award-winner-marcell-jankovics-dies-79 Wed, 02 Jun 2021 11:52:38 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/virtual-afternoon-remembrance-set-january-30 The Animation Guild and ASIFA-Hollywood present a non-denominational celebration paying tribute to and honoring members of the animation community that passed away in 2020. AWN Staff Editor https://www.awn.com/news/virtual-afternoon-remembrance-set-january-30 Fri, 15 Jan 2021 11:35:36 PST In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/character-designer-dave-creek-dies-42 Best known for his work on ‘Bob’s Burgers,’ the designer passed away Thursday after sustaining injuries in a sky diving accident the prior weekend. L'Wren Alexa https://www.awn.com/news/character-designer-dave-creek-dies-42 Fri, 08 Jan 2021 14:47:35 PST In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/terrytoons-and-hanna-barbera-animator-doug-crane-dies-85 The veteran cartoonist, animator, and teacher’s career spanned 65 years and included stops at a number of well-known studios as well as New York’s School of Visual Arts. Dan Sarto https://www.awn.com/news/terrytoons-and-hanna-barbera-animator-doug-crane-dies-85 Mon, 21 Dec 2020 9:56:34 PST In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/scooby-doo-co-creator-ken-spears-dies-82 Prolific writer and producer will be remembered, along with co-creator and production partner Joe Ruby, for their many Saturday morning animated series including ‘Dynomutt,’ ‘Dog Wonder,’ ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks,’ and ‘Superman.’ Dan Sarto https://www.awn.com/news/scooby-doo-co-creator-ken-spears-dies-82 Mon, 09 Nov 2020 16:55:14 PST In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/famed-kikoriki-creator-and-producer-anatoly-prokhorov-passes-72 The influential co-founder of both Pilot and Petersburg Animation Studio and a guiding creative force in Russian independent animation died this past Sunday from Leukemia. Dan Sarto https://www.awn.com/news/famed-kikoriki-creator-and-producer-anatoly-prokhorov-passes-72 Thu, 03 Sep 2020 9:49:39 PDT In-Passing https://www.awn.com/news/scooby-doo-co-creator-joe-ruby-dies-87 Prolific animator, writer and producer will be remembered for his many iconic animated series including ‘Dynomutt,’ ‘Dog Wonder,’ ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks,’ and ‘Superman.’ AWN Staff Editor https://www.awn.com/news/scooby-doo-co-creator-joe-ruby-dies-87 Thu, 27 Aug 2020 16:28:04 PDT In-Passing