Marc Davis

The Disney animators are like many of the great Renaissance artists, smaller names working under the banner of a big name. Marc Davis is one of those smaller names, but his individual name is so prevalent in the Disney lexicon that he deserves more recognition than he gets. Not just an animator, his creativity is present in the Anaheim park as well, and now that I know who he is and what is in his portfolio I appreciate the little bits of his skills all the more. He is responsible for many animal characters, as he had a fondness for drawing animals in zoos; though he did get pulled into animating humans as well. I love the fondness he had for animating villains, as they are always more multidimensional than the damsel in distress. Some of my favorite pieces of his work have nothing to do with his animations though, I love the work he did on the actual rides at Disneyland in Anaheim. Specifically The Pirates of the Caribbean ride; he designed this painting that appears as a mural at the ride.


He was also responsible for most of the little bits of humor that make the journey through the Pirate Cove so much fun. This series of videos on Marc Davis is a more complete picture of the man than I can paint though.