Preston Blair American animator. Date of Birth: 24.10.1908 Country: USA

1. Preston Blair: American Animation Legend
2. Early Career
3. Disney Period
4. MGM and Beyond
5. Later Career
6. Legacy as an Author

Preston Blair: American Animation Legend

Preston Blair was an American animator who left an enduring impact on the world of animation. His career spanned several decades, during which he worked with renowned studios such as Universal, Disney, and MGM.

Early Career

Beginning in the early 1930s, Blair began his animation career at Universal Studios under the mentorship of Walter Lantz and Bill Nolan. He later transitioned to Screen Gems Inc. and ultimately joined Walt Disney Studios in the late 1930s.

Disney Period

At Disney, Blair animated memorable scenes in short animations, including Mickey Mouse's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and the hippopotamus-alligator dance sequence in "Fantasia" (1940). He also contributed animation to other Disney classics such as "Pinocchio" and "Bambi."

MGM and Beyond

Following the "Disney strike" of 1941, Blair left Disney and joined Tex Avery's newly formed animation unit at MGM. His work gained recognition after he animated the sultry Red Riding Hood character in "Red Hot Riding Hood" (1943). "Red" featured in several other Avery films animated by Blair, including "Swing Shift Cinderella" (1945) and "Uncle Tom's Cabana."

In the late 1940s, Blair collaborated with Michael Lah to co-direct cartoons featuring the Barney Bear character.

Later Career

Blair's animation career continued into the 1960s, when he worked on the "Flintstones" series for Hanna-Barbera Productions.

Legacy as an Author

Preston Blair is also recognized as an accomplished author of animation instruction books. His first, "Animation," was published in 1948 and initially featured illustrations of iconic MGM characters animated by Blair, such as Tom and Jerry and Avery's cartoon characters. For later editions, Blair redrew the characters to obscure their origins. Blair's writing culminated in the 1994 book "Cartoon Animation," a comprehensive 224-page volume that combined his earlier publications and insights on the art of animation.

Preston Irwin Blair passed away in April 1995 at the age of 86 in California. His contributions to animation continue to inspire aspiring animators to this day.