LOS ANGELES, Jan. 1 (UPI) — The artist who inspired the look for one of Walt Disney’s most famous animated films died at the age of 106 last week.
Tyrus Wong, the Chinese-born illustrator who became art director for the 1942 classic “Bambi,” died at his Los Angeles area home Friday surrounded by his family.
Wong created the visual style for the film about the title character, a young white-tailed deer, who befriends a rabbit and a skunk in the forest. The tale chronicles their growth into adulthood and is one of the most iconic films Disney has ever produced.
“Legendary Disney artist, Tyrus Wong had a gift for evoking incredible feeling in his art with simple, gestural composition,” the Walt Disney Family Museum said in a statement.
“Bambi” was a tremendous box office success — making more than $250 million, adjusted for inflation, on a budget of less than $1 million. It was so successful that it enjoyed several theatrical re-releases in the years and decades that followed.
Wong left Disney to work for Warner Bros. shortly before “Bambi’s” release, but his work on the film was revolutionary.
“Though Tyrus worked at The Walt Disney Studios only three years, between 1938 and 1941; his influence on the artistic composition of the animated feature Bambi cannot be overstated,” the museum added. “Walt’s vision for Bambi and use of Tyrus’ work still influences films today.”
