One of the last living artists to work at Walt Disney Animation Studios during the Golden Age of animation has left us, as animator Milton Quon passed away from natural causes two weeks ago, according to a story in The Hollywood Reporter.
Quon began his career at Disney in 1939, working as a first assistant animator and visual effects artist on iconic films such as Fantasia and Dumbo.
What’s happening:
- Disney animator Milton Quon (born August 22, 1913) passed away on June 18.
- Quon was the eldest son of Chinese immigrants, and had seven younger sisters.
- In 1936, he won a scholarship to Chouinard Art Institute (now known as CalArts).
- His animation work for Walt Disney Studios included contributions to Fantasia and Dumbo.
- He also worked as an illustrator for Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II.
- After the war, he returned to The Walt Disney Company to head the publicity department for three years.
- During this time, Quon created promotional artwork for films such as Song of the South.
- He left Disney in 1951 to pursue a career in advertising art.
Notably, Milton Quon also dabbled in acting, having appeared in small roles in the Keanu Reeves blockbuster Speed, the 1989 action film Chill Factor, and even an episode of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series.
Milton Quon was a recipient of the Golden Spike Award from Chinese Historical Society of Southern California in 2013. The Chinese-American Museum in Los Angeles presented a retrospective exhibit of his work in 2005 and he was one of five artists featured in a Chinese-American artists exhibit at the Vincent Price Art Museum in Monterey, California in 2012.
What they’re saying:
“He was drawing right up until his last days.” – Mike Quon, Milton’s son