The ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive is presenting an exhibit of material from the collection of legendary animator Grim Natwick starting today, Nov. 9. Natwick’s illustrious career in the toon biz included stints at such major shops as Hearst, Fleicher Studios, UB Iwerks, Walt Disney, Walter Lantz, UPA and Jay Ward Prods. An online catalog of the exhibit is available at www.animationarchive.org, where visitors will also find information on other installments.
Whenever Natwick left a studio, the contents of his desk was emptied into boxes and sent off to his storage locker in Missouri. They were later sent to his apartment in Santa Monica and sorted with the help of friend Stephen Worth, director of the Animation Archive. ‘I was astonished to find thousands and thousands of drawings- amazing examples from a career that spanned more than 75 years,’ says Worth. ‘The drawings that were most precious were the gag drawings and caricatures that grew on the walls of the studios like leaves on a tree. There were also many important sketches documenting Grim’s thought process’the roughs that were usually thrown in the trash after a job was completed. These are the drawings that make up this exhibit.’
Animation fans are encouraged to stop by the archive anytime during regular hours (Tuesday-Friday 1 p.m.-9 p.m.) to view the exhibit. The ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive is located at 2114 W Burbank Blvd. in Burbank, Calif.
