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Andreas Deja is a Polish animator, who joined the animation department of Walt Disney Productions in the 1980s, and soon established himself as a supervising animator on several villains in Disney animated features. He is also known for his work for animating Mickey Mouse in his more recent animated appearances.

Early life[]

Deja was born in Gdańsk, Poland on April 1, 1957, but moved with his family to Dinslaken, Germany, in 1958. He credits seeing Disney's The Jungle Book as an 11-year-old with inspiring him to become an animator. After graduating from Theodor-Heuss Gymnasium (secondary school), he studied graphic design at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen, Germany.

Career[]

A lifelong fan of Disney animated films, Deja was hired by the studio in 1980 after he had corresponded with Eric Larson, one of Disney's senior Nine Old Men of animation who ran the studio's training department. The first film on which he worked was The Black Cauldron, during which time he shared a cubicle with future film director Tim Burton.

During his rookie days at Disney, Deja sought mentorship and practical advice from seven of the then-living Nine Old Men, who were already retired before his tenure. Deja has collected information on the Nine Old Men over the years, and has stated that one of his ambitions is to publish one book for each of the Nine Old Men.

Deja is best known as the supervising animator of some of the most memorable Disney villains: Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, Jafar from Aladdin, and Scar from The Lion King. He also animated Roger Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, King Triton from The Little Mermaid, the titular character of Hercules, Lilo from Lilo & Stitch, Queen Narissa from Enchanted, Mama Odie from The Princess and the Frog, and Tigger from Winnie the Pooh. In addition, he is the current resident specialist for the animation of Mickey Mouse.

In 2006, at the 35th Annie Awards, Deja was awarded the Winsor McCay Award for outstanding contribution to the art of animation. Recently, he began a blog where he shares some of his collection of the work of the early Disney animators.

In 2015, he was named a Disney Legend at the D23 Expo.

In 2017, The Walt Disney Family Museum hosted the one-man exhibition: Deja View: The Art of Andreas Deja.[1]

Personal life[]

Deja is openly gay. His sexuality has been discussed as an influence on the development of some Disney characters.

Disney Filmography Credits[]

Year Film Position
1985 The Black Cauldron Supervising Animator: Taran, Eilonwy, Dallben, Gurgi, Doli, Horned King, and Fair Folk/Character Designer
1986 The Great Mouse Detective Character Animator: Queen Mousetoria
1986 The Animated Atlas of the World Character Animator: Atlas
1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit Supervising Animator: Roger Rabbit
1988 Oliver & Company Character Designer
1989 The Little Mermaid Character Designer/Directing Animator/Supervising Animator: King Triton
1990 The Prince and the Pauper Supervising Animator: Mickey Mouse and The Prince
1991 Beauty and the Beast Supervising Animator: Gaston
1992 Aladdin Supervising Animator: Jafar
1994 The Lion King Supervising Animator: Scar
1995 Runaway Brain Supervising Animator: Mickey Mouse
1996 Quack Pack Animation Director/Supervising Animator: 1 Episode: Ducky Dearest
1997 Hercules Supervising Animator: Adult Hercules
2000 Fantasia 2000 Animator: Segment Rhapsody in Blue/Character Animator: Mickey Mouse in the Host Sequences
2000 The Emperor's New Groove Additional Visual Development Artist
2002 Lilo & Stitch Supervising Animator: Lilo
2004 Home on the Range Animator: Slim and Junior
2004 Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas Animation Consultant
2006 Bambi II Animation Consultant
2007 Enchanted Supervising Animator: Queen Narissa
2007 How to Hook Up Your Home Theater Animator: Goofy
2009 The Princess and the Frog Supervising Animator: Mama Odie and Juju
2011 The Ballad of Nessie Supervising Animator: Nessie
2011 Winnie the Pooh Visual Development Artist/Supervising Animator: Tigger
2017 Happily Ever After Animator: Snake Jafar

Gallery[]

Artwork[]

Miscellaneous[]

Trivia[]

  • He was the original animator behind Yzma back when production was known as Kingdom of the Sun. When production shifted into The Emperor's New Groove, Deja left the project as he felt that the new version of Yzma did not suit his style.

Refences[]

  1. "Deja View: The Art of Andreas Deja". The Walt Disney Family Museum.

External links[]


v - e - d
Walt Disney Animation Studios - Transparent Logo
1920s—1970s
Disney's Nine Old Men: Milt KahlFrank ThomasOllie JohnstonLes ClarkJohn LounsberyMarc DavisWard KimballEric LarsonWolfgang Reitherman

Animators: Bill TytlaArt BabbittLee BlairPreston BlairFred MooreShamus CulhaneCy YoungDon LuskNorman FergusonHal KingJack HannahDick KinneyHal AmbroKen O'BrienJudge WhitakerBill JusticeDon BluthGary GoldmanCharles A. NicholsBlaine GibsonJohn EwingWalt StanchfieldRolly CrumpFred HellmichAmby PaliwodaWilfred JacksonXavier AtencioBen SharpsteenEarl HurdDale OliverEric CleworthDavid HandFred SpencerJulius SvendsenJack BradburyKenneth MuseRudolf IsingHugh HarmanFriz FrelengWalt KellyLeo SalkinJohn DehnerRetta ScottDavid SwiftMel ShawJack CuttingGrant SimmonsArt StevensFrank TashlinWathel RogersTyrus WongJohnny Cannon
Visual Development, Layout, Background Artists and Character Designers: Gustaf TenggrenMary BlairMarjorie RalstonLillian BoundsJoe GrantMel ShawClaude CoatsDon DaGradiJohn HenchEyvind EarleKen O'ConnorThor PutnamAlbert HurterJohn HubleyHerbert RymanDon GriffithBasil DavidovichJack BoydPeter EllenshawRuthie TompsonEarl DuvallRetta DavidsonUb IwerksVance GerryHazel SewellJames BodreroLance NolleyGrace BaileyMaurice NobleDale BarnhartAndy EngmanEustace LycettJohn EmersonJoe Hale
Storyboard Artists and Writers: Bill PeetRalph WrightDick HuemerFloyd NormanYale GraceyTed SearsErdman PennerJoe RinaldiWinston HiblerOtto EnglanderWilliam CottrellBill BergAl BertinoT. HeeHomer BrightmanTed OsbourneLarry ClemmonsHarry ReevesJesse MarshChuck CouchWebb SmithDick Sebast
Directors: Clyde GeronimiHamilton LuskeJack KinneyTed BermanRichard RichGeorge ScribnerRiley ThomsonDick LundyJack KingBurt GillettJames AlgarBill RobertsLarry Lansburgh
Producers: Walt DisneyRon MillerKen AndersonDon DuckwallPerce PearceMargaret J. Winkler

1980s—present
Renaissance Directors: Rob MinkoffRoger AllersGary TrousdaleKirk WiseChris SandersMark DindalJohn Musker

Story Trust Directors: Ron ClementsChris BuckByron HowardDon HallChris WilliamsRich MooreStephen J. AndersonNathan GrenoFawn Veerasunthorn
Producers: Peter Del VechoClark SpencerRoy ConliDorothy McKimDon HahnShane Morris
Chief Creative Officer: Jennifer Lee
Associated Figures: Bob IgerRoy Edward DisneyMichael EisnerJohn LasseterEd CatmullJeffrey KatzenbergBob Chapek
Signature Voice Actors: Jim CummingsAlan TudykKatie LowesJohn DiMaggioMaurice LaMarcheJodi BensonDavid Ogden StiersJesse CortiPaul BriggsRaymond S. PersiPhil JohnstonFrank WelkerBill FarmerBrian Cummings
Signature Musicians: Robert B. Sherman Richard M. Sherman Alan Menken Kristen Anderson-Lopez Robert LopezLin-Manuel MirandaHoward AshmanTim RicePhil CollinsStephen SchwartzMarc ShaimanDanny Troob
Supervising Animators: Glen KeaneAndreas DejaEric GoldbergMark HennJohn PomeroyRandy HaycockDale BaerTony BancroftTom BancroftTony FucileAnthony DeRosaRuss EdmondsRandy HaycockBruce W. SmithDuncan MarjoribanksRuben AquinoNik RanieriRon HusbandRick FarmiloeTom SitoTony AnselmoWill FinnKathy Zielinski
Visual Development & Storyboard Artists: Dean DeBloisClaire KeaneBrittney LeeJin KimShiyoon KimRyan Green

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