Blaine Gibson was an American Disney animator and Imagineer, best known for his sculpting work on numerous classic Disney attractions.
Biography[]
Blaine Gibson was born on a farm in Rocky Ford, Colorado. As a child, he enjoyed making clay sculptures. After attending Western State Colorado University and the University of Colorado (though he dropped out of the latter), he applied to Disney in 1939 and worked as an assistant animator on films, such as Fantasia, Bambi, Peter Pan, and Lady and the Tramp, as a character animator on films, such as Sleeping Beauty and One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and as an effects animator on films, such as Song of the South and Alice in Wonderland. While working in the animation department, he took sculpting classes at Pasadena City College and his sculpture work caught the eye of Walt Disney, who took him aboard for his Disneyland project in 1954.
Among the attractions, Blaine Gibson would sculpt for, included the Jungle Cruise, the Enchanted Tiki Room, the various attractions produced for the 1964 New York World's Fair, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, and The Hall of Presidents, which he would continue to sculpt new presidents for until George W. Bush. In 1993, Blaine Gibson was commissioned to sculpt the "Partners" statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse for Disneyland. The same year, Blaine Gibson would be honored as a Disney Legend.
Filmography[]
| Year | Film | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Pinocchio | In-between artist - uncredited |
| 1940 | Fantasia | Assistant animator - segment "The Pastoral Symphony", uncredited |
| 1940 | The Fire Chief | Animator - uncredited |
| 1942 | Bambi | Assistant animator - uncredited |
| 1946 | Squatter's Rights | Animator |
| 1946 | Song of the South | Effects animator |
| 1947 | Pluto's Housewarming | Animator |
| 1947 | Figaro and Frankie | Animator |
| 1947 | Fun and Fancy Free | Animator - uncredited "Bongo": Effects animation - uncredited |
| 1950 | Cinderella | Animator - uncredited |
| 1951 | Lucky Number | Effects animator |
| 1951 | Alice in Wonderland | Effects animator |
| 1951 | No Smoking | Effects animator |
| 1951 | Bee on Guard | Effects animator |
| 1952 | Donald Applecore | Effects animator |
| 1952 | Two Chips and a Miss | Effects animator |
| 1952 | Let's Stick Together | Effects animator |
| 1952 | Teachers are People | Effects animator |
| 1952 | Pluto's Party | Effects animator |
| 1952 | Pluto's Christmas Tree | Effects animator - uncredited |
| 1953 | Peter Pan | Effects animator |
| 1953 | For Whom the Bulls Toil | Effects animator |
| 1953 | How to Dance | Effects animator |
| 1954 | Casey Bats Again | Effects animator |
| 1955 | Lady and the Tramp | Assistant animator - uncredited |
| 1955-1979 | The Magical World of Disney | Animator Himself: "Disneyland Goes to the World's Fair" (1964) "Disneyland 10th Anniversary" (1965) |
| 1959 | Sleeping Beauty | Character animator |
| 1960 | Goliath II | Character animator |
| 1961 | One Hundred and One Dalmatians | Character animator |
| 2008 | Walt & El Grupo | Self - Interviewee |
| 2015 | Walt Before Mickey | Technical advisor |
Characters Animated[]
Imagineering[]
- Jungle Cruise - character design
- Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room - character design (birds and flowers)
- Carousel of Progress - character design
- Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln - character design
- Ford Magic Skyway - character design
- Pirates of the Caribbean - character design
- The Haunted Mansion - character design
- Hall of Presidents - character design
Gallery[]
