Burnett "Burny" Mattinson was an American artist and storyman at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Mattinson was inducted as a Disney Legend in 2008.[1]
Mattinson started at Disney working in the studio mail room as a "traffic boy" in 1953 where among his duties, he would hand deliver weekly checks of $300 to Walt Disney for his "walking around" money.
After a while, he was eventually promoted to be an animator in the animation department in the 1970s before becoming a story artist. During the 1980s, he directed and produced Mickey Mouse's comeback featurette Mickey's Christmas Carol and the full-length feature The Great Mouse Detective. Mattinson continued to work as a story an on features from the Disney Renaissance, such as Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. His latest work was being head story artist for Winnie the Pooh.
In 2013, Mattinson celebrated 60 years with the Disney studio, and was honored with a surprise recognition by John Lasseter at the animation presentation at that year's D23 Expo. Before his death, he had been trying to pitch a traditionally-animated feature starring Mickey Mouse.
In 2018, he became the longest serving cast member of The Walt Disney Company.
In 2023, Mattinson made a posthumous appearance as himself in the short film Once Upon a Studio, celebrating the Disney Studio's 100th anniversary. The film is dedicated to his memory.
