Riley Thomson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Riley A. Thomson Jr. (1912-10-05)October 5, 1912 Alhambra, California, U.S. |
| Died | January 26, 1960(1960-01-26) (aged 47) California, U.S. |
| Other names | Riley Thompson |
| Occupation(s) | Animator, comics artist |
| Years active | 1930–1960 |
| Employer(s) | Leon Schlesinger Productions (1935-1936) Walt Disney Productions (1936-1950) Western Publishing (1950-1953) Walter Lantz Productions (1957-1960) |
Riley A. Thomson Jr. (October 5, 1912 – January 26, 1960) was an Americananimator andcomics artist who spent most of his career working withWalt Disney films and characters. He directed six Disneyshort films includingThe Nifty Nineties andSymphony Hour.
Thomson began his career in 1930 at the ill-fated studio ofRomer Grey. In 1935, he joinedLeon Schlesinger Productions (Warner Bros.) as an animator. While there he worked onMerrie Melodies cartoons and focused on the characterPorky Pig. The following year Thomson went to work atWalt Disney Productions. He was first an animator and worked onMickey Mouse,Silly Symphonies, andDonald Duck short films. He also worked on the feature-length filmSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment ofFantasia (1940).[1]
After working onFantasia Thomson moved to the story department where he became a writer and director. He directed the short filmsPut-Put Troubles (1940),The Little Whirlwind (1941),The Nifty Nineties (1941), the 1941 remake ofOrphans' Benefit,Mickey's Birthday Party (1942), andSymphony Hour (1942). He also received story credits forThey're Off (1948) andDude Duck (1951). (The latter misspells his surname as "Thompson.")
In 1950, Thomson moved into the field of comics. He worked forWestern Publishing[2]from 1950 to 1953 drawing for several different comic books. His work mainly includedDisney comics featuringMickey Mouse,Donald Duck,Pluto,Chip 'n' Dale,Grandma Duck, andJaq & Gus. He also drewWoody Woodpecker comics.
Throughout the 1950s, Thomson drew comic strips for the Disney Studios includingUncle Remus and His Tales of Br'er Rabbit (based on the 1946 filmSong of the South) and theMickey Mouse daily newspaper strip.
Thomson returned to animation in 1957 and worked forWalter Lantz Productions until his death in 1960.[3]
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