Ub Iwerks was a American Cartoonist, Animator and Special effects technician, who was famous for working alongside Walt Disney in the creation of the company and of the characters that later labelled it.
Iwerks met Walt Disney in 1919, while working at the Pesman Art Studio in Kansas City, this strong friendship led to eventually start a business together, Although many bumps, and some company bankruptcy, they finally moved to Los Angeles. where they founded Walt Disney Studios. Ub Iwerks at that time was the artist responsible for all the animation in the studio, not only designing characters, but also animating them all by himself. He was the artist, behind many Disney characters, such as Oswald the Lucky Rabit, Clarabelle Cow or Horace Horsecollar. and also the iconic Disney character, Mickey Mouse. Steamboat Willie, the first sound/ animation film was animated by him.
After many of hours of unfair work, and rejection, Ub Iwerks friendship with Walt Disney had fell out and it led to Ub Iwerks leaving the Disney Studios and open a small studio under his name.
The Iwerks Studio opened in 1930, and was expected to have a great success under Iwerks command, Though the creation of characters such as Flip the Frog or Willie Whopper didnt have a major success. Giving all the reputation to his rival of that time Walt Disney.
Iwerks quit the studio and started to produce indepently small short animations, and also being employed by Looney Tunes company to create 4 episodes. All this change in Iwerk's career led nowhere.
Thus, He returned to Walt Disney studios in 1940, but this time only to supervise the animation and work as a technician in special effects. In this other profession, Iwerks succeeded by improving techniques in composing animation with Live- action via blue-screen, and many others techniques.
Iwerks, not only worked with Walt Disney studios in the special effects area, but also he helped Alfred Hitchcock in 1963, to create a masterpiece of technical achievement in the film the Birds.
2 comments:
Ub Iwerks + Hitchcock = The Birds - well, I didn't know that! :-)
yes, he did help developing the special effects for the film, meaning get the yellow sodium light technique..to compose the film... I was quite surprised because I knew Ub Iwerks as only an animator not as a special effects technician.
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