Near the end of Tarzan’s animation schedule, Walt Disney Feature Animation organized an appreciation lunch for the crew. A handful of artists gathered in the second‑floor hallway before heading over together — a simple moment from one of the studio’s productions during that era, before the feature animation building in Burbank California was redesigned.

SHOW NOTES

Tone Thyne IMDB > LINK
Tone Thyne LinkedIn > LINK

Chris Wahl IMDB > LINK
Chris Wahl LinkedIn > LINK

Ken Duncan IMDB > LINK
Ken Duncan LinkedIn > LINK

T.Dan Hofstedt IMDB > LINK
T.Dan Hofstedt LinkedIn > LINK

Kevin Lima IMDB > LINK
Kevin Lima LinkedIn > LINK

Chris Buck IMDB > LINK

April 9, 1998. As Disney’s Mulan approached the end of production, the animation crew gathered at the Hollywood Athletic Club for a special Appreciation Lunch. In Part 2, we follow the team as they arrive at the venue, take in the atmosphere, share food, and unwind over a few games of pool—capturing a rare, behind‑the‑scenes moment of celebration during the final stretch of the film.

SHOW NOTES :

During production on Don Bluth’s An American Tail, the crew was split between two buildings in Southern California: the main studio and a second building across the street known as “the Warehouse”. In this video, producer Gary Goldman makes a quick visit to our room. One of my roommates, EFX animator Joey Mildenberger, calls him over so I can record a brief behind‑the‑scenes moment from the production floor.

GARY GOLDMAN :

Walt Disney Productions :
February 1972 to September 1979

1973 Inbetweener/assistant Animator to Frank Thomas: Robin Hood
1974 Animator: Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too
1976 Animator : The Rescuers
1977 Directing Animator: Pete’s Dragon
1978 Directing Animator: The Small One ( 30 minute featurette )
Directing Animator: The Fox and the Hound (uncredited).

Co-founder : Don Bluth Productions; Bluth Group Ltd; Sullivan Bluth Studios, Ireland and Don Bluth Films, Inc.

Directing Animator, Producer, Director :

1979 Directing Animator, Producer – Banjo the Woodpile Cat ( 27 minute featurette )
1980 Producer – animated sequence – Xanadu
1982 Directing Animator/ Producer – The Secret of N.I.M.H.
1983 Producer – Dragon’s Lair Video Game
1983 Producer – Space Ace Video Game
1989 Producer – Dragon’s Lair II: A Timewarp Video Game
1986 Producer – An American Tail
1988 Producer – The Land Before Time
1989 Producer / Co-Director – All Dogs Go To Heaven
1990 Producer / Co-Director – Rock-A-Doodle
1991 Producer / Co-Director – A Troll in Central Park
1993 Producer / Co-Director – Thumbelina
1997 Producer / Co-Director – Anastasia
1999 Producer / Co-Director – Bartok the Magnificent, Direct To Video
2000 Producer / Co-Director – Titan A.E.
2002 Bluth Group Ltd. – Executive Producer: Dragon’s Lair 3D: Return to the Lair Video Game

Don Bluth Films, Inc.: Developing Intellectual properties for feature films, working with writers, scheduling, budgeting and financing for ten projects in development. Currently located in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Gary Goldman – IMDB Page > LINK

Gary Goldman – LinkedIn Page > LINK

Step inside my [ some-what messy ] office ( Room 2410 ) at the Disney Feature Animation Building during the 1999 production of Kingdom of the Sun—the original version of what later became The Emperor’s New Groove. In this behind‑the‑scenes look at Disney animation, I then walk the 2nd floor hallways of the studio to visit my friend Juliet Stroud‑Duncan. Just a short moment during production in the daily life of Disney feature animators during the late 1990s.

Show Notes :

Juliet Stroud IMDB > LINK

April 9, 1998. As Disney’s animated feature Mulan wrapped production, the animation crew was invited to a special Appreciation Lunch at the Hollywood Athletic Club. But thanks to a mix‑up, our bus driver took us to the LA Zoo instead !

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SHOW NOTES :

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Show Notes :

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The Official BLOG of Dorse Lanpher : LINK

Dorse A. Lanpher IMDB page : LINK

Dorse A. Lanpher LINKEDIN page : LINK

‘ FLYIN’ CHUNKS AND OTHER THINGS TO DUCK ‘ Memoirs of a life spent doodling for dollars
By Dorse A. Lanpher > behind the scene stories of being in the animation industry
Amazon.com : LINK

JIM HILL MEDIA article : LINK

DISNEY FANDOM article : LINK

TRADITIONAL ANIMATION article : LINK

CARTOON BREW article : LINK

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Here are a few of the photo’s I had taken over the years of Dorse while working at the studios :

Meeting Dorse Spring 1985 :

My first encounter with Dorse was Spring 1985 when I had just started my 1st week as a Key Clean Up Artist for Don Bluth’s feature ‘ An American Tail ‘. One of my closest friends from college, Ralph Zondag, had started two weeks earlier so we were the first new Canadians that just joined the crew. At the end of that first week, on the Friday, the entire studio went to a local theater for the company’s first full screening of the movie as it was 50% completed at that point. My Clean Up supervisor Vera offered to drive me to the theater with her husband at the time, Dorse.
Two years earlier I was sitting in college reading the ‘ Don Bluth fan club ‘ newsletter that the studio mailed out to subscribers, and now, here I was driving to the company’s newest in production feature with both Vera and Dorse whom i knew from photos and articles in the newsletter. It was a bit overwhelming to be in this opportunity with artists that were so respected.
After the screening Don Bluth had booked a private room at a restaurant where the leadership of the company could gather and discuss the movie over a meal. As we were leaving the theater, Don told both Ralph and myself, much to our surprise, that we were also invited. Ralph would get a ride to the restaurant with Thad [ head of finance ] and Don would drive me.
I was trying to figure out how all this happened ?
Only a few years earlier after seeing the new feature ‘ The Secret of NIMH ‘ in college and all of us animation students geeking out over how beautiful the animation was, I was now driving in Don’s pickup with just the two of us talking about animation.
In the restaurant both Ralph and myself looked completely out of place but taking in everything that was discussed. It was one of the best nights, everyone was excited about where the movie was headed.
And Dorse would interrupt the conversation various times throughout the meal to ‘ Toast to the Canadians ! ‘ All I could do was smile, it was all too surreal. Those moments I’ll never forget, surrounded by artists that were so passionate about what they were doing and where the future was going.
Thank you Dorse for those ‘ Toasts ‘ and for everyone at that table for including us.

– Mark

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