Toonin to the World of Animation “Memories From Steve Hickner”

Steve Hickner started his animation career at Filmation Studios in the late 1970’s. Both Filmation Studios and Hanna Barbara were literally  talent incubators that gave birth to the artists that went on to create some of the highest grossing feature animated films in what we now refer to as the 2nd Golden Age of Animation. Steve Hickner lived this journey from Assistant Animator at Filmation Studios to Director at Dreamworks Animation.  Recently joining The Creative Talent Network we thought it appropriate to repost this interview done late last year by Tee Bosustow of ToonIn where Steve speaks to the journey of dedication, determination, timing and luck that drove him forward from the late 1970’s through to the 2nd Golden Age of Animation and on up to today as Director at Dreamworks.

Steve Hickner

Click below to listen to this great interview.

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For more on this and many other artists from the world of animation please visit Toon In to the World of Animation .

Rescuers Down Under

Words and Photos care of Mike Gabriel.

Rescuers Down Under Research trip to Australia. We were the first animation crew at Disney to demand we go to the actual country and do the research before making the film. The studio naturally looked at this as an unnecessary boondogle since it had never been done as far as I know. I vowed to pay my own way if I had to. Peter Schneider relented—or should I say Jeffrey Katzenberg must have relented—-or should I say Michael Eisner must have relented— and allowed us two weeks to explore the continent of Australia. A great experience. This is Joe Ranft, Joe’s first head of story opportunity, and Maurice (Pixote Hunt) our art director at Uluru or Ayres Rock in the middle of the outback. (more…)

Director Mike Gabriel 2003

(Photo care of Ed Ghertner)

Words care of Mike Gabriel:

This picture of me holding a cardboard over my head is me pretending the rain from my second proposed short for Don Hahn called Parasol, was also falling. I alternated between Parasol and Lorenzo during those 2003 days of ticking clocks as I wound down my Disney contract. (more…)

This picture of me “painting” the blue character is from my short film based on Joe Grant’s concept, LORENZO which came out in 2004 attached to a live action Disney film called Raising Helen. This must have been 2003 or maybe early ‘04. I made it while in room 3136 up on the third floor of the Mickey Hat bldg. I actually painted all the backgrounds and character set ups for the cg artists to match my style so although I am “faking” painting that Lorenzo image I actually did do all the analogue painting that was used in the film’s bgs, character pose set ups etc..—so in that way, it is not fake. That is a genuine authentic Disneyland Frontierland poster behind me that I have had for a long time. My blue paint splattered it’s frame but Lorenzo was a messy project—in certain ways. (more…)