One of the Nine Old Men of Disney Animation, Eric Larson, died on 25th October 1988 at the age of 83. He joined the Studio in 1933 and worked there all his life until ill-health forced him to retire soon after I had the pleasure of meeting him in the summer of 1985. He invited me over to the Studio’s Animation Department in Burbank where he was training young animators on “The Great Mouse Detective”, writes Robin Allan.
I found him an immensely courteous, quiet and gentle man, still as enthusiastic for his art and work as someone a quarter his age.
Born in Cleveland, Utah, Eric’s parents were Danish, and his father was in turn cattle rancher, store keeper and clothing retailer. He changed the family name from Larsen to Larson and passed on to young Eric a love of comic strips. Eric graduated from the University of Utah and after some art training in Salt Lake City he began his career as a journalist. Friendship with Dick Creedon led to his introduction to the Disney Studio, where, as he put it, “I’ve been for fifty-two years. My fears of being tied down were not put to the test, as it has always been a challenge.” […]
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