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Special-effects animator Joe Alves spent a short time working for the Disney Studio in the 1950s. His memories of his time there, however, are priceless.

Didier Ghez: We’re going to talk about the time you spent with Disney and also the time you worked with Josh Meador. I’ll start with the usual question: When and where were you born?

Joe Alves: I was born in San Leandro, California, on May 21, 1936.

DG: I understand that your connection with Disney started really early, that at four years old you were already drawing the Dwarfs, is that right?

JA: Yes, I started very early on drawing all the Disney characters, from Snow White, like Doc and Dopey. I was always drawing because I was born with a cleft foot and I had three operations, so quite often I was in a cast. So I drew pictures a lot. I remember when I was in one of my early grades—1st, 2nd—I drew all the Disney characters from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and I remember putting them up on a big board in school. So that was me very early.

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