DISNEY'S MILT KAHL: ANIMATOR

 

Milt Kahl was born Milton Erwin Kahl on March 22, 1909 in San Francisco, California, on March 22, 1909. One of the original nine Disney animators known as 'the nine old men,' Kahl is largely considered one of the best draftsmen that the studio could lay claim to.

Milt Kahl’s interest in animation and illustration began after seeing Disney’s The Three Little Pigs. He applied to work at Disney and was quickly hired as an assistant animator. His most notable works include Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Pinocchio, Bambi, and The Aristocats. Although sometimes criticized for being an animator with somewhat of an irascible temper, he was also a fastidious illustrator who would become known for the ‘Milt Kahl head swaggle.’ a quirky head movement which characterised much of his animation (this jaunty move is perhaps best seen in the Disney character of Tigger, from The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh, when the character needs to show self-assurance).

He was once quoted as saying, ‘There’s nothing harder to do in animation than nothing. Movement is our medium.’ His style influenced a generation of animators, including Andreas Deja and Glen Keane. The centenary of his birth was celebrated by a tribute by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.