Ed Aardal started in animation in 1935 at age 25, which was somewhat older than many other beginners at the time. He was born and raised in the State of Washington, where he attended a Skokomish reservation school until he was 15. He then worked in the sawmills until he was 19, when he decided to return to school. He eventually graduated from high school in Seattle and got a job at The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. At the suggestion of his high school art teacher, he applied to Disney and was hired as a trainee for $10.00 a week. He quickly got promoted from inbetweening to animation, and ended up doing special effects animation on such films as Snow White, Fantasia and The Lady and the Tramp, as well as animating on a number of Goofy and Donald Duck shorts. In a later interview, he recounts his early experiences watching whales on a trip to Alaska with his father as being very helpful in his later work on Monstro in Pinocchio.
He left Disney after 20 years and initially worked for Kling Studios as an animator, followed by five years at ERA Productions, a commercial house he was part-owner of. His later credits included animating for Hanna-Barbera on such shows as Top Cat and Jonny Quest, as well as Charlotte's Web. He also worked for Chuck Jones (The Phantom Tollbooth) and Sanrio (Metamorphoses).
Although he spoke fondly about his years at Disney, Ed apparently did not take his layoff from the Disney too well. Even though asked by Walt Disney, Ed never returned.
His last project as animator was the 1978 production 'Metamorphoses' for Sanrio Films.
He left Disney after 20 years and initially worked for Kling Studios as an animator, followed by five years at ERA Productions, a commercial house he was part-owner of. His later credits included animating for Hanna-Barbera on such shows as Top Cat and Jonny Quest, as well as Charlotte's Web. He also worked for Chuck Jones (The Phantom Tollbooth) and Sanrio (Metamorphoses).
Although he spoke fondly about his years at Disney, Ed apparently did not take his layoff from the Disney too well. Even though asked by Walt Disney, Ed never returned.
His last project as animator was the 1978 production 'Metamorphoses' for Sanrio Films.
Ed Aardal started in animation in 1935 at age 25, which was somewhat older than many other beginners at the time. He was born and raised in the State of Washington, where he attended a Skokomish reservation school until he was 15. He then worked in the sawmills until he was 19, when he decided to return to school. He eventually graduated from high school in Seattle and got a job at The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. At the suggestion of his high school art teacher, he applied to Disney and was hired as a trainee for $10.00 a week. He quickly got promoted from inbetweening to animation, and ended up doing special effects animation on such films as Snow White, Fantasia and The Lady and the Tramp, as well as animating on a number of Goofy and Donald Duck shorts. In a later interview, he recounts his early experiences watching whales on a trip to Alaska with his father as being very helpful in his later work on Monstro in Pinocchio.
He left Disney after 20 years and initially worked for Kling Studios as an animator, followed by five years at ERA Productions, a commercial house he was part-owner of. His later credits included animating for Hanna-Barbera on such shows as Top Cat and Jonny Quest, as well as Charlotte's Web. He also worked for Chuck Jones (The Phantom Tollbooth) and Sanrio (Metamorphoses).
Although he spoke fondly about his years at Disney, Ed apparently did not take his layoff from the Disney too well. Even though asked by Walt Disney, Ed never returned.
His last project as animator was the 1978 production 'Metamorphoses' for Sanrio Films.
He left Disney after 20 years and initially worked for Kling Studios as an animator, followed by five years at ERA Productions, a commercial house he was part-owner of. His later credits included animating for Hanna-Barbera on such shows as Top Cat and Jonny Quest, as well as Charlotte's Web. He also worked for Chuck Jones (The Phantom Tollbooth) and Sanrio (Metamorphoses).
Although he spoke fondly about his years at Disney, Ed apparently did not take his layoff from the Disney too well. Even though asked by Walt Disney, Ed never returned.
His last project as animator was the 1978 production 'Metamorphoses' for Sanrio Films.
