Milt kahl biography
•
Milt Kahl: Master Puppeteer
Posted on Sun, 11/06/2016 - 16:56
Walt Disney’s famed Nine Old Men were among the creative geniuses behind our most beloved Disney animated films. These talented artists were considered by Walt to be his most trusted and gifted collaborators, and he held each of them in the highest esteem. By the time the Nine Old Men (then ironically quite young) found their way to The Walt Disney Studios, Walt had long left his own animation days behind, but always retained a keen eye for exceptional talent, and recognized this in each of the nine. Individually, they were men of varying talents and vastly different personalities, each bringing their own unique and valued skillset to enhance Walt’s unparalleled storytelling. Together, the nine worked as a cohesive unit, turning out classic and beautifully animated characters that will continue to be remembered and revered for years to come. Arguably, one of the most legendary (and possibly the most infamous) of the nine was the master draftsman, Milt Kahl. With the exciting presentation of The Walt Disney Family Museum’s special exhibition of Wish Upon a Star: The Art of Pinocchio, we turn our attention to Kahl, the sometimes irascible yet always supremely talented artist behind the design of the lova
•
Animation is not a medium for people who slack off and don’t try hard. It is an art form designed for people who feed off the challenge, strive to experiment, aim for high quality work, and are intrigued by the endless possibilities that can give every last ounce of entertainment to a performance. It also is one that takes strong intent and certainty: you have to know how to draw and animate your characters to be able to make them believable. This all takes immense amounts of intensity, thought, intelligence, concentration, effort, commitment, artistry, draftsmanship, understanding, and a great work ethic. All these were the qualities that made Milt Kahl able to be successful, number 7 on the list and the honoree of today’s post.
Milt Kahl was a brilliant animator who awed everyone with his exceptional draftsmanship, genius refinements in character design, and extraordinary technique as an animator. He drew things almost no one else could draw in such a beautiful way and would in his work use poses and graceful movements that read, have strength, show who the character is, and are appealing. “I’m perfect for this medium,” Kahl arrogantly praised of himself. “I have no limitations. I can do anything.” What really separates him as well is the intense, intellectual think
•