Disney or Money

How many young men and women wanted jobs in animation because they watched cartoons when they were kids?

Without providing you with any proof, I suspect the number is countless.

Well, let’s provide a smidgen of proof.

Walt Disney Productions attracted would-be Freddie Moores and Bill Tytlas, as revealed in this article in the McClure Newspaper Syndicate’s “TV Keynotes” column that appeared in papers starting around March 4, 1957. The service had a little chat with animator Volus Jones about life (and pay) at Disney; he animated the scene from Clown of the Jungle to the right. Jones worked in a number of other studios, including Columbia/Screen Gems and Walter Lantz, then headed to Hanna-Barbera. He died on May 3, 2004 at age 90.

Hopefuls Write To Walt Disney
by STEPHEN H. SCHEUER
Every week, hundreds of kids write Walt Disney asking to work for his mammoth organization.
When they become older, and a bank account takes precedence over membership in “The Mickey Mouse Club,” the job has less appeal.
“Beginners start at Disney as ‘in-betweeners,’” admitted animator Volus Jones, “making between $55 and $60 a week.” (About what errand boys earn at the other Hollywood studios.)
An “in betweener” has the tedious task of sketching hundreds of individual cartoons which go “in between” an animator's major drawings.
“Of course,” continued Jones, “the salary shoots up after a while. A top Disney director earns up to $25,000 a year.
“That's high in the art field, but mighty low for motion pictures and TV. A man directing a 'live' movie is usually worth $100,000 or more.”
At this salary scale, it might seem that Disney would have trouble keeping his best men. Which is partially true. Graduates of the Disney studio who have set out on their own include Walt Kelly, creator of "Pogo Possum"; Hank Ketchum, responsible for the antics of "Dennis the Menace"; and Ace magazine cartoonist Virgil Partch.
Why has Jones (who played a major role in developing Donald Duck), remained with Disney for more than twenty years?
“I like Walt,” he answered. “And there's more creative freedom at our studio than with any other cartoon outfit in town.”
Turning to the problems of animation, Jones noted that the toughest figure to draw is a human being. “Which is why we often roto-scope humans,” he said. Using the roto-scope technique, a model is photographed, and the photo traced on drawing paper. Marge Champion was, for example, the original model for Snow White.
“The smaller an animal,” continued Jones, “the easier to draw. A mouse may be a frightful thing to find in your kitchen, but animators love them.”
Squirrels are also popular. It could be because they work for peanuts.