Mike Gabriel

Last updated
Mike Gabriel
Born (1954-11-05) November 5, 1954 (age 70)
Alma mater Golden West College
Occupation(s)Film director, animator, storyboard artist, visual development artist
Years active1979–present
Known for The Rescuers Down Under , Pocahontas , Lorenzo
SpouseTammy Gabriel
Children3

Mike Gabriel (born November 5, 1954) [1] is an American animator and film director, best known for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios and as co-director of the Disney animated films The Rescuers Down Under (1990) and Pocahontas (1995). [2]

Contents

Early life

He was born in Long Beach, California, although he grew up in various small towns like Salina, Kansas while moving around due to his father's Air Force job. [3]

Career

Gabriel was inspired with animation after watching Sleeping Beauty (1959) at the age of five. Soon after, he started drawing and practicing it for six hours every day to meet his goal as an Animation Director. It was in 1979 when he got his first chance to make his debut. [3] Gabriel originally began his career as an assistant on The Fox and the Hound (1981). He later was assigned as a Disney animator on the animated short Fun with Mr. Future (1982). He was mentored under Eric Larson's training program, [4] and went to work on The Black Cauldron (1985). He also served as an animator on The Great Mouse Detective (1986), Technological Threat and Oliver & Company (1988). Hendel Butoy joined Gabriel to direct The Rescuers Down Under , a sequel to the 1977 Disney animated film The Rescuers , while Eric Goldberg and Gabriel collaborated on Pocahontas .

In 2004, Gabriel directed an animated short for Disney entitled Lorenzo , a hybrid of traditional and computer animation about a lazy cat who has a spell cast on his tail that forces it to tango with him. [5] [6]

Accolades

Lorenzo was nominated for the 2005 Academy Award for Best Animated Short. [7] It was also included in the Animation Show of Shows in 2004.

Personal life

He was hired to re-design the Walt Disney cinematic logo which plays before every Walt Disney picture since 2006.

Filmography

YearTitleDirectorWriterAnimatorActorRoleNotes
1981 The Fox and the Hound YesAssistant Animator (Uncredited)
1982LuauYesBob
Fun with Mr. Future Yes
1985 The Black Cauldron YesCharacter Animator: Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch
1986 The Great Mouse Detective YesCharacter Animator: Toby and Felicia
1988 Oliver & Company YesYesWriter: Story
Character Designer
Supervising Animator: Oliver
Technological Threat YesCharacter Designer
1990 The Rescuers Down Under YesWith Hendel Butoy
1994 The Lion King YesAnimator: Special Edition
1995 Pocahontas YesYesYesWith Eric Goldberg
Writer: Based On An Idea
Visual Development Artist
Character Designer
1996 Quack Pack YesOne episode
Character Designer
Supervising Animator
1999 My Neighbors the Yamadas Yesdialogue director for the 2005 English dub.
1999 Fantasia 2000 YesYo-yo Tricks
2000 Dinosaur YesAdditional Visual Development
2004 Lorenzo YesYesYesProduction Designer
Home on the Range YesVisual Development Artist
The Cat That Looked at a King YesCharacter Designer
Supervising Animator
2008 Bolt YesAdditional Story Artist
2009 The Princess and the Frog YesAdditional Art Director
2011 Winnie the Pooh YesVisual Development Artist
2012 Brave YesDevelopment Artist
Frankenweenie YesArt Department Illustrator: Los Angeles
Wreck-It Ralph YesProduction Designer
2014 Big Hero 6 YesDepartmental Leadership: Walt Disney Animation Studios
2016 Zootopia YesDepartmental Leadership: Walt Disney Animation Studios
2019 Frozen II YesCreative Legacy: Walt Disney Animation Studios
2020 Elephant in the Room YesThought Painter
Visual Development
2021 Raya and the Last Dragon YesCreative Legacy: Walt Disney Animation Studios

References

  1. Stahl, Scarlett (October 14, 2010). "A Profile of Mike Gabriel". The Laughing Place. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  2. "Sometimes the very best gift you can give someone is to show that you believe in their dreams". 22 December 2009.
  3. 1 2 Mike Gabriel Archived 2013-11-12 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Suspended Animation Gallery". Archived from the original on 2010-02-10. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
  5. "Animation Art Conservation | LORENZO". Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  6. "'Lorenzo': A 'Moving Painting' with a Wild Tail".
  7. "Best Movie Lists".