Disney's longest-serving employee—an animator, writer, and director who worked on films ranging from 1955's Lady and the Tramp to 2022's Strange World—has died. Burny Mattinson, described by CEO Bob Iger as a "legend" and "a true icon" of Disney Animation, died Monday at a California nursing home "after a short illness," according to a release. The 87-year-old began his Disney career in 1953, the same year he graduated high school, as "a messenger on the lot," Iger wrote in a tweet. Years later, he would say he "only wanted to work at Disney," a decision he made at 6 years old when his mother took him to see Pinocchio, per AV Club and the Los Angeles Times.
Other films he touched include 1959's Sleeping Beauty, 1961's 101 Dalmatians, 1967's The Jungle Book, and 1970's The Aristocats. He went on to become a director of 1986's The Great Mouse Detective and the 1983 animated short Mickey's Christmas Carol, which received an Oscar nomination. He received the title of Disney Legend, awarded to those who've made "extraordinary contributions to the Disney legacy," in 2008. A decade later, he overtook artist John Hench as Disney's longest-serving employee, per the Times. He was to receive the company's first-ever 70th anniversary service award in June. "All of us who have had the honor to know him and learn from him will ensure his legacy carries on," says Walt Disney Animation Studios' chief creative officer Jennifer Lee. (More Walt Disney Co. stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
