Burny Mattinson was a Disney animator and the company’s longest serving employee, having worked there since 1953.
- Died: February 27, 2023 (Who else died on February 27?)
- Details of death: Died at a nursing facility in Canoga Park, California after a short illness at the age of 87.
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A lifetime at Disney
Mattinson was fresh out of high school when he applied for a job at Disney, having grown up loving animated features like “Pinocchio.” Already a talented artist, he brought his portfolio to Disney and was immediately hired. With no open positions for animators available at that time, he was placed in the mailroom, but he was quickly promoted and began his work as an animator on “Lady and the Tramp.” He worked on many beloved Disney features, including “Sleeping Beauty,” “Mary Poppins,” “The Jungle Book,” “Aladdin,” “The Lion King” and “Big Hero 6.” The 1983 feature “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” was written and directed by Mattinson, based on an idea he pitched to Disney. Most recently, he was a story artist for the 2022 feature “Strange World.” He was named a Disney Legend in 2008. In June 2023, Mattinson would have become the first Disney employee to be honored for 70 years of service.
Notable quote
“I prefer working on all the villains – they’re the most interesting of the animated characters. I don’t think the villains have changed much. They all have an agenda of their own that has driven their greed or has made them evil. They all have their own different styles of delivery and how they react, but basically they all have evil intent.” —from a 2008 interview for Animated Views
Tributes to Burny Mattinson
Full obituary: The Walt Disney Company
