Don Bluth

Arguably one of the biggest names in feature-length animation since Walt Disney, animator and producer Don Bluth learned his craft at the Disney Studio before turning into a direct competitor after branching out on his own in 1979. While with Disney, Bluth worked as an assistant animator on "Sleeping Beauty" (1958), only to leave for college and to work as a Mormon missionary. He returned in 1971 and was an animator on "Robin Hood" (1973), "The Rescuers" (1977) and "Pete's Dragon" (1977). But he felt that Disney had lost its way through its cost-cutting measures and decided to form his own company with animator Gary Goldman called Don Bluth Productions. Bluth earned immediate buzz for the 30-minute short "Banjo, the Woodpile Cat," which led to being hired to animate a musical sequence in "Xanadu" (1980). After the success of "The Secret of NIMH" (1982), Bluth entered the video game design business, only to see his company declare bankruptcy in 1984. He reformed the studio with fresh investment money and forged ahead with Sullivan Bluth Studios, relocating to Ireland and making "An American Tail" (1986) and "The Land Before Time" (1988) under Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment. In 1992, that company closed, and led Bluth to partner with Fox Animation Studios, making "Anastasia" (1997) and "Titan A.E." (2000). Bluth was the kind of quality hand-drawn animation that was also the standard for rival Disney.