Ken Southworth
Ken Southworth started his animation career at Walt Disney Studios in California, in 1944. Since then he has worked for and with most of the great studios and people in animation's history: Warner Brothers, MGM, Hanna-Barbera, Clokey Productions, and Filmation to name but a few. He has also spent his later years sharing his knowledge by teaching. Read on for a glimpse into the experience of Ken Southworth, who now lives with his wife in Anaheim, a stone's throw away from Disneyland.
Credits...
Disney
In 6 years, animated perhaps a hundred small bits of animation, uncredited, not unusual with ambitious young assistants. Did almost all of Milt Kahl's rough animation on Alice in Wonderland and assisted Frank Thomas on the Stepmother from Cinderella. Also worked on Legend of Sleepy Hollow and several shorts.
Walter Lantz
8 Woody Woodpecker credits, 1951-55
4 Chilly Willy credits, two with Tex Avery
Assistant work for Laverne Harding on Woody's animated title, c. 1951
MGM
6 credits on Tom & Jerry
4 credits on Droopy Dog
Rudy Cataldi Productions
10 credits on QT Hush; Director/Layout
Sam Sing Prod's
12 credits on Young Daniel Boone; Director/Layout
Hanna-Barbera
Worked there over 21 years
Credits on Huckleberry Hound, Flintstones, Top Cat, Johnny Quest
Joe Barbera and Doug Fowley said Ken may have been the best at staying "on model" with the Quest characters.
SHT Director on Swat Kats
worked alot on Scooby Doo, Smurfs, Dino Boy, Space Ghost
Producer/Director of 2 different studios in Mexico City over 2 years
Filmation
Storyboard and animation on Lassie, Star Trek, He-Man & Bravestar
Gwen Wetzler, a very good director, used to give Ken the stock and difficult scenes on He-Man.
Clokey Productions
Storyboarding on Davey & Goliath
Animated stop-motion puppets for 18 months
Worked on documentary Joe's Heart for Reader's Digest
Warner Brothers
Animated Bugs & Daffy on intro to Gremlins 2, also the intro to Earth Day TV Special with Bugs & Tweety
Rainbow Productions
Directing on Book of Virtues, also post production evaluating and re-animating.
Teaching History
1985-86
Taught once a week evenings at Hanna-Barbera, basic animation.
1990
American Animation Institute
1994
Seminar at Glendale Animation Studios
1998
University of California, Fullerton
1999-2001
Summer Intensives at VanArts
2000
Effects Animation at Art Institute of Southern California, Laguna Beach
2001
Seminar at Detroit Center for Creative Studies
Alan Phillips also had a booth about six booths away; he must have watched me at work, as he invited me to come over and talk with him. So I did, and he wound up saying "Would you like to come up to VanArts and teach for a month?" WOULD I? ABSOLUTELY! I had been to Vancouver in 1997 at the behest of Julie Ferguson (The Wicked Witch of the North). I met Bob Godfrey there and Lee Mishkin, whom I hadn't seen since "Calvin and the Colonel." He designed the characters which were well-done, pleasing to the eye and easy to animate. The series didn't do too well, because, I think of black prejudice, misguided to be sure, as it was very funny.
I was born Sunday 10:55 AM on September 22, 1918 in Farnworth (a district of Bolton) in Lancashire, England...which means I'm still a British subject even though I'm an American citizen. Dual citizenship!
Generally had a happy childhood, some corporal punishment (in those days, that was how one brought up kids--less for girls, who usually need less anyway) but not too much. My older brother, Gordon, by nine years, encouraged me in drawing things. He had some drawing talent himself, but he realized that I was more gifted than he was. At age 10 I won a scholarship to the Chicago Art Institute, then also at 11. When I was 7 we moved to Hamilton, Ontario for a very severe winter.
The best project I ever worked on was Cinderella at Disney; I assisted Frank Thomas who was head of the Stepmother unit.
The worst project without doubt was The Man from Button Willow; producer spent all his money on a flashy neon sign for the studio and had nothing left over for production.
My favorite cartoon film is Snow White, with Fantasia a close second. Favorite live-action film Dead of Night with Double Indemnity close second.
As far as the future of animation, I think the best is yet to come, always remembering that the play's the thing. When I think of Disney's Dinosaur, all that wonderful technical talent wasted on an assinine story; dinosaurs talking like humans...really!!! I enjoy good science fiction and with the unlimited technical computer possibilities there should be some wonderful movies ahead. I think of Titanic where the wonderful computer effects carried a sappy story and bad casting through to an enjoyable picture. So, I'm very optimistic for both 2D and 3D animation.
Stories from the Disney studio...
Cy Young was an animator in the early days (before World War II) who dearly loved effects. He was of Chinese ancestry. (Editor's note: see Steve's History Bits for another little blurb on Cy Young.) He would give lessons about cartoon effects and end his talk with the admonishment--"Always study effects, even when you go to the bathroom, STUDY EFFECTS!" As he was talking to a male audience, that last phrase has been Bowdlerized.)
As a follow-up to that story, Ward Kimball, who as a top animator, had his own room, was gazing out the window one rainy day (it does rain in California), when the door opened behind him. After a suitable pause, he turned, and there was WALT! Never at a loss, Ward just said in a hearty voice, "Just studying effects, Walt, just studying effects!" I imagine Walt had a good laugh!
This story also concerns Ward, but needs some backgroud. There was a third Disney brother (this might have been a brother-in-law) who was not in the cartoon business, but had remained in Kansas City, until he could see that after Snow White it behooved him to get on board the bandwagon.
He moved to Burbank and got into the insurance business. (Perhaps he was already in it.) It took him very little time to realize that as he had access to the Disney lot, he had a captive audience and he proceeded to exploit the situation. In short order he made a pest of himself. Let's call him Harry; I don't know his real name...
One day Ward was in his room talked with Murray McClennan, another good animator, when Ward spotted Harry coming into the building; there was no escape as Harry would be in the center hallway and Ward's room was in one of the cross hallways. Ward said,"Murray, stall this guy! I know he's coming to see me; I'll duck in here while you get rid of him." "Here" was a good sized armoire with which most of the rooms were furnished. Ward was not a big man, and he slipped into the armoire with no trouble.
A quick knock and Harry came into the room, attache case at the ready..."Oh hi, Murray, I thought Ward would be here--"
Murray, who was not averse to a practical joke himself, was relishing the situation, and said to Harry, "Oh he's around here somewhere, sit down and I'll order some coffee."
In those glorious days if you were at the animation, layout or story etc level, you could order food or whatever from the cafeteria. So Murray talked to Harry for about 10 minutes, while Ward was killing himself trying not to laugh or make any noise.
Finally, Harry stood up saying,"Well, tell Ward I was here, sorry I missed him, I've got a great deal for him." and he departed.
Ward burst out, laughing wildly, as he could take a joke as well as most, and the story went into Disney lore.
