Acclaimed Animators Celebrate Work and Teachings of Disney's Legendary Walt Stanchfield at Comic-Con International

Panel to Discuss Inspirational Principles of Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes

EMERYVILLE, Calif., June 23 /PRNewswire/ -- AnimationMentor.com (Animation Mentor) and Don Hahn of The Walt Disney Studios announce an inspiring panel discussion at Comic-Con International with acclaimed animators about the life and influence of Disney mentor, teacher, and artist Walt Stanchfield. Open to animators and animation enthusiasts alike, the panel discussion celebrates the launch of the new book, Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes, the complete series of animation lectures by Walt Stanchfield.

"Walt Stanchfield has contributed so much to the animation industry through his incredible body of work and the mentorship of a generation of phenomenal animators," said Bobby Beck, chief executive officer and cofounder of Animation Mentor. "This panel is an amazing opportunity to hear the best animators of our time talk about the influence Walt had on their life and work as well as share insightful lessons that are highlighted in the book, Drawn to Life."

About the Comic-Con International Panel

Date: Thursday, July 23

Time: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Location: Room 32AB, San Diego Convention Center

For more information about Comic-Con International, visit http://www.comic-con.org/cci/

Moderator

Don Hahn, The Walt Disney Studios

Don Hahn is a two-time Academy Award nominee and film producer responsible for producing some of the most successful Walt Disney Animated films of the past 20 years, including Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King.

Panelists

Glen Keane, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Glen Keane is an animator, author, illustrator and director. He is currently executive producer and animation director for Disney's Rapunzel. Keane is best known for his character animation in Disney classics, including The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and Tarzan.

Eric Goldberg, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Eric Goldberg is an animator and film director who is currently supervising animator for Disney's upcoming 2D feature The Princess and the Frog. Creator of Aladdin's Genie, he was the supervising animator for Phil in Hercules and co-director of Pocahontas. Goldberg is also the author of the book Character Animation Crash Course.

Tom Sito, Professor and Animator

Tom Sito is a 30-year veteran of animated film production. He divides his time as a professional animator and adjunct professor of animation at University of California Los Angeles and University of Southern California and lecturing on animation.

Ruben Procopio, Masked Avenger Studios

Ruben Procopio began his animation career at Disney at age 18, where he trained under Eric Larson, one of Disney's legendary "Nine Old Men". His film credits include The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King. In 2003, Procopio founded Masked Avenger Studios, which provides sculpture, design, comics and animation services.

About Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes

Published for the first time, Drawn to Life is a two-volume collection of the legendary lectures from longtime Disney animator Walt Stanchfield. For over 20 years, Walt helped breathe life into the new golden age of animation with these teachings at the Walt Disney Animation Studios and influenced such talented artists as Tim Burton, Brad Bird, Glen Keane, and John Lasseter. This book represents the quintessential refresher for fine artists and film professionals, and is a vital tutorial for students who are now poised to be part of another new generation in the art form.

About Animation Mentor (AnimationMentor.com)

Animation Mentor is a state-of-the-art online animation program teaching students the skills needed to learn to animate like a professional animator in the studio environment. Focused 100% on character animation, the 18-month animation program is designed and taught by some of the industry's top professional animators from top studios. Different than an animation university, Animation Mentor's online campus environment provides students around the world with a convenient, flexible, and accessible learning environment 24 hours a day, seven days a week. By graduation, every student will have worked in a production-style environment with mentors who are working studio animators. Students learn how to accept guidance and criticism, to meet deadlines and to budget and schedule their time to succeed in a career in animation. The animation courses lead students to a diploma in Advanced Studies in Character Animation and are built with a focus on production studio skills, allowing students to get comfortable with the many challenges and opportunities they will experience when working in an animation career. Upon graduation, Animation Mentor coaches graduates and connects them to job opportunities with major recruiters, video game companies, and film studios. For more information, visit http://www.AnimationMentor.com.