Cartoonist, Writer. One of Walt Disney's most talented artists and storymen, his career spanned over 70 years. With his creative partner, Dick Huemer, Grant wrote the original story for "Dumbo" (1941), and he collaborated on the scripts and character designs for "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937), "Pinocchio" (1940), "Fantasia" (1940), and the Oscar-winning short "Der Fuehrer's Face" (1942). Grant was born in New York City and studied at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles. After a stint as a newspaper cartoonist he joined the Walt Disney Studios in 1933 and became head of the Character Model Department, which developed projects that became many classic Disney films. In 1949, Grant left the studio to go into independent business, but 40 years later he was invited back as a consultant for "Beauty and the Beast" (1991). He was soon working for Disney full-time again, with a new generation of artists, contributing ideas for "Aladdin" (1992), "The Lion King" (1994), "Pocahontas" (1995), "Hercules" (1997), and "Fantasia/2000" (2000). Grant also worked on Pixar's "Monsters, Inc." (2001), and gave that film its title. His last completed film, the Oscar-nominated short "Lorenzo" (2004), was based on a story he'd written in the 1940's about an obnoxious cat whose tail acquires a life of its own. Grant died at his home in Glendale, California. He had been working at the Disney Studio in Burbank the day before.
Cartoonist, Writer. One of Walt Disney's most talented artists and storymen, his career spanned over 70 years. With his creative partner, Dick Huemer, Grant wrote the original story for "Dumbo" (1941), and he collaborated on the scripts and character designs for "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937), "Pinocchio" (1940), "Fantasia" (1940), and the Oscar-winning short "Der Fuehrer's Face" (1942). Grant was born in New York City and studied at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles. After a stint as a newspaper cartoonist he joined the Walt Disney Studios in 1933 and became head of the Character Model Department, which developed projects that became many classic Disney films. In 1949, Grant left the studio to go into independent business, but 40 years later he was invited back as a consultant for "Beauty and the Beast" (1991). He was soon working for Disney full-time again, with a new generation of artists, contributing ideas for "Aladdin" (1992), "The Lion King" (1994), "Pocahontas" (1995), "Hercules" (1997), and "Fantasia/2000" (2000). Grant also worked on Pixar's "Monsters, Inc." (2001), and gave that film its title. His last completed film, the Oscar-nominated short "Lorenzo" (2004), was based on a story he'd written in the 1940's about an obnoxious cat whose tail acquires a life of its own. Grant died at his home in Glendale, California. He had been working at the Disney Studio in Burbank the day before.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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