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Glen Keane is a featured article, which means it has been identified as one of the best articles produced by the Disney Wiki community. If you see a way this page can be updated or improved without compromising previous work, please feel free to contribute.

Glen Keane is one of Disney's longest-serving lead character animators. He is the son of Bil Keane, the creator and artist of the popular newspaper comic strip Family Circus. The character of "Billy" in the comic is based on both Glen and his older brother, Chris. Glen is the father of visual development artist Claire Keane. He joined Disney in 1974. On March 23, 2012, Glen Keane announced his resignation from Walt Disney Animation Studios after a career there spanning nearly 40 years.

Early life[]

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Glen Keane was born in Abington, Pennsylvania on April 13, 1954, to Bill Keane and Thelma Keane. He is the middle of five children. At age five, Keane and his family moved to Paradise Valley, Arizona, where he was raised.

Keane developed an interest in art as a child while observing his father's cartooning work. His interest in art held throughout his high school years, driving his decision in choosing a college art career over a football scholarship. After high school, Keane submitted his portfolio to the California Institute of the Arts and was accepted into the School of Film Graphics by mistake. In order to attend the institute, Keane stayed in Film Graphics; he eventually thrived in it.

During Keane's time at the California Institute of the Arts, Disney artists, such as Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, two of Disney's senior Nine Old Men, visited the institute. Inspired by the visiting artists work, Keane made the decision to apply to Walt Disney Studios. His portfolio was reviewed by another of Disney's Nine Old Men, Eric Larson. In September of 1974, after receiving some helpful pointers and turning in another portfolio, Keane was accepted into the program. He continued his mentorship with Larson and trained with other Disney artists. Around that time, in August of 1975, Keane married Linda Hesselroth.

In a presentation ceremony at the 2013 D23 Expo, Keane was officially inducted as a Disney Legend.[1]

In March 2018 until September 2018, The Walt Disney Family Museum opened the one man exhibition: Make Believe: The World of Glen Keane.[2]

Disney filmography credits[]

Year Film Position
1977 The Rescuers Character Animator: Bernard/Miss Bianca/Penny
1977 Pete's Dragon Character Animator: Elliott
1981 The Fox and the Hound Supervising Animator: Tod, Vixey, Mr. Digger, Porcupine and The Bear
1983 Mickey's Christmas Carol Animator: Willie the Giant, Scrooge McDuck, Goofy
1985 The Black Cauldron Animator: Eilonwy/Gurgi/Hen Wen
1986 The Great Mouse Detective Supervising Animator: Ratigan/Fidget/Bartholomew
1988 Oliver & Company Supervising Animator: Bill Sykes/Georgette/Fagin/Jenny Foxworth
1989 The Little Mermaid Supervising Animator: Ariel
1990 The Rescuers Down Under Supervising Animator: Marahute/Cody/Bernard/Miss Bianca
1991 Beauty and the Beast Supervising Animator: Beast
1992 Aladdin Supervising Animator: Aladdin
1995 Pocahontas Supervising Animator: Pocahontas
1999 Tarzan Supervising Animator: Tarzan
2002 Treasure Planet Supervising Animator: John Silver/Captain Amelia/Scroop
2010 Tangled Directing Animator: Rapunzel, Executive Producer, Animation Supervisor, Character Designer
2012 Wreck-It Ralph Additional Visual Development

Gallery[]

References[]

External links[]


v - e - d
Walt Disney Animation Studios - Transparent Logo
1920s—1970s
Disney's Nine Old Men: Milt KahlFrank ThomasOllie JohnstonLes ClarkJohn LounsberyMarc DavisWard KimballEric LarsonWolfgang Reitherman

Animators: Bill TytlaArt BabbittLee BlairPreston BlairFred MooreShamus CulhaneCy YoungDon LuskNorman FergusonHal KingJack HannahDick KinneyHal AmbroKen O'BrienJudge WhitakerBill JusticeDon BluthGary GoldmanCharles A. NicholsBlaine GibsonJohn EwingWalt StanchfieldRolly CrumpFred HellmichAmby PaliwodaWilfred JacksonXavier AtencioBen SharpsteenEarl HurdDale OliverEric CleworthDavid HandFred SpencerJulius SvendsenJack BradburyKenneth MuseRudolf IsingHugh HarmanFriz FrelengWalt KellyLeo SalkinJohn DehnerRetta ScottDavid SwiftMel ShawJack CuttingGrant SimmonsArt StevensFrank TashlinWathel RogersTyrus WongJohnny Cannon
Visual Development, Layout, Background Artists and Character Designers: Gustaf TenggrenMary BlairMarjorie RalstonLillian BoundsJoe GrantMel ShawClaude CoatsDon DaGradiJohn HenchEyvind EarleKen O'ConnorThor PutnamAlbert HurterJohn HubleyHerbert RymanDon GriffithBasil DavidovichJack BoydPeter EllenshawRuthie TompsonEarl DuvallRetta DavidsonUb IwerksVance GerryHazel SewellJames BodreroLance NolleyGrace BaileyMaurice NobleDale BarnhartAndy EngmanEustace LycettJohn EmersonJoe Hale
Storyboard Artists and Writers: Bill PeetRalph WrightDick HuemerFloyd NormanYale GraceyTed SearsErdman PennerJoe RinaldiWinston HiblerOtto EnglanderWilliam CottrellBill BergAl BertinoT. HeeHomer BrightmanTed OsbourneLarry ClemmonsHarry ReevesJesse MarshChuck CouchWebb SmithDick Sebast
Directors: Clyde GeronimiHamilton LuskeJack KinneyTed BermanRichard RichGeorge ScribnerRiley ThomsonDick LundyJack KingBurt GillettJames AlgarBill RobertsLarry Lansburgh
Producers: Walt DisneyRon MillerKen AndersonDon DuckwallPerce PearceMargaret J. Winkler

1980s—present
Renaissance Directors: Rob MinkoffRoger AllersGary TrousdaleKirk WiseChris SandersMark DindalJohn Musker

Story Trust Directors: Ron ClementsChris BuckByron HowardDon HallChris WilliamsRich MooreStephen J. AndersonNathan GrenoFawn Veerasunthorn
Producers: Peter Del VechoClark SpencerRoy ConliDorothy McKimDon HahnShane Morris
Chief Creative Officer: Jennifer Lee
Associated Figures: Bob IgerRoy Edward DisneyMichael EisnerJohn LasseterEd CatmullJeffrey KatzenbergBob Chapek
Signature Voice Actors: Jim CummingsAlan TudykKatie LowesJohn DiMaggioMaurice LaMarcheJodi BensonDavid Ogden StiersJesse CortiPaul BriggsRaymond S. PersiPhil JohnstonFrank WelkerBill FarmerBrian Cummings
Signature Musicians: Robert B. Sherman Richard M. Sherman Alan Menken Kristen Anderson-Lopez Robert LopezLin-Manuel MirandaHoward AshmanTim RicePhil CollinsStephen SchwartzMarc ShaimanDanny Troob
Supervising Animators: Glen KeaneAndreas DejaEric GoldbergMark HennJohn PomeroyRandy HaycockDale BaerTony BancroftTom BancroftTony FucileAnthony DeRosaRuss EdmondsRandy HaycockBruce W. SmithDuncan MarjoribanksRuben AquinoNik RanieriRon HusbandRick FarmiloeTom SitoTony AnselmoWill FinnKathy Zielinski
Visual Development & Storyboard Artists: Dean DeBloisClaire KeaneBrittney LeeJin KimShiyoon KimRyan Green

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