Ralph Eggleston
{{Use American English|date=September 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Short description|American animator (1965–2022)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ralph Eggleston
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1965|10|18}}
| birth_place = Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|8|28|1965|10|18}}
| death_place = San Rafael, California, U.S.
| education =
| alma_mater =
| employer = Pixar Animation Studios (1992–2022)
| years_active = 1983–2022
| occupation = Comic artist, illustrator, animator, art director, storyboard artist, production designer
| notable_works = {{Plainlist|
}}
}}
Ralph Eggleston (October 18, 1965 – August 28, 2022) was an American animator, art director, storyboard artist, and production designer at Pixar Animation Studios.{{Cite web |title=Oscar-Winning Disney/Pixar Artist Ralph Eggleston Dies of Pancreatic Cancer |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2022/08/oscar-winning-animator-ralph-eggleston-dies-of-pancreatic-cancer/ |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=Animation Magazine}}{{Cite web |title=Oscar Winning ‘For the Birds’ Director Ralph Eggleston Dies at 56 |url=https://www.awn.com/news/oscar-winning-birds-director-ralph-eggleston-dies-56 |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=Animation World Network |language=en}} He won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for For the Birds.{{cite web |title=2002 {{!}} Oscars.org {{!}} Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2002 |website=Oscars.org |access-date=1 January 2023 }}
Biography
Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Eggleston graduated from the California Institute of the Arts before beginning his career as an animator in 1983.{{cite book|pages=76–77|chapter=Eggleston, Ralph|title=Who's who in Animated Cartoons: An International Guide to Film & Television's Award-winning and Legendary Animators|author=Jeff Lenburg|year=2006|publisher=Applause Theatre & Cinema Books|isbn=9781557836717|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FVShFCjVzvIC&dq=Ralph+Eggleston+Family+Dog&pg=PA77}} His first significant contribution was as the chief animator for the 1987 episode Family Dog for Steven Spielberg's anthology series Amazing Stories. Following this project he worked as an animator for Kroyer Films on numerous projects for television and film in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including serving as art director for the 1992 film FernGully: The Last Rainforest. He also worked as an animator on several projects with Walt Disney Animation Studios, including the films Aladdin (1992), The Lion King (1994), and Pocahontas (1995).{{cite news |date=August 29, 2022 |first=Carson |last=Burton |url=https://variety.com/2022/film/news/ralph-eggleston-dead-pixar-1235353630/ |title=Ralph Eggleston, Pixar Animator Behind 'For the Birds' and 'Toy Story,' Dies at 56 |work=Variety |access-date=December 1, 2022 }}
Eggleston began his career at Pixar in 1992, hired during the development of Toy Story, his work on which won him the Annie Award for Best Art Direction. He wrote and directed the Oscar-winning Pixar short film For the Birds.{{Cite web |date=April 13, 2016 |author=Mia Galuppo |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pixars-ralph-eggleston-continued-importance-882071 |title=Pixar's Ralph Eggleston on the Continued Importance of "Rough Sketch" |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=December 1, 2022 }} He worked as Production Designer on the film Inside Out for six years;{{Cite web |url=https://www.awn.com/animationworld/ralph-eggleston-talks-inside-out |title=Ralph Eggleston Talks 'Inside Out'|website=Animation World Network |access-date=December 11, 2018 }} this film received the Annie Award for Best Production Design.{{Cite web |url=https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/main-event/knights/ralph-eggleston |title=Ralph Eggleston |website=www.trojan-unicorn.com |access-date=December 11, 2018}}
Death
After a prolonged illness, Eggleston died on August 28, 2022, at the age of 56, from a colorectal infection caused by a pancreatic tumor.{{Cite news |last=Amidi |first=Amid |author-link=Amid Amidi |date=August 29, 2022 |title=Ralph Eggleston, a Cornerstone of Pixar's Visual Style, Dies at 56 |work=Cartoon Brew |url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/rip/ralph-eggleston-a-cornerstone-of-pixars-visual-style-dies-at-56-220781.html |access-date=August 30, 2022}} Elemental was dedicated to his memory, along with Thomas Gonzales, Amber Martorelli, and J. Garrett Sheldrew.{{cite web |last1=Sohn |first1=Peter |title=Elemental Advance Notes-Credits |url=https://assets.gettyimages.com/bf-boulder-whitelabelbucket-getty-prod/rw3nfp9798sq8kx3ns8p7gr5/v/1102206595/original/ELEMENTAL%20Advance%20Notes-Credits%2005-23-23.pdf |website=Getty Images |access-date=8 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920112530/https://assets.gettyimages.com/bf-boulder-whitelabelbucket-getty-prod/rw3nfp9798sq8kx3ns8p7gr5/v/1102206595/original/ELEMENTAL%20Advance%20Notes-Credits%2005-23-23.pdf |archive-date=20 September 2023 |page=11 |language=English |date=23 May 2023 |url-status=dead}} As a tribute to Eggleston, a sign reading "Eat at Ralph's - Two cents" can be seen in Element City.{{Cite magazine |date=June 14, 2023 |title=Elemental includes Easter egg tribute to late Pixar animator |url= https://ew.com/movies/elemental-easter-egg-ralph-eggleston-tribute/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |language=en-US |access-date=August 29, 2023}} Another tribute to Eggleston can be seen in Inside Out 2 as one of the artists for Anxiety, number 87, was designed to be a caricature of him.{{cite web|url=https://www.disneyguy.org/single-post/inside-out-2-fun-facts-and-easter-eggs |title=Inside Out 2 Fun Facts and Easter Eggs |last1=Shaffer |first1=Joshua |date=18 June 2024 |work=Discovering The Magic Kingdom |access-date=18 June 2024}}
Filmography
- FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992) (art director, animator)
- Aladdin (1992) (animator)
- The Lion King (1994) (animator)
- Pocahontas (1995) (animator)
- Toy Story (1995) (art director)
- A Bug's Life (1998) (art director)
- Toy Story 2 (1999) (art director)
- Fantasia 2000 (1999) (production designer)
- For the Birds (2000) (writer, director)
- Monsters, Inc. (2001) (storywriter/visual development)
- Finding Nemo (2003) (production designer)
- The Incredibles (2004) (art director)
- Cars (2006) (art director)
- Ratatouille (2007) (character designer)
- WALL-E (2008) (production designer)
- Up (2009) (character art director)
- The Princess and the Frog (2009) (additional story material)
- Cars 2 (2011) (development artist)
- Inside Out (2015) (production designer)
- Riley's First Date? (2015) (production designer)
- Finding Dory (2016) (special thanks)
- Incredibles 2 (2018) (production designer)
- Soul (2020) (development artist)
- Elemental (2023) (dedication)
- Inside Out 2 (2024) (visual development artist; posthumous release)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0250995}}
- [http://splinedoctors.blogspot.com/2006/04/ralph-eggleston-interview.html Audio interview with Eggleston (04/06)]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20061205095628/http://redstudio.moma.org/interviews/behind/ Teen's interview Ralph Eggleston]
- [http://clockroom.blogspot.com/2006/02/ken-bruce-and-ralph-eggleston.html "Ken Breuce and Ralph Eggleston notes from CalArts Character Animation lecture"]
- [http://www.animatedbuzz.com/journal/05-06/02.html#Anchor-Feb-9614 Feb-3-2006:Pixar visit #3 Ralph Eggelston and Ken Bruce]
- [http://www.fromscripttodvd.com/ralph_eggleston.htm From script to DVD interview]
- [http://www.animationartconservation.com/design-with-a-purpose%2c-page-one.html Design with a Purpose, Interview with Ralph Eggleston AD of Wall-E.]
{{Winsor McCay Award 2010s}}
{{Annie Award for Production Design in a Feature Production}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eggleston, Ralph}}
Category:American art directors
Category:American production designers
Category:American storyboard artists
Category:Animators from Louisiana
Category:Artists from Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Category:California Institute of the Arts alumni
Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer in California
Category:Directors of Best Animated Short Academy Award winners