Not Comics: Ollie Johnston, Last of Disney’s “Nine Old Men,” Passes Away

Mark Evanier and Jim Hill note the passing of the esteemed Disney character animator Ollie Johnston. Johnston was the last of the living "Nine Old Men" named by Walt Disney and then more widely recognized as a foundational aspect of the Disney company's rise to entertainment and cultural dominance in the 20th Century.

One of the things that will likely be lost as we climb further into the 21st Century is how much Disney's success story had an impact on all entertainment media in the previous 100-year set, and its particular influence over comics. Not only did Disney drive trends and sell comics of their own, the company and its founder and it prime movers were collectively the city on the hill for anyone with ambition of even minor mogul-hood or a successful career in the popular arts. Certainly the group of men that included Johnston were a contributing myth to the idea of men-behind-the-works and the notion of esteemed craftsmen working behind a velvet curtain, which at one time was a notion to which very few paid attention.
 
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