I know my legions of readers have been breathlessly waiting for a new
dispatch from blogland.
That said, I wanted to take some time to honor the memory of Joe Ranft
of Pixar Animation Studios, who died in a car accident last Tuesday.
I didn't know Joe, but I was certainly touched by his work. Joe was
the head of Pixar's story department. And at Pixar, story comes first.
I am a huge fan of Pixar's work. I became interested in computer
animation after seeing one of their early short films, and followed
their progress as they evolved from being creators of landmark computer
animation software (Renderman) to a full fledged animation studio,
delivering one memorable film after another.
Joe was one of the their chief storyboard artists. When we watch these
amazing films, we're seeing his visions. We were seeing the worlds
of Buzz and Woody, and Princess Atta and Flick through Joe's eyes.
He also shared co-writing credits on "Toy Story" and "A Bug's Life",
as well as "The Lion King" and other Disney films. Not only that,
but Joe voiced some of the most beloved of the Pixar characters,
including Wheezy, the asthmatic penguin of "Toy Story 2", and Heimlich
the caterpillar from "A Bug's Life".
That life could have so cruelly been taken from this amazingly
talented person in his prime, leaving behind a wife and two young
children, is to me, one of those Marge Gunderson "I just don't
understand it" moments. It hurts to think about it. I didn't know
you, Joe, but I am certain that I will miss you. Peace to you,
my brother.
Wheezy
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