Dick Huemer

Richard Huemer (January 2, 1898 – November 30, 1979) was an American animator in the Golden Age of Animation.

While as an artist-illustrator living in the Bronx, New York City, Huemer first began his career in animation at the Raoul Barré cartoon studio in 1916.

He joined the Fleischer Studio in 1923 where he developed the Koko the Clown character.

He redesigned the "Clown" for more efficient animation production and moved the Fleischer's away from their dependency upon the Rotoscope for fluid animation.

Huemer created Ko-Ko's canine companion, Fitz.

Most importantly, Huemer set the drawing style that gave the series its distinctive look.

Later he moved to Hollywood and worked as an animator and director for the Charles Mintz studio creating the character Scrappy.

Huemer was at the Disney organization from April 16, 1933, to February 28, 1973.

He subsequently moved to the Disney Studio, where he remained for the duration of his career, except for a three-year hiatus from 1948–51 when he pioneered animated TV commercials and created with Paul Murry The Adventures of Buck O'Rue comic strip.

Some of Huemer's most creative work was done in partnership with Joe Grant; examples include Fantasia (story director), Dumbo (screenplay), and several propaganda films to advance the U.S. war effort during World War II.

Atypically, Huemer and Grant submitted Dumbo to Walt Disney not as a completed storyboard, but as a series of storyboard "chapters," each ending in a cliffhanger.

This was intended to pique Disney's enthusiasm for the project, and it worked.

Huemer was given a Mousecar by the Disney Studio in February 1973 at a ceremony attended by a number of his peers.

He accepted the Winsor McCay Award at the Annie Awards in October 1978 and was introduced by Ward Kimball.

On October 10, 2007, Huemer's son Dr. Richard P. Huemer accepted the Disney Legends award that was given in his father's name.

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