David Pruiksma

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David "Dave" Pruiksma (born January 15, 1957) is an American Disney animator[1][2] best known for his work at The Walt Disney Company and occasionally other studios.

Early life and education[edit]

Pruiksma was born and raised in Falls Church, Virginia where he attended J.E.B. Stuart High School. He graduated in 1975.[3] He then studied art at the Pratt Institute in New York for two years.[3] He left to attend California Institute of the Arts where he received a degree in character animation in 1981.[3]

Career[edit]

Following graduation, Pruiksma was hired as an assistant animator at Disney and worked on the films The Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective, Oliver & Company, The Little Mermaid and The Rescuers Down Under. He rose to supervising animator and created the characters of Mrs. Potts and her son Chip in Beauty and the Beast. Other characters including The Sultan in Aladdin, Pumbaa in The Lion King, Flit and the Forest Animals in Pocahontas, Hugo and Victor in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Mrs. Wilhelmina Bertha Packard and Mister Fenton Q. Harcourt in Atlantis: The Lost Empire.

After completing working on 2001's Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Pruiksma left Disney because of his disenchantment with "Disney's greed-driven corporate structure."[3] He then worked freelance as an animation director and storyboard artist for the Cartoon Network series Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi. He also accepted a position teaching at the Laguna College of Art and Design (LCAD) from the animation department's former chair Dave Kuhn, who Pruiksma had trained at Disney.[3]

Pruiksma was a full-time faculty member at LCAD in Laguna Beach, California until his retirement in 2018.[4]

Filmography[edit]

Year Title Credits Characters Notes
1985 The Black Cauldron Assistant Animator
1986 The Great Mouse Detective Character Animator
1987 The Chipmunk Adventure Animator End Credited and Known as Dave Pruiksma
1988 Oliver & Company Character Animator End Credited and Known as Dave Pruiksma
1989 The Little Mermaid Character Animator
1990 The Rescuers Down Under Character Animator End Credited and Known as Dave Pruiksma
1991 Beauty and the Beast Supervising Animator Mrs. Potts and Chip Potts
1992 Aladdin Supervising Animator Sultan
1994 The Lion King Animator Pumbaa End Credited and Known as Dave Pruiksma
1995 Pocahontas Supervising Animator / Additional Story Development Artist Flit and Forest Animals End Credited and Known as Dave Pruiksma
1996 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Supervising Animator Hugo and Victor
2001 Atlantis: The Lost Empire Supervising Animator Mrs. Wilhelmina Bertha Packard and Mister Fenton Q. Harcourt End Credited and Known as Dave Pruiksma
2003 Captain Sturdy: The Originals (TV Short) Additional Animator End Credited and Known as Dave Pruiksma
2004-2005 One by One (Video short) Animator
Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi (TV Series) Story / Teleplay / Animation Director - 2 Episodes End Credited and Known as Dave Pruiksma
2009 Waking Sleeping Beauty (Documentary) Voice Himself
2013 A Little Hitch (Short) Voice Mother

References[edit]

  1. ^ Grant, John (1998-04-29). Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's animated characters. Hyperion Books. pp. 318–. ISBN 978-0-7868-6336-5. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  2. ^ Ebert, Roger (1997-06-01). Questions for the Movie Answer Man. Andrews McMeel Publishing. pp. 141–. ISBN 978-0-8362-2894-6. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e Walsh, Daniella (2 October 2012). "Drawing Inspiration: David Pruiksma". Laguna Beach Magazine.
  4. ^ "Dave Pruiksma". Faculty & Alumni. Laguna College of Art & Design. 2018.

External links[edit]