Deviantart has got a meme going around. I don't usually do these but this one was to interesting. I did decided to go for a slightly different tack however. Instead of just naming companies or movies etc I wanted to name each person and why they influenced me. Of course at the time I probably didn't know that these people were influencing me, and I found out in later life.1. Walt Disney, I couldn't start this without putting him in. He is the reason I drew at all and if I could accomplice a fraction of what he did it would be a life well led.
2. Stephen Hillenburg, the man who gave the world Spongebob and a testimony that you can have a show all about character.
3. Shinguru Miyamoto, the man who created Mario and gave me my favourite videogames.
4. Stan Lee, if I could have his level of enthusiasm when I'm his age, I would be immensely happy.
5. Akira Toriyama, the first manga I ever read was Dragonball.
6. John Romita Snr, the author of how to draw the marvel way, a book that really helped me how to draw.
7. William Hanna and Joe Barbera, inspirations in how to grasp an opportunity and make it your own.
8. Bruce Timm, forever changed the way I saw and drew superheroes.
9. Jeff Smith, author of Bone, the best comic ever.
10. Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets and a inspiration in how just to live your life.
11. Craig McCracken, created some of my favourite shows and gave me hope that someday I could create my own show.
12. Charles Schulz, whose comic strip Peanuts started my love of comics.
13. Freddie Moore, the man who redesigned Mickey Mouse and who drew the cutest girls in existence.
14. John Sullivan, writer of Only Fools and Horses that started my love of comedy.
15. Scottie Young, when I first saw his art it blew me away.
16. John Romita Jnr, the artist responsible for me picking up my first comic.
17. Bob Clampett, pure insanity on the screen.
18. John Lasseter and Brad Bird, Toy Story and The Incredibles simply blew me away.
19. Chris Sanders, Lilo and Stitch is one of those movies that certified in me that animation is what I want to do.
20. The nine old men, I shouldn't have to name them but I will, Les Clark, Marc Davis, Ollie Johnston, Frank Thomas, Milt Kahl, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, John Lounsbery and Wollie Reitherman, created animation and forever changed my life.
21. Stephen Silver, I love these mans designs and he also gives me hope that an englishman can make it in Hollywood.
22. Eric Goldberg, after I saw the genie I knew I wanted to animate just like him.
23. Glen Keane, the master of his craft I bow to his skills.
24. Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng, my two favourite Warners directors.
25. Mark Henn, the man who animated Mickey in a Christmas Carol and variety of Disney princesses, I would love to talk to him.
26. Richard Williams, the author of The Animators Survival Kit, my tome.
27. Andreas Deja, I would love to talk to him too.
28. Ron Clements and John Musker, the men responsible for some of my favourite Disney Films.
I would loved to have put more on here, Doug Tennapel, Tite Kubo, Bill Watterson, Gennedy Tarvakovsky, Will Finn, Tom Bancroft and Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante Dimartino for example but I ran out of space. Sorry.
