Longtime Disney Animator Dale Baer Passes Away at 70

Dale Baer, an animator for The Walt Disney Company, died on Friday at 70 years of age. His death was confirmed by fellow animator Clay Kaytis.

Baer had been a character animator for the company since the 1970s, his first project being 1973’s Robin Hood, which he worked on as an inbetweener. He was trained by members of the Nine Old Men, namely John Lounsbery and Eric Larson.

He continued to be active in the animation department throughout the rest of the 70s and 80s, working on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Rescuers, and The Black Cauldron.

In the mid-80s, he and his then wife opened up their own animation studio. Suitably called The Baer Animation Company, he and his artists did freelance work for both Disney and other studios. He played a part in the successful Disney Renaissance, as an animator for Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King.

Other films he worked on for Disney include Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Treasure Planet, and most recently, Moana.

Over his career, he won several awards including the Annie Award in 2001 and, most recently, the Winsor McCay Award in 2016. He also taught character animation at the esteemed CalArts.

His latest project was Bob’s Burgers: The Movie, which will be released later in 2021.

Here at The DisInsider, thoughts and prayers go out to his family including his wife Teddy, and his two daughers.