Emery Hawkins
Encyclopedia
Emery Hawkins was an American
animator
who worked at many studios during the golden age of animation, including Disney, Screen Gems
, Walter Lantz
, Warner Bros.
, and UPA
. His most famous work is undoubtedly the Woody Woodpecker
cartoons that he worked on during the 1940s. Along with Art Heinemann, Hawkins helped redesign Woody and made him more streamlined like most of the other cartoon characters being created at others studios during that time, he also worked animated with his peers Art Babbitt
and Ken Harris
on Richard Williams's unfinished animated feature The Thief and the Cobbler
. Hawkins developed Alzheimer's Disease
in his later years and was forced to retire, he died in 1989 at the age of 77.
Hawkins was known by many of his peers for the his speed in which he animated, completing scenes quite quickly but with perfection, Hawkins (along with Art Babbitt, Ken Harris and Grim Natwick
) is constantly mentioned in Richard Williams' book The Animator's Survival Kit
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
animator
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
who worked at many studios during the golden age of animation, including Disney, Screen Gems
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American movie production company and subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation....
, Walter Lantz
Walter Lantz
Walter Benjamin Lantz was an American cartoonist, animator, film producer, and director, best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker.-Early years and start in animation:...
, Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, and UPA
United Productions of America
United Productions of America, better known as UPA, was an American animation studio of the 1940s through present day, beginning with industrial films and World War II training films. In the late 1940s, UPA produced theatrical shorts for Columbia Pictures, most notably the Mr. Magoo series. In...
. His most famous work is undoubtedly the Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker is an animated cartoon character, an anthropomorphic acorn woodpecker who appeared in theatrical short films produced by the Walter Lantz animation studio and distributed by Universal Pictures...
cartoons that he worked on during the 1940s. Along with Art Heinemann, Hawkins helped redesign Woody and made him more streamlined like most of the other cartoon characters being created at others studios during that time, he also worked animated with his peers Art Babbitt
Art Babbitt
Arthur Harold Babitsky , better known as Art Babbitt, was an American animator, best known for his work at The Walt Disney Company. He received over 80 awards as animation director and animator, but is most famous for creating Goofy...
and Ken Harris
Ken Harris
Ken Harris was an American animator who worked for several film studios. He is widely considered as one of the master animators of his time....
on Richard Williams's unfinished animated feature The Thief and the Cobbler
The Thief and the Cobbler
The Thief and the Cobbler is an animated feature film, famous for its animation and its long, troubled history. The film was conceived by Canadian animator Richard Williams, who worked 28 years on the project. Beginning production in 1964, Williams intended The Thief and the Cobbler to be his...
. Hawkins developed Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
in his later years and was forced to retire, he died in 1989 at the age of 77.
Hawkins was known by many of his peers for the his speed in which he animated, completing scenes quite quickly but with perfection, Hawkins (along with Art Babbitt, Ken Harris and Grim Natwick
Grim Natwick
Myron "Grim" Natwick was an American artist, animator and film director. Natwick is best known for drawing the Fleischer Studio's most popular character, Betty Boop.-Background:...
) is constantly mentioned in Richard Williams' book The Animator's Survival Kit
The Animator's Survival Kit
The Animator's Survival Kit: A Manual of Methods, Principles, and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion, and Internet Animators is a book by award-winning animator and director Richard Williams about various aspects of animation...
.