I was listening to an interview with Disney Imagineer Blaine Gibson.  Blaine was an artist who sculpted most of the audio animatronic figures in Disneyland, for attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, the Enchanted Tiki Room, It’s a Small World, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, and Walt Disney World’s Hall of Presidents.

Blaine was hired by the Disney Studios in 1939 as an assistant animator, a job that he loved. But he thought he was too late to become a top animator, because the lead animators had already taken their spots.

But Walt Disney saw and recognized Blaine’s talent as a sculptor, and wanted him to join the team designing Disneyland.  Blaine is even seen in clips from the ‘Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color’ TV shows in the 1960s, where Walt is showing off new attractions for Disneyland, like Pirates of the Caribbean.

Blaine thought he arrived too late at the Disney Studio to become a top animator, but he ended up finding his very special niche with his sculptures of audio animatronic figures in Disneyland and Walt Disney World.