Floyd Norman is a legend. Any young black child that has ever dreamed of a life in animation has probably heard his name. His credits in the business are long and illustrious. The projects that he contributed to are a huge chunk of my childhood exposure to animation.
His work includes The Jungle Book, Sleeping Beauty, The Sword in the Stone, and Robin Hood just to name a few. Disney films like these were huge influences on me, and many of us during our most formative years. Norman was a part of them all. He was lucky enough to learn early in life what his passion was and he pursued it all through high school.
But his first time meeting with Disney wasn’t an immediate victory.
After showing them his portfolio, Norman was advised to get more training. He attended the Art Center College of Design and two years later the call finally came.
Disney isn’t Mr. Norman’s only claim to fame, either. After the passing of Walt Disney, he branched out on his own. He founded AfroKids Animation Studio – which birthed the first Fat Albert television special ever. He returned to Disney to work on more projects several years after. And to this day, Norman is still a freelance consultant for both Disney and Pixar.
Now, his story is coming to life. Floyd Norman: An Animated Life will be released in select theaters, On Demand, and digitally on August 26th, 2016.
As a child directly influenced by this amazing man, it feels great knowing that his work will be preserved forever. Floyd Norman’s legacy will live in the hearts of those affected by his art, like me, and on film for others to learn about his passion. We have filmmakers Michael Fiore and Erik Sharkey to thank.
Let me know what you think in the comments, because I read and reply to all of them. Hit the share button and tag a friend who needs to see this.
