PSA: when I posted this I was unaware of the overnight attacks. I want to be clear that me talking about any sort of war was not tied to any predictive or political stance I may have. My heart is with everyone now, regardless of their beliefs, cultures, pantheons, and anything else some choose to wield to divide us. We cannot be divided by any means. We are all in this together whether we want to admit that or not. As I’ve said before, self-serving dictators divide and conquer, and beloved leaders unite and unify.
This video follows the historical battle between the House of Mouse and Don Bluth, an ex-Disney animator who struck out on his own in 1979 after working for Disney since 1955. What a way to celebrate his 42nd birthday! He decided to go with his gut instincts and pave a path all his own. Bluth’s animation style was visceral, and he did not embrace Disney’s known methods in cutting corners in order to cut production costs. Bluth later went on to offer the first profit-sharing venture to his 160 animators who brought The Secret of NIMH to life.
Bluth is known as a true OG animation rebel, and in that vein he brought his spirit to his films and video games alike. His company, Don Bluth Entertainment, formerly Don Bluth Productions, was well-known and received accolades for his studio’s contributions to animated films. During the 1980s they battled it out with Disney with their cherished films The Secret of NIMH, An American Tail, The Land Before Time, All Dogs Go to Heaven, Thumbelina, Anastasia, and Titan A.E. Bluth’s video games Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace rocked my world.
One of my fondest memories was in 1983 once I had mastered Dragon’s Lair. For just 50 cents I’d embark on a 30-minute adventure surrounded by twenty onlookers cheering me on at every move. Once I became a Dad my daughter and I played Dragon’s Lair on my iPhone 5S. That was my most celebrated playing the game watching the excitement build in her eyes as we chased down the game’s baddies and eventually arrived in the dragon’s lair, grabbing the magic sword, slaying Singe, and rescuing Princess Daphne.