William “Bud” Luckey, the creator of Boundin’ and the fifth animator hired at the Pixar Animation Studios, has sadly passed away at the age of 83. According to Bud’s Son, Andy (as noted by The Hollywood Reporter), he passed away Saturday (Feb 24) at his home in Newtown, Connecticut after an extended illness.
Although we never had a chance to meet or interact with Bud personally, you can tell from the outpouring of support and condolences from the artistic community that his humble and kind demeanor left a lasting impression on those he met.
In addition to his Directing/Writing/Narrating/Composing credit on the Oscar-nominated, Boundin’, those within the studio credit Bud with forming the final look of Woody from Toy Story.
Bud came to the Studio with years of hand-drawn animation and writing experience (most notably, Sesame Street) and went on to work as a Character Designer, Story Artist, Vocal Actor, and frankly, an inspiration to his co-workers. You may also know him as the gruff-toned voice of Rick Dicker (Incredibles) or Chuckles the Clown (Toy Story 3) – shown below.
Bud’s son, Andy, left a heartfelt message on Facebook announcing the news. After you read Andy’s note, watch a special feature from The Incredibles DVD release titled, “Who is Bud Luckey?” to get to know a little more about Bud and the impact he had on the studio. Rest in peace, Mr. Luckey, your art and influence will be missed.
With great sadness I announce the passing of my Dad: Bud Luckey. My Dad was best known for his work in animation (PIXAR/Disney/Sesame Street) and as a voice actor (Eeyore, Agent Rick Dicker, Chuckles the Clown et al.). He loved his work but got even greater satisfaction from seeing others enjoy it. He’ll be deeply missed by his friends, family and colleagues to whom he was just “Bud.” His kind and easy going demeanor led his PIXAR colleagues to dub him “Bud Low-Key.” He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. In lieu of flowers our family encourages donations to The California Institute of The Arts — Bud Luckey Scholarship Fund.
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