Today would've been the 50th birthday of Joe Ranft, the talented Disney/Pixar storyboard artist and occasional voice actor who brought us such memorable characters as Heimlich the caterpillar and Wheezy the Penguin. Ranft died almost five years ago in a car accident.
This week, some Disney staff members in Burbank who had known and worked with him came together to pay tribute. Below is short presentation—appropriately in animatic form—created by John Musker. It's a touching tribute to someone much loved by the animation community who was taken too soon.
