Top 10 Greatest Animators of All Time

1. Walt Disney

   

   Walter Elias Disney (December 5, 1901 to December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, and entrepreneur. He was a pioneer of the American animation industry and introduced several innovations in the production of cartoons. As a film producer, he holds the record for the most Academy Awards... read more

   I still have the Aladdin lunch pail. I am grateful to the maestro Walter Elias Disney for introducing animation rich in content across enlightening ages. Despite modes of video changing, the classics have heart to win one back again. And where no longer exists, they are still true from other modern-day animators.

   I should hope the best for his persona to return in any shape or format. Snow White, being among the first animations, is still the most resonant and heartfelt feature movie here. An excellent figure in the beautiful animation niche of subjects.

   It was he who made animation known, and he will always be remembered for his good old classics that were created during difficult moments.

   Had it not been for him, we wouldn't have seen colorful animated movies today. He was a perfectionist and showed what we can do with fantasy.

2. Hayao Miyazaki

   

   Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter, animator, author, and manga artist. He co-founded Studio Ghibli and directed many of its most acclaimed films, including Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Princess Mononoke. Miyazaki is widely regarded as one of the most influential... read more

   I'm not sure about all of his movies, but I know that almost all of the big-name ones were drawn and colored by hand. Yes, Miyazaki had a team help him, a team that he taught to draw exactly like he does. I'm not sure what is more impressive: making two-hour-and-forty-minute flip books or teaching other people to draw like yourself so that when you make one, no one can tell it is a flip book drawn by more than one person.

   What I do know is that any one of Miyazaki's works is worlds more impressive than Steamboat Mickey. If you ask why, my answer is the man made flip books that tell stories, stories filled with complex characters and plots with depth - both things Walt Disney lacked.

3. Matt Groening

   

   Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, animator, and voice actor. He is best known as the creator of the iconic television shows The Simpsons and Futurama. Groening also created the Netflix animated series Disenchantment, which premiered in 2018 and concluded in 2023... read more

   The Simpsons and Matt Groening are the best artists in the television category. The best part about The Simpsons is that it seems to evolve without issues over the span of 30 years since 1989. A heavyweight champion, true to the form of entertainment in unimaginable circumstances even to some of the middle class.

   Beautifully done series, and I hope The Simpsons continue to amaze. Great work, and the reason I favor it over Futurama is that it still has potential. There are more nice things to remember, even with some pitfalls every now and then. Family Guy is also too obscene, but the fact that it is most of the time is why The Simpsons return. Really interesting, I will not be certain what to expect with this!

4. Seth MacFarlane

   

   Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American television producer, filmmaker, actor, and singer. He is best known for his work in animation and comedy, including Family Guy, American Dad!, and The Cleveland Show, though he also works in live-action film and other genres. He has built a reputation for combining... read more

   Seth MacFarlane took what was mainly for children, save for The Simpsons, and took it to a new level, making cartoons something for adults too. While it can be said that his shows go too far and they're not necessarily award-worthy, it cannot be denied that the animation is top-notch.

   Watch the two-part episode of Family Guy with the Mansion mystery featuring James Woods, and you'll see that he brings it to a whole new level for simple television animation. He's definitely been a huge contributor to the field in the past two decades.

   American Dad is a good one. For some reason, despite being less popular, I find it better than Family Guy, which sometimes goes overboard in comparison. A job well done. A comedy gem that's not as obscene.

5. Will Hanna

   

   This is number 1, hands down! These guys created great cartoons such as The Huckleberry Hound Show, The Quick Draw McGraw Show, The Flintstones, The Yogi Bear Show, Top Cat, The Jetsons, The Magilla Gorilla Show, Jonny Quest, Space Ghost, Wacky Races, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, and The Smurfs.

   They eventually moved forward from those to new cartoon shows (Cartoon Cartoons) such as Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel, and The Powerpuff Girls.

   Space Ghost Coast to Coast is hard to forget. Well done, Will Hanna, a fine cartoon record, even more so noticing Space Ghost is a part of it all. A hint of comedy and there are some fine animations to see along with that. Pretty awesome!

6. John Lasseter

   

   John Alan Lasseter is an American animator, film director, producer, and screenwriter. He served as the chief creative officer at Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and DisneyToon Studios until his departure in 2018. Lasseter directed and produced several groundbreaking animated... read more

   He's one of the great animators ever. This man was born for animation. After his creation in Up and Toy Story, Pixar and Disney got new meaning to their respective positions.

   While he was involved in a scandal, I still appreciate his work and contributions.

   A great Disney and Pixar animator.

7. Tim Burton

   

   Timothy Walter Burton is an American film director, producer, artist, writer, and animator. He is known for his dark, gothic, eccentric, and quirky fantasy films such as Beetlejuice (1988), Edward Scissorhands (1990), the animated musical The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), and the biographical film... read more

   Tim Burton makes the whole animation a stunning art of stop-motion. In stop-motion animations, plots can get pretty dull, but Mr. Burton hopped over that wall. There is something to his work that makes it so mysterious and magical. It encourages us to crave more curiosity and uniqueness in our surroundings. One animation or movie from him just forms that kind of atmosphere. And that is something no animator can ever inherit.

   I like The Nightmare Before Christmas and that it is still alive. This guy is a huge star. Animation is rare here.

8. Chuck Jones

   

   I would say he's second to Walt. He did a lot of great Looney Tunes, including my #1 favorite short film, "One Froggy Evening." Still as funny as way back then.

   Even Seth MacFarlane would admit that Chuck Jones is better...

   The best known. Impossible not to laugh.

9. Tex Avery

   

   This was the guy who practically invented cartoon gags. He created Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Droopy the Basset Hound, among others.

   The king of cartoons, for sure, one of the makers of the Golden Age of Animation. Creator of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Droopy, Chilly Willy, and more. Easily my top ten people who changed animation.

   I'm surprised about the low ranking of arguably the inventor of edgy cartoon gags.

10. Trey Parker/Matt Stone

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Adam Katz

    The creator of Inanimate Insanity!

12. ?

    Vivienne Medrano

    
The Contenders

13. Akira Toriyama

    

14. Genndy Tartakovsky

    

    Genndy Tartakovsky is a Russian American animator, director, writer, and producer. He is widely known for creating the Cartoon Network animated series Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack, and Star Wars: Clone Wars. In 2011, he joined Sony Pictures Animation and directed Hotel Transylvania along with its... read more

    My favorite with Hayao Miyazaki. I think that he's more than a simple animator, he's an artist. Starting with Dexter's Lab and Powerpuff Girls, and creating a masterpiece such as Samurai Jack. Not everybody is chosen by a genius like George Lucas to make a mini-series in the middle of his biggest saga. Also, he participated in the artbooks for some action sequences of Iron Man 2, and his last job: Hotel Transylvania.

    Pretty good for a 10th place, huh?

    Genndy is part of the reason I got into drawing and minute animation (not saying his art style is minute, I'm saying mine is lol). My favorite cartoon this man ever created was Dexter's Laboratory for the simple fact that it helped me ignore the real world for those 10-20 minutes.

    My parents are owed personal gratitude because, without them, there'd be no chance whatsoever that I'd get the chance to experience his masterful animation. To Genndy Tartakovsky, I nod my 20-year-old head.

15. Ub Iwerks

    

    Ub stayed and helped Walt Disney through all the trouble in their business.

    Ub (a.k.a. "Ubbe") was Walt Disney's "pen-hand" and a profound innovator throughout his lifetime in the business.

16. Joe Barbera

    

    Joe Barbera was one half of Hanna-Barbera.

17. Friz Freleng

18. Don Bluth

    

    Donald Virgil Bluth, born September 13, 1937, is an American animator and filmmaker. He directed several well-known animated films including The Secret of NIMH (1982), An American Tail (1986), The Land Before Time (1988), All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989), Anastasia (1997), and Titan A.E. (2000). He was also... read more

    Don Bluth's animations have a distinct whimsical style to them, most evident in his not-so-successful box office films such as Thumbelina, which even as a child, I noticed had imagery beyond any other I've seen, and A Troll in Central Park.

    All Dogs Go to Heaven, which was more critically acclaimed than the two I previously mentioned, is equally as stunning. Of course, then there are his Steven Spielberg films, which did significantly well at the box office, such as An American Tail. When I watched this, my favorite part was the animation. I especially love Bluth's attention to detail. His movies are like magic. Everything seems to glide and has a destination to reach.

19. Mike Judge

    

    Michael Craig Judge (born October 17, 1962) is an American actor, voice actor, animator, writer, producer, director, and musician. He is best known as the creator of the animated series Beavis and Butt‑Head and King of the Hill. In addition, Judge directed the cult classic film Office Space and contributed... read more

    Creator of King of the Hill and Beavis and Butt-Head. Both are great shows and actually show character development, with humor following it.

20. Rollin "Ham" Hamilton

21. Nick Park

    The creator of one of the most original and funny animated series ever, his style and technique remain his and his only. As a major fan of stop-motion animation, I have no choice but to vote right here.

    Nobody does stop-motion animation quite like Nick Park and his Aardman studio. Creature Comforts, Morph, Chicken Run, and Wallace & Gromit came from here.

22. Masayuki Uchiyama

23. Isao Takahata

    

    Not quite as fantastic as Hayao Miyazaki, but still a very good director.

    His film Grave of the Fireflies was beautiful and heartbreaking.

24. Hugh Harman

25. Max Fleischer

    

    Max Fleischer devoted his entire life to animation more than anybody else.

    Most underrated animator, in my opinion. His style inspired everyone.

    This man was the reason Walt Disney got popular in the first place.

26. Tai’ichirō Ohara

27. Stephen Hillenburg

    

    Stephen McDannell Hillenburg was born on August 21, 1961. He was an American cartoonist, animator, director, producer, writer, voice actor, and marine biologist.

    He is best known for creating SpongeBob SquarePants, the popular animated series on Nickelodeon. Hillenburg also worked as a director... read more

    Dude, this guy is amazing. He's really underrated. He worked on Rocko's Modern Life and moved on to make one of the greatest and most popular cartoons of all time, SpongeBob, and has cool interests and inspirations.

    SpongeBob will forever be a classic cartoon.