Top 10 Greatest Animators of All Time

The Top Ten
1 Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film producer, he holds the record for most Academy Awards earned... read more

Still got the Aladdin lunch pail. Am grateful 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. Should hope the best for the persona return in any shape or format in this opinion. Snow White being among the first animations is still the most resonant and heartfelt feature movie than most here as well. An excellent figure in beautiful animation niche of subjects.

2 Hayao Miyazaki Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter, animator, author, and manga artist.

I'm not sure about all of his movies but I know that almost all of the big name one's 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 anyone of Miyazaki's works is worlds more impressive than Steamboat Micky. If you ask why, my answer is the man made flip books that tell stories, stories filled with complex characters and plot with depth, both things Walt Disney lacked.

3 Matt Groening Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, animator, and voice actor best known for creating the famous television shows, The Simpsons and Futurama.

The Simpsons and Matt Groening are the best artists in the television category. The best part about the Simpsons is it seems to evolve without issues over the span of 30 years since 1989, A heavy weight champion and true to the form of entertainment in unimaginable circumstances to even some of the middle class. Beautifully done series and hope the Simpsons continue to amaze. Great work and the reason am in its favor instead of Futurama is it still has potential plus there are more nice things to remember even with some pitfalls every now and then. Family Guy is also too obscene but the fact it is most of the time is why the Simpsons return. Real interesting, will not be certain what to expect with this!

4 Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American television producer, filmmaker, actor, and singer, working primarily in animation and comedy, as well as live-action and other genres.

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 a huge contributor to the field in the past two decades

5 Will Hanna

This is number 1 hands down! These guy 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 is some fine animations to see a long with that. Pretty awesome!

6 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 Beetle-juice (1988), Edward Scissor-hands (1990), the animated musical The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), 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 into curiousness 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.

7 Ub Iwerks

Why is he #14 and disney #1? people are idiots.

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.

8 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 suprised about the low ranking of arguably the inventor of edgy cartoon gags.

9 John Lasseter John Alan Lasseter is an American animator and film director, who is the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and DisneyToon Studios.

Toy Story brings out the kid in people and think it should get more recognition but a vote for Mr. Lasseter is the right direction anyhow. The five major personas in toward 2020. So fine work John with that team it is more charming this way in opinion from here. Not fully sure but not far off either.

He's a one of the great animators ever...
This man is born for animation.. After he's creation in up and toy story pixar and Disney got new meaning to their respective position...

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

10 Trey Parker/Matt Stone
The Contenders
11 Akira Toriyama

Seriously! Family guy, cow and chicken and the fintstones, higher in rank than DBZ!?

IS he an animator? I thought he was an artist.

12 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...

How is Seth MacFarlane above the creator of Looney Tunes?

13 Joe Barbera

Is he the son of Joseph Barbara? I mean, his face at the picture was the next Scream painting.

Joe Barbera was one half of Hanna/Barbera.

14 Genndy Tartakovsky Genndy Tartakovsky is a Russian American animator, director, writer and producer. He is best known for creating the Cartoon Network animated television series Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack and Star Wars: Clone Wars, and co-creating Sym-Bionic Titan. In 2011, Tartakovsky joined Sony Pictures Animation,... 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, 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, uh?

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 that 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 Tartakovski, I nod my 20 year old head.

15 Rollin "Ham" Hamilton
16 Friz Freleng
17 Nick Park

The creator of one of the most original and funny animated series ever, his style and technique remains 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 Wallane & Grommit came from here.

18 Masayuki Uchiyama
19 Hugh Harman
20 Tai’ichirō Ohara
21 Akio Katada
22 Naotoshi Shida
23 Vivienne Medrano
24 Stephen Hillenburg Stephen McDannell Hillenburg was an American cartoonist, animator, director, producer, writer, voice actor, and marine biologist who was best known for creating the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. He also contributed to Rocko's Modern Life as a director and producer... read more

Dude this guy is amazing, he's really underrated he worked on rocko modern life and moved onto 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.

25 Tetsuya Saeki
8Load More
PSearch List