John William Ewing was an American animator and director, who worked at Walt Disney Animation Studios during the 1950s and 60s.
Boron in Wichita Falls, Texas; Ewing graduated from Midwestern State University in 1949. Prior to becoming an animator, Ewing served twice in the United States Navy, which included a tour of duty during the Korean War. After completing his formal art training at the Chouinard Art Institute, he joined Disney in 1956 and worked his way up from an inbetweener during production of Sleeping Beauty and rose up to assistant to Milt Kahl and John Lounsbery before becoming an animator. In 1967, after finishing work on The Jungle Book, he moved to New Zealand and worked on animated commercials.
Ewing's association with Disney didn't end there, though. From his studio in New Zealand, Freelance Animation Ltd, he directed some animated shorts for Disney's educational division, such as Understanding Alcohol Use and Abuse and Smoking: The Choice is Yours. Ewing also served as animation supervisor for Freelance Animators, which was hired by Disney's Australian satellite studio to work on episodes of Darkwing Duck ("Heavy Mental") and Goof Troop ("Meanwhile, Back at the Ramp").
Outside of Disney, Ewing worked on shows, like Tiny Toon Adventures, Spider-Man, Taz-Mania, and acted as a producer on the show Animaniacs. He is also the author and illustrator of children's books, such as The Cessna, The Sky...and the Cartoonist.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Sleeping Beauty | In-betweener (uncredited) |
| 1961 | One Hundred and One Dalmatians | Assistant Animator (uncredited) |
| 1961 | Aquamania | Assistant animator (uncredited) |
| 1963 | The Sword in the Stone | Character Animator: Scullery Maid (uncredited) |
| 1966 | Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree | Animator |
| 1967 | The Jungle Book | Character Animator: The Jungle Patrol |
| 1973 | Robin Hood | Animator - uncredited |
| 1979 | Understanding Alcohol Use and Abuse | Director |
| 1981 | Smoking: The Choice is Yours | Director of Animation |
| 1991 | Darkwing Duck | Animation Supervisor ("Heavy Mental") |
| 1992 | Goof Troop | Animation Supervisor ("Meanwhile, Back at the Ramp") |
External links
John Ewing on IMDb- CartoonBrew: A Strange ’80s Anti-Smoking Disney Cartoon Made in New Zealand
- JacketFlap Profile- John Ewing
- John Ewing Obituary
