Bud Luckey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bud Luckey
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| Born |
William Everett Luckey
July 28, 1934 Billings, Montana, U.S.
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| Died | February 24, 2018 (aged 83) Newtown, Connecticut, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | Chouinard Art Institute |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupation | Animator, artist, voice actor, composer, illustrator |
| Years active | 1961–2014 |
| Employer | Pixar Animation Studios (1990–2014) |
| Children | Andy Luckey |
| Awards | Annie Award (2004) Clio Award (1966) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1953–1957 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit | United States Air Force |
William Everett "Bud" Luckey (born July 28, 1934 – died February 24, 2018) was a talented American artist, animator, and voice actor. He was best known for his amazing work at Pixar Animation Studios.
At Pixar, Bud Luckey helped create many beloved characters for movies like Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and Finding Nemo. He even designed the main character, Woody, from Toy Story!
He also lent his voice to famous characters. He was Rick Dicker in The Incredibles, Chuckles the Clown in Toy Story 3, and Eeyore in the 2011 movie Winnie the Pooh.
In 2004, Bud Luckey wrote, directed, and even sang in the Pixar short film Boundin'. This short film won an Annie Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. He continued to work on Disney and Pixar films until he retired in 2014.
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Early Life and Military Service
Bud Luckey was born in Billings, Montana, on July 28, 1934.
During the Korean War, he served in the United States Air Force. He worked as an artist and illustrator, helping to create visual materials for the Air Force. He served in Europe and North Africa from 1953 to 1954. Later, he worked with a special Air Force unit until 1957.
Career in Animation
Starting in Art and Animation
After his time in the Air Force, Bud Luckey used a special program called the G.I. Bill to go to art school. He attended Chouinard Art Institute from 1957 to 1960. He also received animation training at the University of Southern California with a famous Disney animator named Art Babbitt.
After finishing school, Luckey worked as an animator for The Alvin Show in 1961. He also contributed to other animated projects, including The Mouse and His Child.
Working on TV Commercials
From 1961 to 1969, Bud Luckey worked at an advertising agency. He helped create many well-known television commercials. He worked on ads for popular breakfast cereals like Kellogg's Frosted Flakes (featuring Tony the Tiger), Froot Loops (with Toucan Sam), and Rice Krispies (with Snap, Crackle and Pop).
He also worked on commercials for Dolly Madison products, which featured Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts characters like Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Luckey even won an award called a Clio Award in 1966 for a General Mills commercial.
During the 1960s, Bud Luckey also worked with Jim Henson, the creator of The Muppets. They became close friends, and this friendship later led to Luckey's work on Sesame Street.
Sesame Street Contributions
In the 1970s, Bud Luckey wrote and animated many short films for Sesame Street. He often did the voice work for these films himself. Some of his famous Sesame Street works include "The Ladybugs' Picnic" and "Martian Beauty." He also created the "Longie and Shorty the Rattlesnakes" mini-series, which won an award.
Many of his Sesame Street projects were made with his good friend and writer, Don Hadley.
Joining Pixar
In 1990, Bud Luckey joined Pixar Animation Studios. He became a key part of the team, working as a character designer, storyboard artist, and animator.
John Lasseter, a former creative executive at Pixar, said that Bud Luckey was "one of the true unsung heroes of animation."
Luckey is famous for creating the design of Woody, the main character in Toy Story. Woody was originally planned to be a ventriloquist's dummy, but Luckey changed him into the pull-string cowboy doll we know today.
His character designs can also be seen in many other Pixar films, including A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Cars, Ratatouille, WALL-E, Up, and Toy Story 3.
In 2003, Bud Luckey directed and wrote the short film Boundin'. This film was shown in theaters before The Incredibles. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Luckey also composed the music, wrote the lyrics, and sang on the soundtrack for Boundin'. The film won an Annie Award that same year.
He also provided voices for characters in Pixar films. He was Rick Dicker in The Incredibles. In the sequel, Incredibles 2, another actor took over the role because Luckey had retired. The movie was dedicated to his memory. He also voiced Chuckles the Clown in Toy Story 3.
Other Creative Works
Beyond films, Bud Luckey designed and illustrated over 100 children's books. These books featured his own characters. One example is the Golden Book Mater and the Ghostlight, which featured the character Mater from the Cars movies.
In 2011, he voiced the character of Eeyore in the animated movie Winnie the Pooh.
Personal Life
Bud Luckey was the father of Andy Luckey, who is also an animator and producer. Andy Luckey is known for his work on the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series.
Bud Luckey passed away on February 24, 2018, at his home in Newtown, Connecticut, at the age of 83.
See also
In Spanish: Bud Luckey para niños
