Grim Natwick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grim Natwick
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Natwick in November 1969
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| Born |
Myron Nordveig
August 16, 1890 |
| Died | October 7, 1990 (aged 100) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Education | Academy of Fine Arts Vienna |
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| Spouse(s) |
Ida Wittenberg
(m. 1917; died 1925)Christine Ferris
(m. 1929; div. 1934) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Mildred Natwick (first cousin) |
| Awards | Inkpot Award (1978) |
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Myron "Grim" Natwick (born Nordveig; August 16, 1890 – October 7, 1990) was a famous American artist, animator, and film director. He is most celebrated for creating the beloved cartoon character, Betty Boop, for Fleischer Studios. Grim Natwick also played a key role in bringing Snow White to life in Disney's first full-length animated movie.
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Early Life and Education
Grim Natwick was born in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, on August 16, 1890. He grew up with five brothers and two sisters. His parents, James and Henrietta, owned a furniture store. His family had Norwegian roots, with his grandfather being one of the first Norwegian immigrants to Wisconsin.
Even before high school, Myron earned the nickname "Grim." This was because his personality was actually very cheerful, "anything but Grim!" He was known for his amazing artwork and poetry during his school years. Many of his poems were later shown at a museum in his hometown. His brother, Frank, was a talented athlete who competed in the Olympics in 1908.
Grim Natwick loved art and studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He also attended the National Academy of Design to further his artistic skills.
Animation Career Highlights
Early Animation Work
Grim Natwick began his art career designing covers for sheet music. He was very good at it and soon illustrated many song sheets. A friend, Gregory La Cava, encouraged him to try animation. This was a new field, and not many artists knew how to do it. Grim decided to give it a try, and that "couple of weeks" turned into fifty years!
He worked at the William Randolph Hearst Studio, animating comic strip characters. In 1925, he traveled to Vienna, Austria, to study art further. He returned to New York in 1928, ready for new challenges.
Creating Betty Boop
Grim Natwick is most famous for creating Betty Boop, a beloved cartoon character. Max Fleischer, the head of Fleischer Studios, asked Grim to design a girlfriend for his existing cartoon dog character, "Bimbo." Grim came up with the original design for Betty Boop.
Betty Boop quickly became a huge star! Grim was one of the main animators for her early cartoons. He then moved to the West Coast to work on other exciting projects.
Working with Other Studios
Grim Natwick worked for many famous animation studios. These included the Ub Iwerks studio, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Walter Lantz Productions. Walt Disney himself was impressed by Grim's animation of Betty Boop.
Grim first joined the Ub Iwerks studio. There, he animated cartoons like Flip the Frog and designed Willie Whopper. He became so important that he helped run the studio's daily operations. However, Grim wanted to work on something even bigger.
Animating Disney's Snow White
Grim Natwick heard that Disney was planning to make the very first full-length animated movie. This excited him greatly! He joined Disney on November 12, 1934.
His first big task at Disney was animating the main female character in a short film called The Cookie Carnival. Grim's skill in animating human characters was exactly what Disney needed for their ambitious new project.
Bringing Snow White to Life
Grim Natwick became a lead animator for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He was mainly responsible for animating the beautiful princess, Snow White herself! He worked with a team of talented assistants to create her movements.
Grim used his amazing drawing skills to make Snow White look natural and graceful. He animated over 120 scenes in the film. He created many memorable moments, like Snow White cleaning the house while singing "Whistle While You Work" and her dancing with the dwarfs.
More Famous Cartoons
After his work on Snow White, Grim Natwick continued to animate many other classic characters. In 1939, he helped draw the Prince and Princess for Gulliver's Travels.
He also contributed to animating Mickey Mouse in Disney's Fantasia. Grim worked on cartoons featuring beloved characters like Mr. Magoo, Popeye, and Felix the Cat. Many famous animators, such as Walter Lantz and Chuck Jones, learned from Grim Natwick early in their careers.
Later Years and Legacy
In his later years, Grim Natwick continued to be involved in animation. He served on the advisory board for the National Student Film Institute. He even contributed to early designs for characters like Sonny, the "cuckoo" bird mascot for Cocoa Puffs cereal.
Grim Natwick lived a very long life, celebrating his 100th birthday. He passed away on October 7, 1990, in Los Angeles.
His hometown honored him with a memorial plaque in 2010. The South Wood County Historical Museum in Wisconsin Rapids has a special exhibit dedicated to his work. Since 2010, the Grim Natwick Film Festival has been held every year. It brings together animators to celebrate his contributions to the art form.
Grim Natwick's influence continues even today. His name inspired a character, Grim Matchstick, in the popular 2017 video game Cuphead. This game's style is inspired by the classic 1930s cartoons that Grim helped create.
Notable Animated Works
Animators were often not credited in early films. Here are some of the important projects Grim Natwick worked on:
- 1993 The Thief and the Cobbler
- 1977 Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure
- 1963 The Mighty Hercules (TV series)
- 1960 Felix the Cat (TV series)
- 1940 Fantasia (animator for Mickey Mouse)
- 1939 Gulliver's Travels (animation director)
- 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (lead animator for Snow White)
- 1935 "Broken Toys" (short)
- 1935 "The Cookie Carnival" (short)
- 1930 "Dizzy Dishes" (short)
Images for kids
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Sheet music cover from 1915, one of Grim Natwick's earliest published efforts
