Milt Neil | |
|---|---|
| Born | Milton Neil (1914-05-30)May 30, 1914 Irvington, Essex County, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | October 18, 1997(1997-10-18) (aged 83) Wayne Township, Passaic County, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Other names | The Duck Man |
| Occupations | Animator, comics artist, toy designer |
| Years active | 1930s–1970s |
| Employer(s) | Walt Disney Studios, Walter Lantz Productions, Hasbro |
| Notable work | Fantasia, Dumbo, The Reluctant Dragon, Saludos Amigos |
Milton C. "Milt" Neil (May 30, 1914 – October 18, 1997), sometimes known as "the Duck Man", was an American animator, toy designer and comics artist.[1] He worked for Walt Disney Animation Studios during the Golden Age of Animation. Nicknamed “The Duck Man” for his work on Donald Duck comics and animation, he was known for his masterful character animation, particularly expressive and comedic performances of various anthropomorphic characters (most prominently Donald Duck).
Joining the studio in 1935, Neil contributed to some of Disney's biggest landmark films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia and Dumbo, until his departure in 1944. He was admired for his ability to bring personality and humor to anthropomorphic characters while adhering to Disney’s classical animation principles.
Neil later worked for Walter Lantz Productions and as a toy designer for Hasbro, and also taught animation in his later years.
Personal life
Milton C. Neil was born on 30 May, 1914 in Irvington, New Jersey, the son of Polish immigrants Adam Peter Nieliwocki and Stella Hodureck Nieliwocki.
After retirement, he owned two restaurants, the Laguna Beach Club and the former Holster Restaurant. He was also a private pilot.
Neil died in 1997 and was preceded by his parents. His wife, Dorothy Elizabeth Golden Neil passed in 2004.
Career
He worked for Disney Studios from 1935 to 1944.[1] He worked on several major Disney feature length works including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Dumbo, Saludos Amigos, The Reluctant Dragon and The Three Caballeros. After leaving Disney he briefly worked for Walter Lantz Productions.[1]
He was also active in advertising and redesigned the two mascots of Pea Soup Andersen's. They received their permanent names Hap-Pea and Pea-Wee through a contest.[2]
Neil became involved with the children's show Howdy Doody, for whom he designed puppets and various other merchandising objects. Together with Chad Grothkopf [3] he adapted the TV show into a newspaper comic between 1950 and 1953, though he only worked on it for the first three months, after which Grothkopf took over.[4][1]
Neil also ran the character animation program at the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Design.[1]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Position | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | animator | Forest animals |
| 1939 | The Ugly Duckling | animator (uncredited) | Ugly duckling |
| 1940 | Pinocchio | animator (uncredited) | The Blue Fairy |
| 1940 | Fantasia | animator | |
| 1941 | The Reluctant Dragon | animator | |
| 1941 | Dumbo | animator | Timothy Q. Mouse / Crows |
| 1942 | How to Play Baseball | animator | |
| 1942 | Deh Fuehrer's Face | animator (uncredited) | Donald Duck |
| 1943 | Fall Out Fall In | animator | |
| 1943 | Saludos Amigos | animator | Donald Duck / Llama |
| 1944 | The Three Caballeros | animator | |
| 1946 | Dumb Bell of the Yukon | animator (uncredited) | |
| 1947 | Fun and Fancy Free | character animator (uncredited)[5] | Donald Duck / Mickey Mouse / Goofy |
Sources
- ^ a b c d e "Milt Neil". lambiek.net.
- ^ "Pea Soup Andersens - Buellton - History".
- ^ "Chad Grothkopf".
- ^ "Stripper's Guide". strippersguide.blogspot.com. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
- ^ Fun and Fancy Free (1947) - Full cast & crew - IMDb. Retrieved 2025-09-21 – via m.imdb.com.
"Milt Neil – Animator". MUBI. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
