Nostalgic Showcase Presents: Don Bluth Studios

Preface

Welcome to the article that started the Nostalgic Showcase Presents series!

In Nostalgic Showcase Presents, we’ll examine one or more studios per article, all of which made an important impact on our childhoods, teenage years, or even adulthoods- and all of which are defunct, closed, cancelled, or finished for better or worse. I hope these articles inspire you, reader, to revisit the films and shows you once loved, learn something new about the studios showcased, and maybe get interested in the diverse landscape of film history over the past century. I also aim to make connections between the studios, their productions, and any culturally events that may have been influential, as nothing in media happens in a bubble.

I started this series with Don Bluth Studios, an underdog animation studio that fought fiercely against Disney in the 1980s, a studio that is near and dear to my own heart and experiences as an artist. Two years later, and two dozen articles written for this series, and I find myself reflecting on this singular article in particular. When I was enrolled at SCAD for my undergraduate degree, I had the privilege to visit the Don Bluth Collection three times, touching the concept art, the animation cels, meticulous layout drawings, innumerable storyboards- animation history was tactile, something that wasn’t just typed up in a book and produced en mass. There were artists, writers, animators, human beings behind each artifact, working hunched over desks three to four decades prior, the paper curled up and browned with age. When I visited the collection, my own fingerprints were (accidentally) added to the smudgy pastel storyboards, a permanent reminder that I was a part of it too, as an observer, as a student, a fan of Bluth’s films. How I wish all of film history was this readily available to be touched and seen firsthand! Now, throughout this series, I hope to inspire you, dear reader, to think about the human spirit, the charm, the talent, put into each production you watch and enjoy, the people behind the curtain, those who may have been uncredited for decades (or longer!), whose work and love and care for their craft helped create something worth watching over and over again.

This article was originally published on October 6, 2023, and remains as it was originally typed, with a few minor changes, additional sentences written for context, and this preface section added on November 22, 2025. Happy reading!

The Short Film Produced in Don Bluth’s Garage

Post-Walt Disney’s death in 1966, Disney Studio’s Animation Department was steadily declining- Walt Disney was a vital part of the story develop process in the animated films, constantly giving notes, suggestions and critiques and when he passed, the animators were left without a guide. While the films that were created between Walt Disney’s death and Don Bluth’s walkout- The Aristocats (1970), Robin Hood (1973) , The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh (1977), The Rescuers (1977), and The Fox and the Hound (1981)- are still considered classics, four out of the five films released in this period were based on pre-existing books. The stories were already written, and while some edits were made (often to soften up the less family-friendly themes), the animation was often rushed and re-used clips from previous films to save on budget. The corporate heads at Disney Animation pushed for more fluffy animation; stuff that could sell toys and appeal to the children, and less scary scenes. Lastly, the Nine Old Men, Disney’s favorite animators at the studio, were all retiring. They were a part of the last generation of animators that had been working with Walt Disney since Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, and the new hires- including Don Bluth and Gary Goldman- could see the animation studio floundering without the Nine Old Men’s artistic direction.

Don Bluth got his first taste of directorial power on a short film, The Small One (1978), a Christmas special based on a 1947 book of the same name. He was then assigned as the Animation Director for Pete’s Dragon (1977) and animated Elliot, the giant, green dragon. During this time, Bluth ran a secretive program with a small group of animators teaching themselves in Don Bluth’s garage and experimenting with their skills, exploring the different rungs of the animation production ladder. Banjo the Woodpile Cat (1979), a short created in this program, was pitched to Disney executives to show what their animation crew was capable of, once they had the freedom to experiment and grow. Disney turned it down. So, on September 17th, 1979, Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, John Pomeroy and nine other Disney animators walked out on the studio, and created their own animation studio- Don Bluth Productions.

Mice, Video Games, and Dinosaurs

Don Bluth Productions flourished with their first few films released in the following decade, proving to be a steadfast and worthy opponent to Disney Animation Studios, but struggled to stay financially stable. Their first contract was to create animation for a fantasy roleplay simulation arcade game, Dragon’s Lair, and a space adventure arcade game, Space Ace, which helped make back the costs from The Secret of NIMH (1982), their first full-length animated feature and first cult classic. The studio would be renamed to Sullivan Bluth Studios after the addition of Morris Sullivan to the financial team, and the studio relocated to Ireland, which gave financial incentives to film studios. The Secret of NIMH, based on a book by Robert O’Brien, caught the attention of Steven Spielberg, who was eager to get into the animation industry. He reached out to Sullivan Bluth Studios, making a contract for a three-movie deal- immediately starting production on 1986’s An American Tail. Following An American Tail‘s release, George Lucas joined the team as a producer for The Land Before Time in 1988. Both movies became blockbusters, with An American Tail becoming the first highest-grossing animated film at it’s initial release in 1986, beating out Disney’s The Great Mouse Detective by over $22 million. An American Tail‘s main thematic song, Somewhere Out There, became an instant hit and won two awards at the 30th Grammy’s Awards- Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television and Best Song of the Year. Trouble would start to brew between the partnerships, with Bluth wanting an edgier and more mature tone in the dinosaur film, and Spielberg demanding severe cuts of the film before release. The Land Before Time was the last film in Bluth and Spielberg’s partnership, cutting the contract one film short. Spielberg’s success with Disney Studios on Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) would prompt him to create his own animation studio, Amblimation, and George Lucas would leave Sullivan Bluth Studios, stripping the animation studio of their two major financial backers.

The Beginning of the End

Who Framed Roger Rabbit was the turning point for Disney, reintroducing audiences to animation and proving that the studio could still make good films. In 1989, The Little Mermaid released in theaters, absolutely decimating Bluth’s competition film – All Dogs go to Heaven– and kickstarting the Disney Renaissance, a decade long boom full of successful films released by the studio, each becoming instant animated classics. On the other hand, Sullivan Bluth Studios released All Dogs go to Heaven (1989), Rock-a-Doodle (1992), Thumbelina (1994), A Troll in Central Park (1994), and The Pebble and the Penguin (1995); all financial flops with mixed reviews. These films were Bluth’s attempts to appeal to the Disney audiences, with each film drifting further and further away from the studio’s initial dream of more mature and artistic animated films, featuring more and more musical numbers and less dramatic moments. Production value also dropped considerably in these films, with more simple character designs, fewer shadows, and less special effects- while Disney’s animated films became more complex, both in animation and storytelling. Sullivan Bluth Studios filed for bankruptcy yet again following the dismal release of The Pebble and the Penguin.

Fox Animation Studios, a newly formed animation studio from 20th Century Fox, took on Sullivan Bluth Studios and the partnership created three films. Anastasia (1997) was the biggest hit from this era, inspired by the real case of the missing Romanoff children during the Russian Revolution and featuring a magical villainous Rasputin; Bartok the Magnificent (1999), a direct-to-DVD sequel to Anastasia focusing on Rasputin’s henchman, Bartok the albino bat, and his quest to save the Romanoff prince; and Titan A.E. (2000), a science fiction adventure set in space, wherein the main character has to save humanity by protecting a ship that can produce a new planet. After Titan A.E. failed to pull in a profit, Fox Animation Studios dismantled and 21st Century Fox refocused their attention and budgets into Blue Sky Studios.

Once an Animator, Always a Dreamer…

Since then, Don Bluth has been chipping away at side projects and teaching students how to traditionally animate in his unaccredited Don Bluth University in Arizona. In 2015, Don Bluth and Gary Goldman put together a Kickstarter for an original, full-length animated adaption of Dragon’s Lair; Netflix announced a live action adaption of the arcade game would be released in 2020 but was postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 Pandemic; and the animated adaption appears to be scrapped as well. In late 2020, Don Bluth announced his partnership with Lavalle Lee, co-founding Don Bluth Studios with a focus on creating short stories based on fables and nursery rhymes and adapting them into traditional animated shorts. Don Bluth’s autobiography, Somewhere Out There (2022), was adapted into a documentary and premiered at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival in 2025. Lee and Bluth host an online month-long art challenge, Toontober, throughout the month of October online; Bluth occasionally teaches in-person classes to eager animation students wanting to learn traditional animation firsthand.

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