Rolly Crump, Animator Who Helped Create Early Look of Disneyland, Dies at 93
Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor Rolly Crump, the Disney animator who went on to help create the look of early Disneyland attractions like It’s a Small World and the Enchanted Tiki Room, died Sunday in Carlsbad, Calif. He was 93. The Facebook page for his autobiography announced his death. Crump didn’t have a formal art education, but his amateur drawings helped him get a job at Walt Disney Co. when he was just 22, working on films including “Peter Pan,” “Lady and the Tramp,” “Sleeping Beauty” and “101 Dalmations,” mostly as an animation assistant. Crump was known for his eccentric beatnik style and pop art approach, which was evident in his personal art projects such as a series of posters celebrating drugs. He created posters for rock groups and jazz artists, and his artwork drew the attention of Walt Disney, who moved him from the animation department to designing for Disneyland. Crump joined the fledgling Walt Disney Imagineering Department in 1959, contributing to designs for attractions including the Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, Tomorrowland and the Enchanted Tiki Room.