Tyrus Wong

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Tyrus Wong born in 1910 in Guangzhou, China is a painter, lithographer, and designer. As production illustrator in the film industry, Wong has worked for Disney and Warner Bros.. Wong's most famous work was for the Disney animated classic, Bambi. Wong lives in Sunland, California.

Wong and his father immigrated to the United States from China in 1919. When he attended Benjamin Franklin Junior High in Pasadena, his teachers noticed Wong's artistic ability and arranged for a summer scholarship at the Otis Art Institute. Wong was hooked and decided to leave junior high for a full time studentship at Otis. Since his family was poor, he worked as a janitor at this school and walked for miles just to attend classes. It paid off as Wong had a lucrative career as an artist in Hollywood. He has done everything from working as a greeting card designer to Warner Bros. film production illustrator (1942-1968), from drawing set designs and storyboard for several movies to being a Disney inspirational sketch artist (1938-1941). It was his lush pastels that served as inspiration for Bambi (1942) where he was the lead artist of the project.