February 11, 1918 – Birth of Disney Legend Blaine Gibson
Gibson (L) showing Julie Reihm and Walt Disney one of the scultpures for the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction
“…I was told Walt was expecting me to work on these projects. So I said to myself, ‘what the heck’ and went (to Walt Disney Imagineering). I was never sorry after that.” – Blaine Gibson
Born February 11, 1918, in Colorado, Blaine Gibson joined the Walt Disney studios in 1939, working as an inbetweener and assistant animator. Gibson built up an impressive resume working on the films Fantasia, Bambi, Song of the South, and Peter Pan, just to name a few. Gibson would work on sculpting in his spare time, and when Walt saw an art exhibit with Gibson’s sculptures in 1954, he asked him to help work on special projects for the upcoming Disneyland.
In 1961, after doing part-time work for WED Enterprises, Gibson left the animation arena and began sculpting full time. Gibson ended up heading the sculpture department, working on most of the heads of the Audio-Animatronics characters, including 41 presidents for the Hall of Presidents at Walt Disney World (the last being Bill Clinton), and the pirates for the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. Gibson makes an appearance in the Wonderful World of Color episode Disneyland 10th Anniversary, showing Disney and Julie Reihm one of the heads of the pirates he’s been working on. Reihm notes that the pirate looks rather angry, to which Gibson responds, “Well, he has to be a tough guy. The pirates were pretty tough.”
The Partners statue Gibson designed, located in the hub of Disneyland
One of the most recognizable works of Gibson’s is the “Partners” statue in the Central Hub of Disneyland, which depicts Walt Disney holding hands with Mickey Mouse. It was finished in 1993, the same year Gibson was named a Disney Legend, and the statue has become a symbol of Disneyland itself. Gibson retired from the company in 1983, but continues to consult on projects, including The Great Movie Ride in Walt Disney World.
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