Bud Luckey, one of Pixar’s key animators, passed away yesterday at the age of 84.
Bud Luckey (July 28th, 1934 – February 24th, 2018). Photo via Animated Views.
If you didn’t know his name or his face, you certainly knew his voice. He portrayed Agent Rick Dicker in The Incredibles, Chuckles the Clown in Toy Story 3, and Eeyore in Disney’s 2011 Winnie the Pooh film. His voice was so well suited to those stoic, frowning Pixar characters. As Jerry Beck reports at Animation Scoop, Luckey had also recorded his lines for Toy Story 4.
Luckey’s mark can also be seen in the Toy Story trilogy, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, Cars, and Ratatouille, with his character designs. He is credited as the creator and designer of our favorite cowboy, Sheriff Woody.
Boundin‘, the 2004 short film that premiered with The Incredibles was also written and directed by Luckey, who provided the voice of the bouncing jackalope. The film’s song with its catchy refrain was performed by Luckey on banjo. Boundin’ has abundant charm even if it’s not one of Pixar’s glossier efforts, and it’s all the more impressive with Luckey’s triple duties as director, narrator, and performer. You can watch the short with Luckey’s commentary in the following video.
In addition to Pixar, Luckey was a Sesame Street animator and storyboard artist. Luckey also illustrated numerous children’s books, including Disney’s Golden Books.
Luckey is survived by his son Andy Luckey, who posted the news on facebook. You can read his tribute below.
With great sadness I announce the passing of my Dad: Bud Luckey.
My Dad was best known for his work in animation (PIXAR/Disney/Sesame Street) and as a voice actor (Eeyore, Agent Rick Dicker, Chuckles the Clown et al.). He loved his work but got even greater satisfaction from seeing others enjoy it.
He’ll be deeply missed by his friends, family and colleagues to whom he was just “Bud.” His kind and easy
going demeanor led his PIXAR colleagues to dub him “Bud Low-Key.”
He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War.
In lieu of flowers our family encourages donations to The California Institute of The Arts — Bud Luckey Scholarship Fund.
He will be missed at Pixar and beyond. We want to extend our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues at this time.
Last modified: February 25, 2018Farewell to the multi-talented Bud Luckey. By the time I met him at Pixar, he’d had such a full career, he wasn’t scared of technology or crazy deadlines. He helped make Woody the toy he is today, and Toy Story won’t be the same without his laconic sweetness. So long, my friend.
— Jeff Pidgeon (@jpidgeon) February 25, 2018
