Robert Wilhelm Moritz Reinhold Carlson Jr., an accomplished animator with a storied career spanning over two decades at the esteemed Walt Disney Studios, was born Bob Carlson. Following his graduation from art school, Carlson initially worked as a commercial artist before answering an advertisement in the "Chicago Tribune" newspaper, which led him to join the Disney Studio in 1937. By the end of the year, he had risen to the position of animator, a role he would hold for many years to come.
Throughout his tenure at Disney, Carlson worked on a plethora of iconic projects, including "Fantasia," for which he was proud to have assisted the renowned animator Bill Tytla. His other notable credits at Disney include "The Three Caballeros," "Alice in Wonderland," "Lady and the Tramp," and "Donald in Mathmagic Land."
In 1958, Carlson left Disney and founded his own short-lived studio, the Bob Carlson Studio. He then went on to work for a variety of other studios in the area, including UPA, Filmation, MGM, and Hanna-Barbera. Later in his career, Carlson collaborated with Bakshi on films such as "Coonskin" and "Hey Good Lookin'," as well as lending his talents to the character of Weehawk in "Wizards."
