Gary Goldman met Don Bluth at Walt Disney Studios in 1972, forming an instant friendship that would last over 30 years. This friendship eventually turned into a creative partnership, as they shared a desire to restore the heritage of classical animation to modern animated films.
Born in Oakland, California, Goldman grew up in Watsonville and studied piano, model-making, and drawing as a youth. Before devoting himself to the arts, he served as an electronic technician in the United States Air Force from 1962 to 1967. He received his Associate of Arts Degree from Cabrillo College in 1969 and his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Life Drawing and Art History from the University of Hawaii in 1971.
Goldman began his career in animation at Walt Disney Productions in 1972, working as an "in-betweener" on the film Robin Hood and later as an animator on Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too and The Rescuers. He then became a directing animator on Pete's Dragon and The Small One.
In the early 1970s, Goldman and Bluth began to explore every aspect of animated production, seeking to accelerate their skills in preparation for leadership roles within the Disney organization. United by their shared goal of restoring the lost techniques of classical animation, they produced the classically animated television special Banjo the Woodpile Cat in Bluth's garage, working nights and weekends over a period of four years. The special won the National Film Advisory Board Award for excellence and the Golden Scroll Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films.
Goldman, Bluth, and animator John Pomeroy left Walt Disney Productions in 1979 to establish their independent animation studio, Don Bluth Productions, Inc. Their first feature film, The Secret of NIMH, won the Saturn Award for Best Animated Feature in 1982. Their follow-up effort, An American Tail, became the highest-grossing animated film of its time, and its theme song "Somewhere Out There" received two Grammy Awards and an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song.
Goldman was producer on the animated laser disc interactive videogames Dragon's Lair and Space Ace, which received several awards and accolades. The company also produced several feature films, including The Land Before Time, Anastasia, and Titan A.E.
In 1999, Goldman and Bluth formed a new company, Dragon's Lair LLC, to develop new 3D games. They have also reestablished their independence with their production company, Don Bluth Films, Inc., based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently in pre-production on a feature film based on the hit game Dragon's Lair and have developed several feature film concepts and short stories for a direct-to-video library.
