Preston Blair was a highly influential American animator and artist who made significant contributions to the animation industry during the mid-20th century. He is best known for his work on MGM's Tom and Jerry cartoons, where he created the iconic character designs and introduced the slapstick animation style that became a hallmark of the series. Blair's career in animation began in the 1930s, when he worked for Disney Studios as an in-betweener on films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Pinocchio. He later moved to MGM, where he worked on a number of classic cartoon shorts, including The Pink Panther, Droopy, and Screwy Squirrel. In addition to his work in animation, Blair was also an accomplished fine artist, and his paintings and illustrations were exhibited in galleries across the United States. He was particularly known for his depictions of Native American culture, which were inspired by his childhood experiences growing up on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico. Throughout his career, Blair was known for his innovative approach to animation, and he played a key role in the development of the limited animation technique, which allowed for high-quality animation with fewer frames and movements. His contributions to the animation industry have had a lasting impact, and his work continues to be celebrated by animators and art enthusiasts around the world.
animator, artist, Tom and Jerry, slapstick, Disney, MGM, The Pink Panther, Droopy, Screwy Squirrel, Native American, limited animation
CITATION : "Christopher Jackson. 'Preston Blair.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/?E=297709 (Accessed on June 06, 2025)"
Preston Blair was an American artist, known for his unique and colorful animation. He is most famous for his work on MGM's Tom and Jerry cartoons, where he made significant contributions to the style and animation during the 1940s and 1950s. He is best remembered for creating the character designs and animation for the 'cat' and 'mouse' characters, and is credited with introducing the 'slapstick' animation style to the series. Blair's other works include the cartoon shorts ’The Pink Panther’, ‘Droopy’, and ‘Screwy Squirrel’. He also collaborated with renowned animator Joseph Barbera on the animation of the classic television show 'The Jetsons'. Blair is renowned for establishing the principles of the cinematic technique of 'limited animation', which cost-efficiently produced high-quality animation with limited movements and frames.
Preston Blair, animation, American artist, Tom and Jerry, limited animation, The Jetsons, Joseph Barbera, Pink Panther, Droopy, Screwy Squirrel.
— Mei Wang
We have 216.484 Topics and 472.443 Entries and Preston Blair has 2 entries on Design+Encyclopedia. Design+Encyclopedia is a free encyclopedia, written collaboratively by designers, creators, artists, innovators and architects. Become a contributor and expand our knowledge on Preston Blair today.