Rolly Crump was an American animator and designer noted particularly for his work as a Disney Imagineer. He was born on February 27, 1930, and lived for over nine decades before passing on March 12, 2023. The Disney Legend left his wife Marie Tocci and 3 kids to mourn him.
Who is Rolly Crump?
As stated earlier, Rolly was an animator and designer. He was born in Alhambra, California, U.S. on February 27, 1930. There are no available details about his early life and education. However, he is known to have had a rewarding career before his passing on March 12, 2023, in Carlsbad, California where he was under hospice care.
His death was announced on the Facebook page of his autobiography It’s Kind of a Cute Story. Rolly is survived by his wife Marie Tocci, son Christopher, daughters Roxana and Theresa, and three grandchildren. Prior to his death, the animator and his wife were said to be sharing a two-story apartment in Carlsbad where every inch of wall space is decorated with his paintings, mobiles, and models.
Did You Know these Facts about Rolly Crump?
1. He Began to Draw as Soon as He Could Hold a Pencil
Rolly Crump’s ability is undoubtedly innate. According to available information, he started drawing as soon as he could hold a pencil. From the tender age of 3, he kept filling sketchbooks with stick figures. He further got the great motivation to pursue arts when he saw Disney’s animated Three Little Pigs in 1933 as a toddler. Since then, he dreamed of working one day in a studio and the opportunity came in 1952 when a friend arranged for him to present his art to executives at the Disney studio in Burbank. According to Rolly, he didn’t know what animations were at that time and this scared him.
2. His Portfolio was Regarded as being among the Poorest at Walt Disney
Rolly was initially informed that he had one of the worst portfolios in animation at the Walt Disney Studio. Nonetheless, He joined the company in 1952, and for the next few years, Crump worked as an “in-betweener,” finishing the painting on animation cels drawn by the lead artists for films such as Tramp and Sleeping Beauty.
Crump, who used to make $35 per week, took a considerable pay reduction to work as an in-betweener animator on projects. Over the weekends, he mixed dirt and lowered bricks to construct sewage manholes as an extra source of income.
His breakthrough came when Walt Disney noticed a comical propeller exhibit he had set up in the studio library. In order to assist in bringing the new Disneyland attractions his boss was envisioning to life, Crump relocated to WED Enterprises in 1959. WED Enterprises happens to be the forerunner to Walt Disney Imagineering. Crump noted in his documentary that the one thing Walt taught him more than anything else was the big picture. He had a vision and was completely certain of both the content and the route.
Joining WED made him become one of the best designers of some of Disneyland’s attractions and shops, including The Haunted Mansion, Enchanted Tiki Room, and Adventureland Bazaar.
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3. Rolly tells about His Life’s work in His Autobiography, It’s Kind of a Cute Story
Rolly Retired from Walt Disney in 1996 and 16 years later, he published an autobiography titled It’s Kind of a Cute Story. Released in 2012, the book chronicles all his experiences as an Imagineer, and especially as a staff of Walt Disney.
Meanwhile, aside from Disney, Crump launched Mariposa Design Group, his own design firm, and consulted on projects including Busch Gardens in Florida and California, the ABC Wildlife Preserve in Maryland, and Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus World in Florida, the Cousteau Ocean Center in Norfolk, Virginia, and much more.
More so, as a devotee and practitioner of pop art and ’60s-era psychedelic posters, Crump designed the packaging for Ernie Ball guitar strings, familiar imagery to guitar players everywhere.
Crump was named a Disney Legend in 2004 and got an honorary palm reader window on Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A. He is still praised for contributing to early designs at Walt Disney World among his many other artistic prowess.
4. His Popular Credits
- Peter Pan – 1953
- Lady and the Tramp – 1955
- Sleeping Beauty – 1959
- One Hundred and One Dalmatians – 1961
- The Magical World of Disney – 1964-1965
- The Wonderful World of Disney – 2001
- Disneyland: Secrets, Stories, & Magic – 2007
- After the Fair: The Legacy of the 1964-65 New York World – 2014
- American Experience – 2015
- The Whimsical Imagineer: The Story of Rolly Crumpt – 2016
- The Enchanted Secrets of Disneyland Vol 1 – 2016
- Foolish Mortals – 2017
- What About Our Life – 2019
- The Imagineering Story – 2019
- Bosko and the Rebirth of Tiki – 2020
- Autopsy: The Last Hours of – 2020
- Behind the Attraction – 2021
- Ken Forsse: Come Dream with Me Tonight – 2022
- The Land Series: New Orleans Square – 2022
5. His Son is also an Anime Expert
When their children do what they do and even better, most fathers become extremely proud. Crump made the decision to parent his son, Chris Crumpt like a typical father would a son. Consequently, Chris has grown to also be an animator and designer. Just like his father, Chris has worked for Disney as an Imagineer.
According to Chris, he started working with Rolly on a project for Knott’s Berry Farm in the mid-seventies. However, he said coming to Imagineering didn’t really hit him until the late 1980s. Chris shared his memories of growing up beside an Imagineer father and later growing up to become one with the Disney Parks Blog.
6. He was Worth About $8 Million at Death
According to sources, Rolly was worth about $8 million at death. He obviously made his fortunes from his years of success as an animator and designer with Walt Disney and other companies.
7. What was the Cause of His Death?
As of right now, all that is known about Rolly’s passing is that he died of natural causes. More so, data has shown that he was receiving hospice care before his passing.
