Bruce Bushman(1911-1972)
- Animation Department
- Art Director
- Art Department
Art director Bruce Bushman (born Francis X. Bruce Bushman) was born in
New Jersey in 1911, the son of silent-film star
Francis X. Bushman. He was raised in
Baltimore, Maryland, and later moved to Los Angeles, California, where
he attended UCLA and the prestigious Chouinard Art Institute. In 1936
he was hired by Walt Disney Studios as a layout artist, but eventually
worked his way up to art director; among the projects he worked on was
Fantasia (1940). He married Mary Ena
Cousineau, a fellow Disney employee, in 1945 and they had two children.
In 1953 Bushman was assigned to help in the development of Disney's signature theme park, Disneyland. He helped to design Tomorrowland and Fantasyland--he designed the Fantasyland Castle, among other things--and the overall layout of the park itself. At the same time he worked as a sketch artist on the Disney film 20.000 Lieues sous les mers (1954). After he finished with those projects, he was assigned as the Art Director for a new TV show Disney was developing: Le Club Mickey (1955). He designed the look of the show and created the famous Mickey Mouse Club logo and the logos for all the T-shirts and caps for the The Adventures of Spin and Marty (1955) series. For "The Mickey Mouse Club" he also designed the shows's sets and props, including the famous clubhouse used for "Anything Can Happen Day".
Bushman left Disney in late 1959 or early 1960--sources differ--and went to work for producer Ivan Tors, where he worked as art director on three of Tors' series: Remous (1958), Bat Masterson (1958) and Mon ami Ben (1967). After leaving Tors he went to Hanna-Barbera Productions as a layout artist, working on such series as Jonny Quest (1964), Les Jetsons (1962) and Les Pierrafeu (1960).
He died in Los Angeles on February 15, 1972, at the age of 60.
In 1953 Bushman was assigned to help in the development of Disney's signature theme park, Disneyland. He helped to design Tomorrowland and Fantasyland--he designed the Fantasyland Castle, among other things--and the overall layout of the park itself. At the same time he worked as a sketch artist on the Disney film 20.000 Lieues sous les mers (1954). After he finished with those projects, he was assigned as the Art Director for a new TV show Disney was developing: Le Club Mickey (1955). He designed the look of the show and created the famous Mickey Mouse Club logo and the logos for all the T-shirts and caps for the The Adventures of Spin and Marty (1955) series. For "The Mickey Mouse Club" he also designed the shows's sets and props, including the famous clubhouse used for "Anything Can Happen Day".
Bushman left Disney in late 1959 or early 1960--sources differ--and went to work for producer Ivan Tors, where he worked as art director on three of Tors' series: Remous (1958), Bat Masterson (1958) and Mon ami Ben (1967). After leaving Tors he went to Hanna-Barbera Productions as a layout artist, working on such series as Jonny Quest (1964), Les Jetsons (1962) and Les Pierrafeu (1960).
He died in Los Angeles on February 15, 1972, at the age of 60.
