Les Clark, Marc Davis, Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, John Lounsbery, Wolfgang Reitherman, and Frank Thomas.

If none of their individual names ring a bell, trust me that you are more than likely exceedingly familiar with their contributions to not just movies, but to a vast swath of American popular culture. These artists comprised the group known as Walt’s Nine Old Men, the group of animators who worked closely with Walt Disney for decades and were responsible for the legendary output from the studio. Ollie Johnston, the last surviving member of Walt’s Nine Old Men, passed away this week at the age of 96.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, Lady and the Tramp, and so many more indelible films still impact animation today. While Walt himself understandably became the person most people associated with these beloved works, the fact is that his in-house staff of animators deserved as much recognition as the head of the company. Their influence extends far beyond simply their own output for the studio. Working with them on the lot in the early 1980s were two young men, future filmmakers who paid respect to these masters while showcasing how animation can continue to grow as an art form. Both Tim Burton and John Lasseter were at Disney at the same time, absorbing lessons that would serve them well as they each went on to create a body of work just as beloved by some as the work of Walt’s Nine Old Men. That Lasseter, the man behind Pixar, now makes practically all of the creative decisions regarding Disney’s theatrical films indicates yet again the breadth and scope of their influence to this day.

James B. Stewart’s excellent non-fiction book Disney War tells of how Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg feuded over which of them should be considered Walt Disney’s true heir as the head of the company, but anyone who reads that superbly researched work will understand how the real legacy will always lie with those who put their talent, knowledge, and craft into the work itself. Les Clark, Marc Davis, Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, John Lounsbery, Wolfgang Reitherman, and Frank Thomas are now gone, but as long as movies can be shown, their work will never be forgotten.