I just read a really sad news. Ollie Johnston, the last living remnant of the mythical Disney's '9 Old Men', has just passed away.

No matter how cynical a person you can become in life, there is at least ONE Disney movie that touched your most personal emotional fibers in your early childhood, and still has a special place in your heart. Chances are that for most people, that single movie was the work of Ollie Johnston, or one of his other companions.

In the animation circles these guys have reached the status of demigods, their work praised by all strata of critics and enthusiasts of the medium. The book written by Ollie and his life-long friend Frank Thomas —"The Illusion of Life"— is as close to a Bible as the Animation industry can ever hope for.

Ollie Johnston was much more than a superior artist, or exceptional craftsman; much more than a man with enough determination to carry out his vision.

The man was a wizard. Pure and simple as that. His characters are not just immortal, they are forever alive.

Godspeed, kind wizard. And thank you.