Bob Moore had a wit as pointed as his pencil tip, and a free-wheeling imagination which he lent to Disney’s animation, story, and art departments. An expert cartoonist, he is the only Disney artist to have initials of distinction placed after his name—Bob Moore, M.D. “M.D. stands for ‘Mouse Draw-er,’” he once explained with a grin.
Born in Los Angeles on April 21, 1920, Bob had his sites set on a Disney career from an early age. His father, a violinist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded music for some of the earliest Mickey Mouse animated shorts, including Plane Crazy. After graduating from Beverly Hills High School, Bob attended Chouinard Art Institute and joined Disney as an apprentice animator in 1940. There, he helped animate feature films such as Dumbo, The Reluctant Dragon, and The Three Caballeros.
During World War II, when the Studio produced special projects for the United States government, Bob helped animate training films for Navy pilots. He was later drafted into the Navy, and ordered to a special unit dedicated to producing animated training films. After the war he returned to Disney to serve as a story man, contributing to such animated shorts as Inferior Decorator, and package feature films including Melody Time and Make Mine Music.
In 1951, Bob was asked to head the one-man art department for publicity, which he ran for three decades. He singlehandedly developed clever promotional art concepts for Disney films and, later, its theme parks. He eventually was named creative director of marketing and designed many Disney movie posters, Christmas cards, letterheads, and logos. He also served as one of Walt Disney’s official autographers, signing thousands of photographs with Walt’s famous signature.
Among the highlights of Bob’s prolific career was designing the commemorative Walt Disney United States postage stamp in 1968, as well as the official mascot for the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Bob incorporated the mascot, Sam the Eagle, into the logos for each Olympic event. Bob also designed murals that adorn the halls of three Walt Disney Elementary Schools located in Tullytown, Pennsylvania; Marceline, Missouri; and Anaheim, California.
Besides being named a Disney Legend, Bob’s name was immortalized when a color of Disney paint was named after him; tubes of Moore Red still line the walls of the Ink and Paint department today. In his free time he often freelanced, contributing to many Disney comic books. In 1983, after 43 years of service, Bob retired from The Walt Disney Company.
Bob Moore passed away on November 20, 2001.