What Ever Happened To Richard Williams?

[HG Revolution]

Richard Williams, like Disney before him and Miyazaki after him, was a visionary. In the Saturday morning hell that was the '70s and '80s, he was still doing bold and exciting work. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? is one of my favorite movies, not just of animation, but of film in general. And having just seen the Recobbled Cut of The Theif and the Cobbler, I can say his talent as an animator even surpases Walt and Hayao. He's a true artist, a really clever mind, and possibly the greatest animator who ever lived.

And yet he hasn't done anything recently. Yes, I understand how what WB and Miramax did to The Theif and the Cobbler must have driven him mad, but has he heard about the Recobbled Cut which has been making rounds on the internet, showing the world how he intended the movie to be? With John Lasseter now granting creative freedom at Disney, Williams should be able to get a good job, yet I haven't heard anything becoming of him since he was kicked out of WB. Has he done anything recently, or have any plans, or at least kept on finding some way to give his art to the world?

[Tay the Cat]

I know Wikipedia's not the best place to look, but all I could find anywhere says he's living in Wales with his family.


So I'd say he might be retired.

[Behonkiss]

Apparently he's working on a new project, but doesn't want to reveal anything about it yet (for obvious reasons).

And regarding the Recobbled Cut, the guy behind it says that he's found out Williams is aware of it but not interested in having anything to do with it, as apparently he's done with all things relating to the movie and refuses to talk about it.

[judyindisguise]

Didn't Williams also do the great Pink Panther intros in The Return Of The Pink Panther? Next to the animated intro to the very first film of the series, his work is my fave. I really wish, though, that the original look of the panther had stayed the same as it was in the first film. He was much more catlike and prowled on all fours occasionally. When he became skinny and bigfooted, he lost a lot of his charm IMO. And I detest the Depatie-Freleng toons. I rented a DVD of them and returned it the next day mostly unwatched. Did not care for them at all, except the one with the pink and blue paint gags.

[I.R Joey]

When was the Animators Survival Kit was published? I wanna say 2000-2001 but I'm not sure.