Barry Caldwell, Legendary Animaniacs Animator, Dies

Barry Caldwell, the legendary animator known for Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Tiny Toon Adventures, and more, is dead at 68, multiple outlets, including the Daily Mail, reported.

On March 24, Caldwell’s friend, digital creator Paul Dini, announced his death on Facebook, although no details about the cause or exact date were shared.

“Barry Caldwell was one of the first animation artists I met when I started my career fresh out of school way back around 1980,” Dini began his tribute. “He was also one of the finest artists I ever met, and easily one of the best people.”

He went on to describe Caldwell as “funny, kind, a genial giant of a guy that you liked from the moment you met him.” Dini continued, “He knew more about cartoons than you or I ever will (trust me on this), yet he was incredibly generous with his time and his talent. And my God, could he make you laugh!”

To conclude his lengthy tribute, he admitted, “When Dan Haskett told me today Barry had passed, it was like a silent cannonball blowing away a piece of my world. A lot of people’s worlds, actually. Barry was admired, celebrated, and loved by just about everyone, myself included, for many more reasons than I can list here. Gonna miss you, pally.”

During his career, Caldwell worked for Warner Bros. Animation and Disney, snagging credits on countless kids’ TV shows and movies. He was an animator for Tiny Toon Adventures, which aired from 1990 to 1992, Animaniacs, which ran from 1993 to 1998, and Pinky and the Brain, which aired from 1995 to 1998.

Additionally, Caldwell worked as a storyboard artist for the 2006 film Curious George, the 2011 film Hop, the DreamWorks TV series Dragons (2012–2014), and others. He also worked on storyboards for The Smurfs, Alvin & The Chipmunks, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Kim Possible, and Tom and Jerry.