David Willardson

David Willardson is the creative force behind the “Pep Art Movement,” an innovative genre where classic Disney characters are rendered with an unprecedented infusion of color, personality and energy. Born in San Diego, Willardson grew up with Disney in his life. Winning an “Outstanding Paperboy” contest earned him a ticket to the original grand opening of Disneyland in 1954, and a few years later he became a Disney cast member, working the Skyway gondolas and the Matterhorn.
After graduating from Los Angeles Art Center, Willardson burst onto the entertainment art scene, producing internationally known images such as the “Raiders of the Lost Ark” movie logo and the classic “American Graffiti” car hop. In the 1970s, an ad agency asked him to create a painting of Goofy for Walt Disney World. The ad ran nationally and caught the attention of Jeffrey Katzenberg, head of animation at Disney, who asked Willardson to create a whole new look for Disney. This began his seventeen-year career at Disney, creating poster art for “Bambi,” “Cinderella,” “Snow White,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” and “The Lion King.”
Willardson’s recent exhibitions include “Visions: The World of Fantasy Art” at the Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale, California in 2007. He is represented by Park West Gallery.