Disney VFX Supervisor Marlon West Organizes “A Great Day in Animation” Photo of Black Professionals in Animation

The iconic “A Great Day in Harlem” photograph of 57 jazz musicians taken by Art Kane in 1958 was the inspiration for the recently recreated “A Great Day in Animation” photo of 54 Black professionals in animation. The homage was the brainchild of Disney visual effects supervisor Marlon West (who GBN is exceedingly proud to have as a regular contributor – check out his latest #MusicMonday playlist…

@ladygarland // Chrystin Garland with Boom! Studios @ Wondercon 2017

I just wanted to give this wonderful woman her whole own post because she’s not only an amazing talent, being the illustrator on the Steven Universe comics among other works, (like @thewindchildren I believe!) but she’s also a fantastic person!

This was the second year in a row I had the pleasure of seeing her signing folks’ SU comic book purchases and she was just as unbelievably sweet as when I met her last year! She said she was happy to see me again and told me she remembered my Korra cosplay from the year before when I reminded her that’s what I wore the last time I saw her (she sees a lot of faces, I’m sure, but I appreciated the sentiment all the same,) and this year, I was eager to get a cover she had drawn for an SU comic I didn’t have!

She said she would draw two characters on the cover and I stalled so much, having a difficult time picking two. After a minute or two of focused silence, she suggested, “What’s one of your favorite episodes, if that helps?” I laughed and told her “That just makes it more difficult!” Eventually I decided (requesting Steven and his Bird Mom as pictured above) and she put me down on her steadily growing list and thanked me and advised I come back tomorrow and that she’d have it done.

I came back the next day and picked up my comic from her and she thanked me for my choice in Pearl and Steven, telling me, “People don’t usually request these two together and their relationship is so good and complex!” I also showed up that day in my W.D. Gaster cosplay and she not only complimented me on it (without me telling her who I was cosplaying and what he was from,) said she loved Undertale and the mystery surrounding W.D. Gaster –AND– she asKED FOR MY PICTURE in my Gaster cosplay?! I was just bowled over! It’s a good thing the mask made it so I didn’t have to emote because I probably was either bright red in the face from the genuine kindness or pale white with excited shock!