# Mike Gabriel

Mike Gabriel (born November 5, 1954) is an American animator and film director, best known for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios and as co-director of the Disney animated films The Rescuers Down Under (1990) and Pocahontas (1995).

## Early life

He was born in Long Beach, California, although he grew up in various small towns like Salina, Kansas while moving around due to his father's Air Force job.

## Career

Gabriel was inspired with animation after watching Sleeping Beauty (1959) at the age of five. Soon after, he started drawing and practicing it for six hours every day to meet his goal as an Animation Director. It was in 1979 when he got his first chance to make his debut. Gabriel originally began his career as an assistant on The Fox and the Hound (1981). He later was assigned as a Disney animator on the animated short Fun with Mr. Future (1982). He was mentored under Eric Larson's training program, and went to work on The Black Cauldron (1985). He also served as an animator on The Great Mouse Detective (1986), Technological Threat and Oliver & Company (1988). Hendel Butoy joined Gabriel to direct The Rescuers Down Under, a sequel to the 1977 Disney animated film The Rescuers, while Eric Goldberg and Gabriel collaborated on Pocahontas.
In 2004, Gabriel directed an animated short for Disney entitled Lorenzo, a hybrid of traditional and computer animation about a lazy cat who has a spell cast on his tail that forces it to tango with him.

## Accolades

Lorenzo was nominated for the 2005 Academy Award for Best Animated Short. It was also included in the Animation Show of Shows in 2004.

## Personal life

He was hired to re-design the Walt Disney cinematic logo which plays before every Walt Disney picture since 2006.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Animator | Actor | Role | Notes |
| 1981 | The Fox and the Hound | | | Yes | | | Assistant Animator (Uncredited) |
| 1982 | Luau | | | | Yes | Bob | |
| 1982 | Fun with Mr. Future | | | Yes | | | |
| 1985 | The Black Cauldron | | | Yes | | | Character Animator: Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch |
| 1986 | The Great Mouse Detective | | | Yes | | | Character Animator: Toby and Felicia |
| 1988 | Oliver & Company | | Yes | Yes | | | Writer: Story Character Designer Supervising Animator: Oliver |
| 1988 | Technological Threat | | Yes | | | | Character Designer |
| 1990 | The Rescuers Down Under | Yes | | | | | With Hendel Butoy |
| 1994 | The Lion King | | | Yes | | | Animator: Special Edition |
| 1995 | Pocahontas | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | With Eric Goldberg Writer: Based On An Idea Visual Development Artist Character Designer |
| 1996 | Quack Pack | | | Yes | | | One episode Character Designer Supervising Animator |
| 1999 | Fantasia 2000 | | | Yes | | | Yo-yo Tricks |
| 2000 | Dinosaur | | | Yes | | | Additional Visual Development |
| 2004 | Lorenzo | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | Production Designer |
| 2004 | Home on the Range | | | Yes | | | Visual Development Artist |
| 2004 | The Cat That Looked at a King | | | Yes | | | Character Designer Supervising Animator |
| 2008 | Bolt | | | Yes | | | Additional Story Artist |
| 2009 | The Princess and the Frog | | | Yes | | | Additional Art Director |
| 2011 | Winnie the Pooh | | | Yes | | | Visual Development Artist |
| 2012 | Brave | | | Yes | | | Development Artist |
| 2012 | Frankenweenie | | | Yes | | | Art Department Illustrator: Los Angeles |
| 2012 | Wreck-It Ralph | | | Yes | | | Production Designer |
| 2014 | Big Hero 6 | | | Yes | | | Departmental Leadership: Walt Disney Animation Studios |
| 2016 | Zootopia | | | Yes | | | Departmental Leadership: Walt Disney Animation Studios |
| 2019 | Frozen II | | | Yes | | | Creative Legacy: Walt Disney Animation Studios |
| 2020 | Elephant in the Room | | | Yes | | | Thought Painter Visual Development |
| 2021 | Raya and the Last Dragon | | | Yes | | | Creative Legacy: Walt Disney Animation Studios |