Rubén Procopio (born November 21, 1961) is an American
animation
Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...
and
comic book
A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...
artist, animator and sculptor. Long affiliated with
Walt Disney Feature Animation
Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that produces animated feature films and short films for the Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a s ...
as an animator and sculptor, Rubén is credited with restoring the
maquette
A ''maquette'' is a scale model or rough draft of an unfinished sculpture or work of architecture. The term is a loanword from French. An equivalent term is ''bozzetto'', a diminutive of the Italian word for a sketch.
Sculpture
A maquette ...
process to feature animation film production in the early 1980s. He is the founder of Masked Avenger Studios, whose clients include Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Studios,
New Line Cinema
New Line Productions, Inc., Trade name, doing business as New Line Cinema, is an American film production, film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, a division of the Major film studios, ...
,
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...
DC Comics
DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
. He is known for his versatile sculpting and illustration style in both cartoony and realistic characters, with an emphasis on Disney characters, superheroes, and the masked heroes of yesteryear.
Early life
Procopio was born in
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
in 1961. His parents, émigrés of Italian origin, went to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
when he was four years old and his father, Adolfo Procopio, began an acclaimed 35-year career as a
Walt Disney Imagineering
Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc.—commonly referred to as Walt Disney Imagineering, Imagineering, or WDI—is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation, design, and construc ...
sculptor whose works can be seen in Disney theme parks worldwide.
A seminal moment in Procopio's childhood was when he read
Alex Toth
Alexander Toth (; June 25, 1928 – May 27, 2006) was an American cartoonist active from the 1940s through the 1980s. Toth's work began in the American comic book industry, but he is also known for his animation designs for Hanna-Barbera through ...
's ''
Super Friends
''Super Friends'' is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of Am ...
'' DC Treasury process of TV Animation. Later in life, Toth became one of Procopio's close friends.
Procopio's artistic development was guided through daily drawing assignments from his father. His early dedication and discipline earned him scholarships to Cal Arts and
Art Center College of Design
The ArtCenter College of Design is a private art college in Pasadena, California.
It was incorporated in 1930 as a degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both the visual arts and design. ...
, followed by the opportunity to join Walt Disney Feature Animation at age 18.
Career
Joining
Walt Disney Productions
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
in 1980, Procopio was trained under Eric Larson, one of Disney's legendary " Nine Old Men," and other Disney veterans.
From the 1980s through the early 2000s, Procopio contributed his varied 2D and 3D talents to more than 25 feature films produced in Disney's California and Florida studios, several of which received Academy Award nominations.
Over this time, Procopio worked as an animator, artistic supervisor, head of department, character designer, story-board artist, video game supervisor, and maquette sculptor, in addition to being credited with restoring the maquette art form to the film production process. He also served as an international ambassador for Disney promoting its films, and was dispatched by Roy Disney to oversee construction of the Walt Disney Monument in
Madrid, Spain
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" (), sometimes translated in English as "The Little Sea Maid", is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story foll ...
'' holds a place in the Smithsonian Institution permanent collection.
In 2003, inspired by his lifelong admiration of the masked heroes of yesteryear, Procopio founded Masked Avenger Studios,MaskedAvenger.com /ref> specializing in sculpture, animation and design. Procopio's father Adolfo and sister Vivian also participate in Masked Avenger Studios to offer its clients more than 60 years of combined artistic experience and talent to numerous major motion picture, animation and television studios, comic book publishers, and manufacturers and designers of toys and collectible statues.
Procopio is a key contributor to the award-winning Walt Disney Classics Collection, bringing Disney characters to life through three-dimensional porcelain sculptures and promoting the products through gallery appearances. His works include Elastigirl and Edna Mode from ''
The Incredibles
''The Incredibles'' is a 2004 American animated superhero film written and directed by Brad Bird. Produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures, the film stars the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Spencer ...
The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" (), sometimes translated in English as "The Little Sea Maid", is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story foll ...
'',
Genie
GEnie (General Electric Network for Information Exchange) was an online service provider, online service created by a General Electric business, GEIS (now GXS Inc., GXS), that ran from 1985 through the end of 1999. In 1994, GEnie claimed around ...
from ''
Aladdin
Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...
'',
Chernabog
The following are fictional characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney's 1940 film ''Fantasia (1940 film), Fantasia'', its 1999 sequel ''Fantasia 2000'', and the 2014 video game ''Fantasia: Music Evolved''. Characters are sorted by th ...
and the 2006 Signature Series Magical Maelstrom from '' Fantasia'' (for which Procopio animated the brooms and pails of water before sculpting them), and several pieces in the ''
Pirates of the Caribbean
''Pirates of the Caribbean'' is a Disney media franchise encompassing numerous theme park rides, a series of films, and spin-off novels, as well as a number of related video games and other media publications. The franchise originated with Wa ...
'' series.
Procopio also developed, with Electric Tiki Design, the Classic Heroes line of collectible statues, which includes such characters as
The Phantom
''The Phantom'' is an American adventure comic strip, first published by Lee Falk in February 1936. The main character, the Phantom, is a fictional costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla. The char ...
,
The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell (director), James Jewell.
Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas i ...
Dick Tracy
''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy, a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the '' Detroit Mirror'', and was distributed by the Chicago T ...
,
The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture.
He first appeared in 1933 in a ...
,
Zorro
Zorro ( or , Spanish for "fox") is a fictional character created in 1919 by American Pulp magazine, pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo de Los Ángeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashin ...
,
Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon is the protagonist of a space adventure comic strip created and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by, and created to compete with, the already established ''Buck Rogers'' ...
Mandrake the Magician
''Mandrake the Magician'' is a Comic strip syndication, syndicated newspaper comic strip, created by Lee Falk before he created ''The Phantom''.Ron Goulart, ''The Encyclopedia of American Comics''. New York: Facts on File, 1990. . pp. 91, 249 ...
,
Prince Valiant
''Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur'', often simply called ''Prince Valiant'', is an American comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full s ...
,
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer.
Creat ...
and
Lassie
Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a 1938 short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a 1940 full-length novel, '' Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with anot ...
. In their Teeny Weeny line he has sculpted such memorable characters as
Mighty Mouse
Mighty Mouse is an American animated character created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox. He is an anthropomorphic superhero mouse, originally called Super Mouse, and made his debut in the 1942 short ''The Mouse of Tomorrow''. Th ...
,
Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker is a cartoon character that appeared in theatrical short films produced by the Walter Lantz Productions, Walter Lantz Studio and Universal Animation Studios, Universal Animation Studio and distributed by Universal Pictures sinc ...
,
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.Mr. Magoo,
Rocky and Bullwinkle
''Rocky'' is a 1976 American independent sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weat ...
Comic Art Professional Society
The Comic Art Professional Society (CAPS) is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States.
The organization's stated primary purposes are "to advance the ideals and standards of professional cartooning in its many forms", "to ...
, named for its founder,
Sergio Aragonés
Sergio Aragonés Domenech ( , ; born 6 September 1937 in Sant Mateu, Castellón, Spain) is a Spanish-Mexican-American cartoonist and writer best known for his contributions to ''Mad (magazine), Mad'' magazine and creating the comic book ''Groo t ...
. When he steps from his sculpting table to his drawing board, he illustrates comic books and graphic novels, including works featuring his original characters Chameleonman and Goliath. His father Adolfo and sister Vivian are the inspiration for the characters in the ''Chameleonman'' comic series.
Procopio is fluent in Spanish and Italian, and enjoys international correspondence with artist community colleagues and fans. His sister Vivian, who contributes her design and project management talents, also enjoyed a long career as a Research Administrator in the Walt Disney Feature Animation Research Library.
The Fox and The Hound
''The Fox and the Hound'' is a 1981 American animated buddy drama film produced by Walt Disney Productions and loosely based on the 1967 novel of the same name by Daniel P. Mannix. It tells the story of the unlikely friendship between a r ...
'' (1981)
*'' The Black Cauldron'' (1985) (Animator and Storyboard Artist)
*''
The Great Mouse Detective
''The Great Mouse Detective'' (released as ''Basil the Great Mouse Detective'' in some countries and ''The Adventures of the Great Mouse Detective'' during its 1992 re-release) is a 1986 American animated mystery adventure film produced by W ...
'' (1986)
*''
Oliver & Company
''Oliver & Company'' is a 1988 American Animated film, animated musical film, musical adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is inspired by the Charles Dickens novel ''Oliver Twist''. I ...
'' (1988) (Maquette Sculptor)
*''
The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" (), sometimes translated in English as "The Little Sea Maid", is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story foll ...
'' (1989) (Maquette Sculptor)
*''
The Prince and the Pauper
''The Prince and the Pauper'' is a novel by American author Mark Twain. It was first published in 1881 in Canada, before its 1882 publication in the United States. The novel represents Twain's first attempt at historical fiction. The plot conce ...
'' (1990) (Key Clean-up Supervisor)
*''
The Rescuers Down Under
''The Rescuers Down Under'' is a 1990 American animated adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the sequel to ''The Rescuers'' (1977). In ''The Rescuers Down Under'', Bernard and Bianc ...
'' (1990) (Maquette Sculptor)
*''
Beauty and the Beast
"Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales'').
Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
Aladdin
Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...
The Lion King
''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical coming-of-age drama film directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, produced by Don Hahn, and written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. Produced by Walt Disney ...
Pocahontas
Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. S ...
Mulan
Hua Mulan () is a legendary Chinese folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century Common Era, CE) of Chinese history. Scholar, Scholars generally consider Mulan to be a fictional character. Hua Mulan is depicte ...
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer.
Creat ...
Home on the Range
"Home on the Range" ( Roud No. 3599) is an American folk song, sometimes called the "unofficial anthem" of the American West. Dr. Brewster M. Higley (also spelled Highley) of Smith County, Kansas, wrote the lyrics as the poem "My Western Hom ...
'' (2004)
*Disney's Timeless Tales 2005 (Key Clean-up Supervisor: Prince and the Pauper) 2005
*'' Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure'' (2013) Character Layout
*'' Ben 10: Omniverse'' (2014) (Storyboard Artist - 2 Episodes)
*Ben 10: Ultimate Alien (2010) (Storyboard Artist)
*Tom and Jerry: The Lost Dragon (2014) Character Layout
*'' Tom and Jerry: Spy Quest'' (2015) Animator and Character Layout
*'' Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'' (2015)
*Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz (Animator and Storyboard Artist) 2016
*DC Super Hero Girls: Super Hero High (Storyboard Artist) 2016
*'' Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders'' (2016) (Storyboard Artist)
*'' Lego Scooby-Doo! Blowout Beach Bash'' (2017) (Storyboard Artist)
*DC Super Hero Girls 2016-2017 (Storyboard Artist)
*'' Batman vs. Two-Face'' (2017) (Storyboard Artist)
*'' Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' (2018) (Storyboard Artist)
*Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost (Storyboard Artist) 2018
*Lego DC Batman: Family Matters (Storyboard Artist) 2019
*Lego DC: Shazam! Magic and Monsters (Storyboard Artist) 2020
*Scooby-Doo and Guess Who / 5 episodes (Storyboard Artist) 2019-2020
*Space Jam: A New Legacy (Animator, Storyboard Artist and Pre Vis) 2021
Collectibles,Video Gaming, Comics work
*Genie, "Magic at his Fingertips", Walt Disney Classics Collection
*Walt Disney with Oswald, "True Originals", Designed and sculpted, Walt Disney Classics Collection
*Sorcerer Mickey, Yen Sid and Brooms, "Magical Maelstrom", Walt Disney Classics Collection
*Edna Mode, "It's my way or the runway" Walt Disney Classics Collection
*Elastigirl, "Limber Lady", Walt Disney Classics Collection
*Shere Khan, "Savage Sophisticate" Walt Disney Classics Collection
*Elliot, "A Boy's Best Friend" Walt Disney Classics Collection
*Orville, Bernard & Bianca, "Cleared for Take Off" Walt Disney Classics Collection
*Maleficent, "Sinister Sorceress" Walt Disney Classics Collection
*Witch, "Poisonous Plot" Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt Disney Classics Collection
*Brer Rabbit & Brear Fox, "Cooking up a Plan" "Last Laugh", Walt Disney Classics Collection
*'' Disney's Aladdin'' (1993; video game);
*''
The Lion King
''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical coming-of-age drama film directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, produced by Don Hahn, and written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. Produced by Walt Disney ...
'' (1994; video game) (special thanks);cdcC
*"Name's Hades, Lord of the Dead" Hades, Walt Disney Classics Collection;
*Ursula at Vanity: Devilish Diva, Ursula, Walt Disney Classics Collection;
*"Drink Up, Me 'earties!" Pirate With Pigs, Walt Disney Classics Collection;
*"A Pirate's Life For Me" Pirate on Archway, Walt Disney Classics Collection;
*"Peligro, Explosivos!" Pirat on Cannon (Mr. Coote), Walt Disney Classics Collection
*Lockjaw, Marvel/Bowen;
*Flash Gordon, Classic Heroes – Electric Tiki;
*Dick Tracy, Classic Heroes – Electric Tiki;
*The Green Hornet & Kato, Classic Heroes – Electric Tiki;
*Mandrake the Magician, Classic Heroes – Electric Tiki;
*Prince Valiant, Classic Heroes – Electric Tiki;
*Tarzan, Classic Heroes – Electric Tiki;
*The Shadow, Classic Heroes – Electric Tiki;
*Doc Savage, Classic Heroes – Electric Tiki;
*Tron, Classic Heroes – Electric Tiki;
*Shazam, DC Direct;
*Phantom, Classic Heroes – Electric Tiki;
*The Lone Ranger, Classic Heroes – Electric Tiki;
*Lassie, Classic Heroes – Electric Tiki;
*Zorro, Classic Heroes – Electric Tiki;
*Captain Action, Classic Heroes – Electric Tiki;
*Mighty Mouse, 1 & 2– Teeny Weeny Series – Electric Tiki;
*Popeye the Sailorman, Famous Studios & Fleishcher Studios Versions– Teeny Weeny Series – Electric Tiki;
*Mr. Magoo– Teeny Weeny Series – Electric Tiki;
*Underdog– Teeny Weeny Series – Electric Tiki;
*Chilly Willy– Teeny Weeny Series – Electric Tiki;
*Rocky & Bullwinkle– Teeny Weeny Series – Electric Tiki;
*Andy Panda– Teeny Weeny Series – Electric Tiki;
*Woody Woodpecker. 1940's Retro, 1947 Classic, 1957 Modern– Teeny Weeny Series – Electric Tiki;
*Darkwing Duck– Teeny Weeny Series – Electric Tiki;
*Tinker Bell, Grand Jester Bust
*Uncle Scrooge, Grand Jester Bust
*Maleficent, Grand Jester Bust
*Horned King, Grand Jester Bust,
*Prince or Persia, Grand Jester Bust
*Comic Art Professionals Society “Sergio” Award;
*Cover, ''
Alter Ego
An alter ego (Latin for "other I") means an alternate Self (psychology), self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original Personality psychology, personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other ...
Ron Marz
Ron Marz (born November 17, 1965) is an American comic book writer, known for his work on titles such as '' Batman/Aliens'', ''DC vs. Marvel'', ''Green Lantern'', ''Silver Surfer'', and ''Witchblade''.
Career
Marz is known for his work on ''Si ...
, First American Phantom Annual, Moonstone Comics;
*Illustrator, ''The Phantom Chronicles'', Moonstone Books;
*Author, ''
The Phantom
''The Phantom'' is an American adventure comic strip, first published by Lee Falk in February 1936. The main character, the Phantom, is a fictional costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla. The char ...
Chronicles Artist's Annex'',
Moonstone Books
Moonstone Books is an American comic book, graphic novel, and prose fiction publisher based in Chicago focused on pulp fiction comic books and prose anthologies as well as horror and western tales.
The company began publishing creator-owned com ...
and Masked Avenger Studios;
*Interior Illustrator, '' Tales of Zorro'',
Moonstone Books
Moonstone Books is an American comic book, graphic novel, and prose fiction publisher based in Chicago focused on pulp fiction comic books and prose anthologies as well as horror and western tales.
The company began publishing creator-owned com ...
*Batman'66 Issue #5, DC Comics; (Artist)
*Batman'66 Issue #8, DC Comics; (Artist)
*Batman'66 Issue #20, DC Comics; (Artist)