It has taken me a few days to muster up the courage to write this article. For everyone out there who does not know, veteran animation artist and storybook illustrator, Ron Dias, passed away this past Tuesday.
I will never forget when I first spoke with Ron. It was August of 2010 when I anxiously received his voice message on my cell phone (I still have it on file today). He had responded to a letter I wrote to him on July 28 of that year. I called Ron back instantly and found him to be so welcoming and warm right from the start. That first call led to a second, and a third, and so many more over the next three years. We became very close, and in time, met in person this time last year. In fact, you can read about that visit HERE if you'd like. What a special day it was!
I had always been an admirer of Ron's art from a far as a child, not knowing that this gem of an artist even existed. It wasn't until I became seriously interested in the art of Disney animation, as an adult, when I discovered who Ron Dias was. And then BOOM! I realized that he had always been a part of my life.
Who knew that this man was lurking in the backgrounds of The Secret of NIMH or hiding within the forest of Sleeping Beauty? And who knew that this wonderful man would someday open up his world to me and become such a dear friend over such a short period of time? I know I'm not alone in this. There are so many others out there, reading this now with tears in their eyes, nodding their heads.
Through Ron, I gained a whole new appreciation not only for animation, but for his art. I never fully realized how much he accomplished in his lifetime until getting to know him. Believe it when I say that Ron is all around us. He's made his mark on children's books, background art, movie posters, puzzles, video games, Blu-ray menus, comic books, record covers, television, magazines....the list goes on and on!
It was the fall of 2012 when he and I decided to talk in depth about his life and art. With his kind permission, I started to record our sessions in mid-September. Between then and early November I interviewed and recorded Ron on consecutive Saturdays. The interviews would range anywhere from an hour to two hours each. In the end, we had over 12 hours of recordings, divided into eight sessions.
Two weeks before Ron passed away, I began transcribing our first interview together. It's really funny how time works that way. I never thought he'd be gone shortly thereafter. I spoke with him for the last time on July 17 while he was in the hospital. He shared with me that he and his lifelong partner, Howard, we're finally getting married that day. Before hanging up, it dawned on me that it was not only my own wedding anniversary, but Disneyland's birthday, too! I could tell he just loved that. Without even knowing it, that was our final goodbye.
Although Ron is no longer with us, his legacy lives on. He has touched so many lives through his art and friendship, and that alone makes him immortal. I know many others out there have a story to tell too.
I've been building up quite an extensive file on Ron since we began talking, with the hopes of someday writing a biography about him. The recordings cemented that, and with Ron's blessing, I knew it was something I was determined to do. Now that he is gone, it makes it so much more real, and so much more important to me that his story be told.
With that said, if you have any information about Ron, whether you were a friend, family member, or coworker, and would like to share your experiences, please feel free to send them to me, Vince, at vrand83@gmail.com. Anything you can send is much appreciated and will be included in my files on Ron.
Ron was known for inscribing in his children's books that "Art is Magic!" Well, I think we can all safely agree that Ron Dias was magic. And he is sorely missed.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Howard and Ron's family.
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