Born in 1939 in Seymore, a small town in the Australian state of Victoria, educated at Swinburne Art Institute in Melbourne, Ron Campbell was a force in animation for five decades.

Campbell began his animation career in the late fifties, soon working on

Beetle Bailey
Krazy Kat
Cool McCool
The Beatles cartoon series

He then moved to the United States and Hanna-Barbera, going on to write, produce and animate cartoons for

Sesame Street
the original George of the Jungle and
Tom Slick TV shows.

In the late 60’s Ron Campbell, working with his friend and colleague Duane Crowther (RIP), animated many scenes in the Beatles Yellow Submarine feature film, including the Sea of Time sequence, and much of the action between the Chief Blue Meanie and his boot-licking sidekick, Max.

In the early 1980s, he storyboarded Hanna-Barbera’s hit series, The Smurfs, including the Emmy-award winning “Smurfolympics” special. Also, during the 70’s and 80’s, Campbell produced, directed, animated, or storyboarded numerous other hit shows of the era, including the Flintstones, Jetsons, Captain Caveman, and Scooby Doo. Ron was part of the original team that created the Scooby Doo series.

The 1990’s took Ron Campbell to Disney TV Animation where he contracted animation direction and storyboarded on Bonkers, Goof Troop, Darkwing Duck, and Winnie the Pooh. He also spent much of the decade storyboarding for the Rugrats, Rocket Power, and the bizarre adult cartoon, Duckman. During that time, he was nominated for an Emmy for a storyboard for Aaahh! Real Monsters, and another for the Rugrats.

With particular emphasis on The Beatles, his Cartoon Pop Art has been showcased in galleries internationally and across the USA. Ron passed away in January 2021 at the age of 81.

Smurf Orchestra - Original Drawing by Ron Campbell

Share this Product