Brenda Banks (animator)

Brenda Lee Banks

Brenda Lee Banks (July 19, 1948 – December 30, 2020) was an American animator, who was one of the first African American women to work as a professional animator.[1]

History

Early life and education

Banks was born in Los Angeles on July 19, 1948. She graduated from Fremont High School in 1967 and later attended the California Institute of the Arts. She continued her education at CalArts through 1977 while simultaneously beginning her professional career in animation. [1] Her work was a major step forward for the field, which historically didn't have much racial diversity. [2]

Career

Banks's first projects included the Clerow Wilson television specials in the early 1970s and the 1973 animated special B.C.: The First Thanksgiving.[3] Later that year, she joined Ralph Bakshi’s studio; despite having no prior background in animation, she was hired after asking for a job, according to Ralph Bakshi.

Banks was initially given minor tasks on the 1974 feature Coonskin.[1] After proving her technical abilities, she was assigned to animate "goon" characters in the film Wizards. Although these were secondary characters, her work was a success, and Bakshi described her as the "star of the goons" at the studio. [1] [4] She continued to work on Bakshi’s subsequent features including The Lord of the Rings in 1978 and Fire and Ice in 1983. [5]

Following her work with Bakshi, Banks joined Warner Brothers Animation to work on their Looney Tunes television specials. [4] She later held roles at Hanna-Barbera, where she worked on The Pirates of Dark Water, and at Film Roman, where she contributed to the Fox series The Simpsons. In the latter half of her career, she specialized in character layout, focusing on scene composition and how shots were arranged visually. From 1997 to 2005, she served as a layout artist for King of the Hill, before retiring from the industry.[4] [6]

Accolades and awards

In 2018, Banks was honored with the Women in Animation (WIA) Diversity Award during the Spark Animation Festival. Taylor Shaw, a founder of Black Women Animate, accepted the award on her behalf, describing her as a "pioneer who deserves this honor" and a "symbol of perseverance" for women of color. [7] The award, presented by the WIA non-profit organization, recognized her contributions to the industry and her role in "paving the way for future generations" of diverse artists. [8][7]

Personal life

Banks was known by her colleagues as a private individual who preferred to focus on her craft rather than her status. According to fellow animator Lee Crowe, Banks was modest regarding her achievements and did not seek recognition for being one of the first African American women in animation. [1] Early in her career, Banks worked despite a physical disability that required her to use leg braces, though her mobility later improved following surgery. [1]

Banks died on December 30, 2020, at the age of 72. [1]

Filmography

Feature Films

Television

Video Games

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Hurler, Jen (February 24, 2021). "Brenda Banks, One Of The First Black Women Animators In America, Dies At 72". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  2. ↑ Klein, Hugh; Shiffman, Kenneth S. (September 2006). "Race-Related Content of Animated Cartoons". Howard Journal of Communications. 17 (3): 163–182. doi:10.1080/10646170600829493. ISSN 1064-6175. PMC 6136259. PMID 30220835.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Milligan, Mercedes (February 23, 2021). "Pioneering, 'Immensely Private' Animator Brenda Banks Has Died". Animation Magazine. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 Korkis, Jim (January 16, 2015). "Animation Anecdotes #195: Who Was Brenda Banks". Cartoon Research. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Brenda Banks". The Pool. May 14, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  6. ↑ Ortved, John (2009). The Simpsons: an uncensored, unauthorized history (1st ed.). New York: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-86547-988-3.
  7. 1 2 Wolfe, Jennifer (October 25, 2018). "Women in Animation Announces WIA Diversity Award Honorees at Spark ANIMATION 2018". Animation World Network. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Flores, Terry (October 25, 2018). "Women in Animation Honors NFB's Michael Fukushima, Animated Short 'Music & Clowns' With Diversity Awards". Variety. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  9. ↑ Quinlan, Thomas (June 1, 2004). "Wizards: Ralph Bakshi". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Beck, Jerry (October 28, 2005). The Animated Movie Guide. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 9781569762226.
  11. ↑ Canby, Vincent (February 13, 1981). "'American Pop' Grown-Up Animation". The New York Times. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Crowther, Linnea (February 25, 2021). "Brenda Banks (2020), pioneering animator who worked on 'Wizards,' 'King of the Hill'". Legacy.com. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Cartoon Characters, Cast and Crew for B. C.: The First Thanksgiving (1972)". The Big Cartoon Database. Dave Koch. 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Dr. Seuss' The Hoober-Bloob Highway". Paley Center For Media. 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Dr. Seuss' Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You?". Paley Center For Media. 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  16. ↑ Hallenbeck, Bruce G. (August 11, 2009). Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914-2008. McFarland & Company. p. 234. ISBN 9780786453788.
  17. ↑ "Cartoon Characters, Cast and Crew for Bugs Vs. Daffy: Battle Of The Music Video Stars (1988)". The Big Cartoon Database. Dave Koch. 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Bugs Bunny's Wild World of Sports (1989) Animated Cartoon Special". The Big Cartoon Database. Dave Koch. 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Night of the Bedbugs (1990) Season 1, Episode 1". The Big Cartoon Database. Dave Koch. 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  20. ↑ Tupper, Carrie (June 4, 2014). "A History of Women in Animation: Mothers of a Medium". The Mary Sue. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  21. ↑ "The Simpsons: Virtual Springfield Credits". Metacritic. 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
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