While growing up in New York, Imagineer Ralph Kent fell "hopefully" under the spell of Disney animated motion pictures, particularly "Pinocchio," he said, because he identified with the puppet's sense of awe, wonder, and magic, an attitude Ralph still holds today.
By age 10, he transformed the basement walls of his home into a giant mural of Disney characters ranging from Alice in Wonderland to Cinderella. Fixated on working for Disney, young Ralph decided to send a letter to Walt Disney, receiving a courteous reply.
In 1963, Ralph's dream came true when he arrived at Disneyland as a marketing production artist. One day, Ralph gained the courage to personally ask Walt if he remembered receiving a letter from a kid in Buffalo.
"I had changed my name legally because nobody could pronounce it - Kwiatkowski," Ralph recalled. And "Walt said, 'That was a Polish kid with a long last name.' I said, 'I know; I changed it.' The eyebrow went up and he said, 'Well, why didn't you tell me [sooner]?' I said, 'I was just in awe of you, and still am.'"
Born January 28, 1939, Ralph attended the University of Buffalo Albright Art School. In 1960, he joined the U.S. Army, illustrating military training aids and films.
Upon discharge, Ralph headed to Disney, where he was hired to develop marketing materials for the Jungle Cruise, Enchanted Tiki Room, and more. He worked with fellow Legends Van Arsdale France and Dick Nunis, creators of Disney University, developing training materials for the Company's four attractions featured at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair, including It's A Small World. He also served as art director to Celebrity Sports Center in Denver, which Walt co-owned with celebrities including Art Linkletter and Jack Benny.
In 1965, Ralph designed the first limited-edition Mickey Mouse watch for adults, which Walt presented to 25 of his top executives. A timely invention, word quickly spread about the unique Mickey Mouse time piece and today, more than 100 adult watch designs are manufactured each year.
Ralph arrived in Florida in 1971, to design souvenirs such as license plates, bumper stickers, and more for Walt Disney World. Eight years later, he became Director of Walt Disney Imagineering East, overseeing Florida staff support for EPCOT Center and Tokyo Disneyland.
In 1990, he joined the Disney Design Group as a Corporate Trainer, mentoring new artists and creating an extensive reference collection of character model sheets.
After 41 years dedicated to The Walt Disney Company, he retired in May 2004, and continues to consult on special projects.
He's also enjoying woodworking: "I always wanted to be Geppetto," he said. And so, Ralph Kent continues to make his Disney-inspired dreams come true.
Ralph Kent died in Florida in September 2007.
LA TIMES: Archive for Thursday, September 13, 2007
Ralph Kent, 68; veteran Disney artist preserved image of Mickey Mouse By Jocelyn Y. Stewart September 13, 2007 in print edition B-8\ In the world of Disney, artist Ralph Kent was known by some as “The Keeper of the Mouse.”
The artist was one of Mickey Mouse’s handlers, concerned with maintaining the wholesome image of Walt Disney’s most famous creation. Kent trained other artists to draw the mouse uniformly and helped determine which merchandise would carry its image.
During a nearly 40-year career, Kent became an expert on the finer points of Disney’s world, the look of the characters, their personalities and their interactions. And he was protective of their images.
“He wouldn’t let out certain merchandise, things Mickey shouldn’t be on,” said his wife, Linda Kent. “… Mickey was the standard bearer of Disney; Mickey was the one that made Disney. He had to be kind of kept that way.”
Kent died Monday at his home in Kissimmee, Fla., from complications of esophageal cancer. He was 68.
In addition to his work with Walt Disney Co., Kent designed “Billy Buffalo,” the mascot for the Buffalo Bills professional football team and “Billy the Marlin,” the mascot for the Florida Marlins major league baseball team, Linda Kent said.
In 2004, the year he retired from Disney, Kent was named a “Disney Legend” and was honored with a window on Main Street at Walt Disney World. By then he was a corporate trainer at Disney Design Group.
“He said he ‘fell under the spell’ of Disney when he saw Pinocchio… ,” Marty Sklar, Disney executive vice president, said in a statement. “It was fitting that Ralph capped his Disney years as a trainer, mentoring new artists and creating a reference collection of character model sheets.”
As a boy, Kent was not only fascinated with Walt Disney, he also asked him for a job. When Kent received a letter from Disney, with the answer that there were no jobs for 8-year-olds and the advice to keep studying and drawing, Kent did just that.
Born Ralph Kwiatkowski in Buffalo, N.Y., on Jan. 28, 1939, the artist changed his surname to Kent because, he said, nobody could pronounce his birth name.
He graduated from the Albright Art School in Buffalo in 1960, then spent two years in the Army, where he illustrated military training aids and films.
After his discharge, Kent headed west, found work as a marketing production artist at Disneyland in 1963 and found a mentor in the man to whom he’d written as a child.
Kent designed training material for four Disney exhibits at the 1964-65 World’s Fair in New York.
Over the years he created marketing materials for Disneyland attractions, such as the Jungle Cruise and Enchanted Tiki Room.
He designed a souvenir book for Pirates of the Caribbean and merchandise, such as a Christmas ornament depicting Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.
Kent also designed what remains a memorable Disney collectible: a limited-edition adult Mickey Mouse watch. Walt Disney gave the watch to his top executives in 1965.
In 1971, Kent moved to Florida, where he designed souvenirs and merchandise, such as license plates and bumper stickers for Walt Disney World, and later became director of Walt Disney Imagineering East.
Kent was also the man behind Mickey’s signature. For a while he was one of a scant few authorized to sign the mouse’s signature. Kent left Disney in 1985, but returned in 1990 and became a trainer of artists. His work ensured characters would be drawn uniformly, particularly the group known by some as the “Fab Five”: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto.
Mickey’s personality – like his physical depiction – evolved over the years. In his earlier life Mickey was hardly a Boy Scout. He was a mischief maker, brash and alarming to some parents.
Over the years he became the “always good” Mickey that millions loved. He could do no wrong. (Donald Duck on the other hand could get away with a lot.) Kent’s understanding of Mickey played a role in his decisions regarding merchandising.
“He especially didn’t want him on bras and panties and things like that,” Linda Kent said.
In addition to his wife, Kent is survived by two daughters, Julie Lowery of Winter Garden, Fla., and Laura Hilgenfeldt, of Ocala, Fla.; three stepsons, Scott Dobek of Haines City, Fla., Michael Dobek of Orlando, Fla., and David Gonos of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; a sister, Joan Grabowski of Clarence, N.Y.; and a brother, Larry Kwiatkowski of West Seneca, N.Y.
The underlying theme of the world Walt Disney created was one Kent accepted as a child – and managed to hold on to as an adult, Linda Kent said.
“Ralph was very idealistic,” she said. “He believed in that ‘good conquers evil.’ That’s what Walt believed in. That’s why he loved the company.”
Memorial donations may be made to Mill Slough Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1525 Mill Slough Road, Kissimmee, FL 34741.
RALPH W. KENT, 68, Kissimmee, died Monday, Sept. 10. He was born in Buffalo, N.Y., and worked at Disney for 41 years. He went to work at Disneyland in 1963 as an artist under Walt himself. He was later transferred to Florida to work at Walt Disney World in 1971. He retired from WDW as a corporate trainer artist within the Disney Design group in 2004. He was inducted as a Disney Legend in a 2004 ceremony in Anaheim, Calif. He also designed the first adult Mickey Mouse watch for Walt Disney in 1965 and later designed the Billy the Marlin mascot for the Florida Marlins baseball team. Survivors: wife, Linda; daughters, Julie Lowery, Winter Garden, Lori Kent-Hilgenfeldt, Ocala; stepsons, Michael Dobek, Orlando, Scott Dobek, Haines City, David Gonos, Fort Lauderdale; granddaughter, Taylor Lowery, Winter Garden.
