# Harold Whitaker

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**Harold Jackson Whitaker** (5 June 1920 – 26 December 2013) was a British [animator](/source/Animator), whose credits included *[Animal Farm](/source/Animal_Farm_(1954_film))* in 1954 and *[Heavy Metal](/source/Heavy_Metal_(film))* in 1981.[1] He first worked for [Anson Dyer](/source/Anson_Dyer), before spending thirty years as an animator for [Halas and Batchelor](/source/Halas_and_Batchelor).[1] He made a comic strip adaptation of *Animal Farm* in 1954.[2]

Whitaker was born on 5 June 1920 in [Cottingham](/source/Cottingham,_East_Riding_of_Yorkshire), [East Yorkshire](/source/East_Yorkshire). He was raised in [Manchester](/source/Manchester)[1] and studied drawing at Macclesfield art school.[1]

In 1981, Whitaker published a book, *Timing for Animation*.[1] *Timing for Animation* was republished in 2002 to include an introduction written by [John Lasseter](/source/John_Lasseter), the President of [Pixar Studios](/source/Pixar_Studios).[1]

Whitaker later worked as an animator and storyboard artist on several films such as *[The Magic Voyage](/source/The_Magic_Voyage)*, *[Stowaways on the Ark](/source/Stowaways_on_the_Ark)*, *[The Twelve Tasks of Asterix](/source/The_Twelve_Tasks_of_Asterix)*, *Doctor in the Sky*, *[When the Wind Blows](/source/When_the_Wind_Blows_(1986_film))*, *[Wilhelm Busch – Die Trickfilm-Parade: Max und Moritz und andere Streiche](/source/Wilhelm_Busch_%E2%80%93_Die_Trickfilm-Parade:_Max_und_Moritz_und_andere_Streiche)* and the television series *[The Dreamstone](/source/The_Dreamstone)* and *[Poddington Peas](/source/Poddington_Peas)*.

Whitaker died on 26 December 2013 at the age of 93.[1]

## References

1. Stewart, Jez (2014-01-14). ["Harold Whitaker obituary: Animator who captured Orwell's Farmer Jones in Britain's first animated feature film, Animal Farm, in 1954"](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jan/14/harold-whitaker). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. Retrieved 2014-01-25.

1. ["Harold Whitaker"](https://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/whitaker_harold.htm)

## External links

- [https://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/whitaker_harold.htm](https://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/whitaker_harold.htm)
- [Harold Whitaker](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0924266/) at IMDb
- [BBC Gloucestershire article about Halas & Batchelor animator Harold Whitaker](https://news.bbc.co.uk/local/gloucestershire/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_8473000/8473281.stm)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Harold Whitaker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Whitaker) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Whitaker?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.