Dave Spafford
WDCC Sculptor
Dave Spafford is an animator, artist and silhouette cutter whose career has crossed animation, storyboarding, design and traditional hand-cut silhouette art.
His contribution to the Walt Disney Classics Collection reflects a career deeply connected with Disney animation and a distinctive understanding of character, movement and silhouette.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Discover the artist behind the sculptures
Dave Spafford's association with Disney began remarkably early. At 16 years old, he worked at Disneyland building sets for entertainer Wally Boag and the Golden Horseshoe Revue.
At 18, he began what would become a 14-year career in the Walt Disney Productions Animation Department. His years in animation eventually included work during the era of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Little Mermaid.
After leaving Disney, Spafford founded Spaff Animation, producing animation for major studios while continuing to explore storyboarding, design and other forms of visual storytelling.
Dave Spafford & WDCC
Work for the Walt Disney Classics Collection
Dave Spafford brought his extensive animation background to the Walt Disney Classics Collection, translating the strong poses and recognizable silhouettes of animated characters into three-dimensional collectible art.
His work for the collection forms another chapter in a career spent interpreting characters through shape, movement and expression, skills developed through decades of animation and visual design.
NOTABLE WDCC CREATIONS
A selection of sculptures created by Dave Spafford
BEYOND WDCC
Other projects and collectible lines
Spafford's career extends far beyond collectible art. Through Spaff Animation, he produced animation for studios including Disney, Warner Bros. and Universal, while also working in storyboarding, set design and special effects.
He has also maintained a long-standing passion for hand-cut silhouette portraits, an art form that first fascinated him during his early years at Disneyland.
- Traditional animation
- Storyboarding
- Set and visual design
- Special effects
- Hand-cut silhouette art
DID YOU KNOW?
A little story behind the artist
Dave Spafford's fascination with hand-cut silhouettes dates back to his teenage years at Disneyland, where he watched silhouette artists create portraits of park guests.
Decades later, the former Disney animator can still be found practicing the art himself, including appearances at Hollywood's Magic Castle.