June 22, 2015 was the 80th birthday for Disney Legend Floyd Norman. He tried to get his wife, Adrienne (who also works at the Walt Disney Company as a Senior Illustration Manager), to promise not to have a celebration for him. Adrienne answered honestly that she couldn’t make that promise. However she conspired with Rick Law (Disney creative manager, Illustrator and producer) to have the celebration but to still surprise Floyd. They accomplished this by first having a picture taken of him with his extended family and close friends, which will be placed around the Walt Disney Company’s Grand Central Creative Campus. Afterwards they brought him into the GCC Café, where he was surprised to find 200 friends and co workers waiting for him. After some socializing, his friend Graham Barnard, acted as emcee for the event. Videos were shown on a movie screen of birthday greetings from Ron Miller, Michael Eisner, Bob Iger as well as a clip of Floyd wandering around the campus with an explanation of the newly coined term:
“Floy-der-ing” – Verb intransitive. To wander, in conversation, contemplation, a pondering of life’s questions.
In explanation Floyd said that he found strolling around helped with creativity, much more so than just sitting at a desk and thus the word Floydering began.
The new menu in the Café was shown with its addition of “Floyd’s Grilled Cheese
Sandwich” as Floyd always orders a grilled cheese sandwich. Also shown was the previous years videoed Birthday greeting from Scarlett Johansson.
A surprise unopened Fedex envelope was given to Floyd to open by Scarlett Stahl, who explained that she remembered many years ago Floyd telling her how as a young inbetweener working on Sleeping Beauty, he really admired the beautiful and talented star, Mary Costa, but didn’t have the courage to speak to her. Scarlett explained that as Mary was a friend, she had contacted Mary to tell her about Floyd’s 80th Birthday celebration. Mary was delighted to learn of this as she had met Floyd and his wife, Adrienne, previously and liked them both very much. (Both Mary Costa and Floyd Norman are Disney Legends.) Mary had sent the envelope Fedex to Scarlett for presentation to Floyd. Inside was a lovely Birthday card along with a picture of Briar Rose personalized by Mary to her friend Floyd!!!!
There were gifts galore, gift cards to Walt Disney’s favorite restaurant, the Tam O’Shanter, a group photo of Floyd with his friends (from days gone by), a birthday portrait by movie poster artist Drew Struzan, as well as a caricature by Mike Peraza, among the many wonderful gifts.
Some of the following celebrities present are as follows: Richard Sherman (composer), Bob Gurr (Imagineer), Margaret Kerry (Tinker Bell), Mike Peraza (Art Director), Fabrizio Mancinelli (composer), Mindy Johnson (author), Michael Leon Wooley (Louis the Alligator in Princess and the Frog),Tony Anselmo (Donald Duck), Jerry Beck (President of ASIFA-Hollywood), David Derks (Vice President of ASIFA-Hollywood).
After the main event, everyone retired to the food tables, which were laden with cheese, crackers, fruits, salsa, avocado, chips, vegetarian empanadas, breast of chicken on sewers, Yorkshire pudding bits with filet mignon. On separate tables were both alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages. Another table had various cupcakes with white chocolate coins of Floyd’s half face (see accompanying picture.) Many of the guests wore tshirts featuring the same half picture of Floyd’s face, while the other guests kept asking how to buy for themselves. Of course everyone had to have their photo with Floyd, who graciously obliged. It was a perfect event in every way…
Kudos go to Rick Law and Adrienne Nichelle Brown- Norman for doing such a great job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To those readers, who aren’t as familiar with the animation side of the Walt Disney Company, here is a brief introduction to Floyd Norman, who began his career as an animator for Walt Disney in 1956. Floyd began his career on the animated feature Sleeping Beauty, continuing with The Sword in the Stone and The Jungle Book, as well as Robin Hood. He worked as a writer in the comic strip department, was a storyboard artist and continues as a freelance consultant on various projects at the Walt Disney Company. Remember Fat Albert? That was Floyd too, during his non-Disney days.
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He is also an author. Some of his published books are: Faster! Cheaper!, Son of Faster, Cheaper!, How the Grinch Stole Disney. His most recent book is Animated Life: A Lifetime of tips, tricks, techniques and stories from an animation Legend.
Floyd was the recipient of the Winsor McCay Award for Recognition of lifetime or career contributions to the art of animation at the 2002 Annie Awards. He became a Disney Legend in 2007 with his handprints and signature cast in bronze for the Disney Legends Plaza at the Walt Disney Studios. At Anthrocon 2008, he was the guest of honor and at Comic-Con International, he was given an Inkpot Award. Most recently in 2013, Floyd was honored with the “Sergio Award” from The Comic Art Professional Society (CAPS).
Please join us in wishing the amazing Floyd Norman a very happy 80th birthday!
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