A sample of Mr. Peregoy's non-Disney artwork. And if you'd like to see more, mark your calendar for August 5, 2011, the scheduled opening day for Walt's show at Gallery 839.
TAG Interview with Walt Peregoy
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Find all TAG Interviews on the TAG website at this link
We continue with Walt Peregoy's thoughts on the animation industry (and his long-time role in it), working as a designer on iconic animated features, and life ...
The artist in his studio ...
One of the artist's works-in-progress.
Click the thumbnail for a full-sized version
Walt Peregoy will be holding an exhibit of selected works from February 23rd to February 27th at 14242 Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. The show's opening is from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on the 23rd.
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32 comments:
Thank you for the interview. It was enlightening. I appreciate Walt's honesty.
Welcome.
I've enjoyed all the interviews, but few have been quite as colorful as Mr. Peregoy's.
Steve! I think I might admire you more as your role as interviewer here. You could have stopped him every three words with a, "What? Excuse me?" but you just let Walt go off and let his 'tone' speak for itself. And I appreciate you not editing or censoring! Good stuff. This is the history we never read in the books. Thanks for going out and getting this colorful interview!
I love Walt's willingness to speak his mind and let loose with whatever pops into his head, but he crosses the line when he suggests that Marc Davis was gay. Marc was a stylish and elegant man who married a little later than most of his peers, but he was well known as a ladies man, and this in an industry that was pretty tolerant of gay men even 'back then.' I think Walt let the fact that Marc was the opposite of crude get confused with him not being masculine enough to be straight.
By the way, it was Marc Davis who was the fourth artist in the '4 Artists Paint 1 Tree' documentary. Oh, and Marc and Alice were about the same height. I assume Walt must be pretty tiny to think of the wonderful Alice Davis as 'a giant.'
You could have stopped him every three words with a, "What? Excuse me?" but you just let Walt go off and let his 'tone' speak for itself.
I try not to get in the way. These interviews are about the subjects.
If someone ever does a biography of Mr. Peregoy's life, I hope they're just as libelous and unsparing. It'd serve him right.
You can't libel the dead.
^Like hell. Seth MacFarlane does it all the time (via his stupid "Walt Disney was an anti-Semite" jokes). Sometimes I think MacFarlane doesn't know the difference between libel and humor. Sometimes I think he thinks libel IS humor. But I digress.
Well, maybe you can't LEGALLY libel them, in the sense that their heirs or estate can sue you, but it sure is SLANDEROUS, defaming and otherwise very, very uncool to gossip about people after they can't defend or speak for themselves. It's just not very classy. No matter WHO you are or what your past is. Last time I checked, Alice Davis was still alive. I don't know and care less what Marc's sex life was like. It's nobody's business at all.
Keep in mind that Peregoy hasn't simply blasted people after they were dead. He was doing it while they were still alive.
How do I know? I was there.
Alive or dead, gossip and surmise about people's private lives isn't cool. The fact that the INTERNET and this blog are open to everyone in the world makes some things that much more iffy to post.
This isn't some academic forum. It's routinely visited by kids, fans and god only knows who in addition to professionals experienced and otherwise.
I guess it's just worrying that there are people who take anything from a "Disney veteran" as gospel no matter what it might be. The fact is that even if you were there-like Peregoy, like Ward Kimball or Ollie Johnston for that matter-everyone has his own perspective and brings his own personal baggage to the table. Inaccurate memory, rivalries, jealousies and every other part of a long productive life are part of the equation.
So, who's going to be the "censor" to decide what's true or personal opinion?
I find it refreshing to not have the usual studio spin or corporate B.S. that's been a part of this business for years.
I think Walt makes it pretty clear that these are his opinions.
What I find it more interesting that you find it harmful to Marc's reputation that he might have been Gay.
If he was Gay or wasn't I don't see how that changes anything. What if Walt had said he thought that Marc was part Black or part Jewish? Would that be considered slander to you and harmful to Marc's reputation?
And yet no one seems to be worried that Walt called several people ass kissers or brown nosers (I know, not exactly his words). Those accusations seem much more harmful to reputations then whether Marc was Gay or not.
Yeah, who's gay or not gay was never an issue. Hell, it didn't even matter to Disney and he was as conservative as they come.
Again, the old guys were quite outspoken back in the day, and arguments and opinion went back and forth. The guys called each other Facists or Commies or worse, all the time.
Then, at the end of the day, they'd all go out and have a drink together. Go figure.
Sounds kind of Gay to me, Floyd ;)
What I find it more interesting that you find it harmful to Marc's reputation that he might have been Gay.
Ah. I KNEW someone would take it that way. Well, my bad.
No, I don't think it would be at ALL harmful to Marc's "reputation" if he were gay. I DO think it's nobody's goddamn business unless MARC himself or perhaps his significant other want to talk about such a personal matter for whatever reason.
I mean, what's the point of that tidbit? Sure, anyone can say whatever they think but unless they know 100% for certain it's so, it's just gossip. And gossip is a bad thing to put on the internet when no one can step up to say otherwise-say, if they're recently dead. It's just tacky. Get that?
The interview is exactly what it is purported to be: the reflections of one old veteran of the animation trenches. It is part of history. It is subjective personal viewpoints and memories.
So what if he had opinions (and unproven assertions) of co-workers? History is replete with this sort of thing. These are Peregoy's thoughts and opinions, nothing more, and should stand as they are.
that was flippin hilarious I loved it. thanks
Thanks for this interview! I've been interested in Walt Peregoy's work for some time now.
What I like about this kind of oral history is the fact that we learn so much about a person's personality and their way of thinking.
Did you plan to transcribe the interview? I'd volunteer to do it.
Peregoy is a great artist and his reputation is secure (although from the obsessive neediness for recognition that he displays in this interview I don't think he quite believes it).
This is probably an interview that could have been improved with some skillful editing. Not necessarily to expunge the swearing which I'm neither particularly offended by or impressed by, but to make it come off as less of a rant where almost everyone but Peregoy is portrayed as a hack, or an asshole, butt kisser, cocksucker, etc. ... the undercurrent of insecure bloviating about all the other assholes and hacks he had to endure over the years gets old pretty fast. (Yeah, we get it Walt: You were Picasso with Cel-Vinyl. You were better than Al Dempster . Whatever. ) Fantastically talented artist , one of the best color stylist/BG painters ever, but his own worst enemy in a way.
Skillful editing would be good, but that's not how we roll.
All of these histories are put up "as is" unless the interviewer wants something snipped.
What I find it more interesting that you find it harmful to Marc's reputation that he might have been Gay.
I'm the other anonymous who called Walt out on his false claim that Marc Davis was gay. There's nothing wrong with someone being gay, and many of Alice and Marc Davis's best friends were/are gay. Marc and Alice were, unlike Walt Pergoy, completely nonjudgmental about other people's sexual orientation. It was Walt who used the assertion as a nasty bit of gossip.
Does it matter? Yes, it does, but not the way you think I mean. It matters because if it were true, it means Marc and Alice's marriage and lives were, in one very important area, shams. It would be a shabby claim even if both of them were dead, but Alice is very much alive, and very active in the animation community.
I applaud Walt Pergoy for speaking his mind. But when he's spouting bullshit, I reserve the right to call him on it.
Sorry, dude, I don't see how someone suggesting Marc (or anyone) is Gay makes a bit of difference.
Nice to know that you're the one designated to defend Marc and Alice from the evils of a "Gay slur". Someone suggesting that Marc may or may not be Gay doesn't change their marriage one iota to the people that it matters to. How has anything changed?
I bet you also think that Gay marriage somehow hurts the grand institution of marriage as well.
No interest in defending some of those 'butt lickers' he accuses?
I don't know the people he accused of being butt lickers, and that was a different kind of accusation, anyway. That was just a nasty way of saying they kissed ass.
I did know Marc, and I do know Alice. Walt's statement made him (Walt) look like a nasty old fool, but it was a false and gratuitous thing to say. Oh, and you lose the bet.
I have to wonder why it's so important to you that it be okay to use 'gay' as a slur? Is it an issue for you?
It sounds like you're the one who thinks Gay is a slur. It doesn't sound like whoever you're arguing with feels that way.
NMice to know you only defend those people you know and can namedrop. Aren't you special.
If you know Alice so well then I'm surprised you think she'd be bothered by what you're considering to be a nasty slur against Marc.
Geez Louise! It's one man's memories and viewpoints. If you don't like what he has to say or how he says it, move on. Don't get yourself all twisted up by his rant. BTW, I turned it off about 10 minutes in, when I'd heard enough. Simple.
No, I don't think 'gay' is a slur, though it's clear that Walt Peregoy does.
What I do think is that people like Marc and Alice Davis have earned the right to have their privacy and lives respected. You clearly agree, since you're posting anonymously so that you won't get personally attacked. If you actually believed it was okay for anyone to say anything about anyone else, you'd use your name.
It's interesting that this little debate is happening at the same time that Cartoon Brew is shining a light on the way that nasty, gossipy rumors about Walt Disney have become the ONLY things that most people today think they know about him.
They have no idea what Walt Disney accomplished, just that his head is frozen, he was a Nazi sympathizer, and deeply racist and anti-semitic. But hey, according to some people here, that's okay for that kind of misinformation to become accepted 'common knowledge.'
I can't believe anyone is listening to the anonymous coward sniping here. It's stuff like this that makes blogs allow only registered users.
I love the honesty and language coming out of the old guy. Would you really want him to check his opinions? I'd rather get the nonexpurgated version, thank you very much. He grew up in another era; I couldn't care less what names he calls anyone since it's pretty obvious he cared more about talent and character. Go check out someone like Picasso and see if the truth of his personal life makes you want to start tutting and wagging fingers.
Walt Peregoy has only started getting the recognition he long deserved in recent years. It doesn't look like his opinions are affecting other people and ruining their lives. Let the man and his work speak freely.
And kindly stuff the PC attitude.
And a butt-boy. I know, I worked with him.
"I think Walt makes it pretty clear that these are his opinions."
Actually, he spends a lot of time asserting that he's speaking the truth. Very different than expressing an opinion.
It's great that the interview has been captured, since Peregoy saw a decent bit of history during the end of the golden age, but frankly I found his carping about every other artist he worked with tedious after a while. I still have 26 minutes of the second half to listen to, and I'm in no hurry to finish it.
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