1998 in animation

• October 2: DreamWorks Animation's first film, Antz, directed by Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson, is released.^[20]
• October 3: The first episode of Anatole airs.^[21]
• October 4: - The first episode of Rolie Polie Olie airs.^[22]
• October 5: The first episode of Ojarumaru airs.^[23]
• October 9: The first episode of The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald airs.
• Specific date unknown: The Japanese animation studio Bones is founded.^[24]

November

• November 2: Chris Wedge's Bunny is first released.^[25]
• November 8: The Simpsons episode "When You Dish Upon a Star" premieres, which had a cutaway at the end which showed the 20th Century Fox studio with "A division of The Walt Disney Co." at the bottom of the studio sign. This episode would get renewed attention 20 years later after Disney's acquisition of Fox in 2019.
• November 16:
  • Steamboat Willie is added to the National Film Registry.^[26][27]
  • heart problem two months later. Some countries, including Germany and Japan, released it as the next film after The Mystery of the Night Monster
    .
• November 18:
  • The first episode of The Powerpuff Girls airs on Cartoon Network. It became one of the most popular cartoons on the network in the decade.^[29]
  • The Hey Arnold! episode "Arnold's Thanksgiving" airs, which gained notoriety for its allegations of Mr. Simmons' sexuality, suspecting him of having a same-sex relationship with his partner. This was later confirmed by Craig Bartlett.^[30]
• November 20:
  • Paramount Pictures The Rugrats Movie premieres. The film received mixed reviews and gained some notoriety for its thematic material subjecting in a G-rated movie at its time.^[31][32]
  • The film
    Walt Disney Company airs. There was a legal battle between Pixar and DreamWorks regarding the comparisons with this film and Antz.^[33]
• November 28: The first episode of Bob the Builder airs.^[34]

• June 11: Charlie Tahan, American actor (voice of Victor Frankenstein in Frankenweenie).^[42]
• June 19:
  Home: Adventures with Tip and Oh, Dennis in Star vs. the Forces of Evil, Albert Glass in Fish Hooks, Melvin in Harvey Girls Forever!
  ).
• June 24: Soma Chhaya, Canadian-American singer, rapper and actress (voice of Shauzia in The Breadwinner).

July

• July 8:
  • Maya Hawke, American actress and singer-songwriter (voice of Anxiety in Inside Out 2, Abyss in the Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur episode "Moon Girl's Day Off").
  • Jaden Smith, American rapper and actor (voice of Kaz Kaan in Neo Yokio, Jordan in Entergalactic, College Myron in The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder episode "When You Wish Upon a Roker").^[43]
• July 22:
  Mickey and the Roadster Racers, Cassandra in the Sofia the First
  episode "The Lost Pyramid").
• July 24:
  • Bindi Irwin, Australian television personality, conservationist, zookeeper and actress (voice of Bindi Bungee in the Curious George episode "Monkey Down Under", Isla Coralton in the Spidey and His Amazing Friends episode "Sonic Boom Boom").
  • Logan Grove, American actor (first voice of Gumball in The Amazing World of Gumball and Garfield Logan in Young Justice).
• July 31: Rico Rodriguez, American actor (voice of Raha in The Lion Guard, Luigi Vendetta in the Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil episode "Luigi Vendetta", Snow-Foot in the Jake and the Never Land Pirates episode "The Legendary Snow-Foot!").

August

• August 1: Khamani Griffin, American actor (voice of Khalid in Sofia the First, Cal Devereaux in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, Caleb in Rise of the Guardians).
• August 12: Lily Snowden-Fine, British former child actress and daughter of David Fine and Alison Snowden (voice of the title character in Peppa Pig, additional voices in Bob and Margaret).
• August 25:
  Descendants: The Royal Wedding
  ).

October

• October 23: Amandla Stenberg, American actress (voice of Bia in Rio 2, Spider-Byte in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse).
• October 28: Nolan Gould, American actor (voice of Little Jack in Doc McStuffins, Elliot in Sofia the First).

November

• November 4: Darcy Rose Byrnes, Irish-American actress and singer (voice of Amber in Sofia the First, Ikki in The Legend of Korra).
• November 23: Bradley Steven Perry, American actor (voice of Zevon in Descendants: Wicked World).

December

• December 2: Amber Frank, American actress (voice of Dee in Huevos: Little Rooster's Egg-cellent Adventure, Lucky Prescott in Spirit Riding Free).
• December 16: Kiara Muhammad, American actress (voice of the title character in the first two seasons of Doc McStuffins, Kari in Sofia the First).
• December 22:
  G. Hannelius, American actress and singer (voice of Little Bits in Wander Over Yonder, Amanda in the Fish Hooks episode "A Charity Fair to Remember", Lady Joy in the Sofia the First
  episode "Sofia the Second").

• January 4: Mae Questel, American actress (voice of Betty Boop and Olive Oyl), dies at age 89.^[44]
• January 7: Eli Bauer, American comics artist and animator (Terrytoons, Sesame Street), dies at age 69.^[45]
• January 21: Yoshifumi Kondō, Japanese animator (Studio Ghibli) and director (Whisper of the Heart), dies at age 47.^[46]
• January 28: Shotaro Ishinomori, Japanese manga artist (creator of Cyborg 009), dies at age 60.

February

• February 14:
  Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros. Cartoons), dies at age 90.^[47][48]
• February 21: Art Seidel, American production manager (assistant director for the live-action sequence in The Simpsons episode "Treehouse of Horror VI"), dies at age 66.
• February 23: Philip Abbott, American actor (voice of Nick Fury in Iron Man and Spider-Man), dies at age 73.^[49]
• February 24: Milicent Patrick, American actress, makeup artist, special effects designer and animator (Fantasia, Dumbo), dies at age 82.^{[50][page needed]}
• February 26: James Algar, American film director, screenwriter, and producer (The Walt Disney Company), dies at age 85.^[51][52]

April

• April 17: Linda McCartney, American photographer and activist (voiced herself in The Simpsons episode "Lisa the Vegetarian", Wilhelmina in Tropic Island Hum), dies from breast cancer at age 56.^[53]
• April 23: Enrique Riverón, Cuban-American cartoonist, animator and comics artist (Walt Disney Animation Studios), dies at age 95 or 96.^[54]

May

• May 14: Frank Sinatra, American singer and actor (voice of Singing Sword in Who Framed Roger Rabbit), dies from a heart attack at age 82.^[55]
• May 28: Phil Hartman, Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter and graphic designer (voice of Professor Von Joy, Hans-Cuff and Staks in Challenge of the GoBots, Mr. Wilson, Henry Mitchell and Ruff in Dennis the Menace, Air Conditioner and Hanging Lamp in The Brave Little Toaster, Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz in The Simpsons, Psycho Bunny in Eek! The Cat, Calaboose Cal, Hot Dog Vendor and Inspector De Paws in Tom & Jerry Kids, Adolph Hitmaker, Tom Morgan in The Pagemaster, Russian Filmreel Announcer and Midget Clown in The Ren & Stimpy Show, Chauncey in Buster & Chauncey's Silent Night, Game Show Host in the Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child episode "The Empress' Nightingale", Vaccu-Spook Auctioneer in The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo episode "Reflections in a Ghoulish Eye", School Patrol Robots and Executive Vice President in The Jetsons episode "Boy George", Captain Frye in the DuckTales episode "Scrooge's Pet", Ace London in the TaleSpin episode "Mach One for the Gipper", Paddywhack in the Darkwing Duck episode "the Haunting of Mr. Banana Brain", Dimitri in the Captain Planet and the Planeteers episode "Mind Pollution", Inspector C. Bass in the Fish Police episode "A Fish Out of Water", Bernie Wasserman and Professor Blowhard in The Critic episode "Eyes on the Prize", Dan Anchorman in the Animaniacs episode "Broadcast Nuisance", Jiji in Kiki's Delivery Service, announcer for Cartoon Network), was murdered at age 49.^[11]
• May 31: Sherman Labby, American storyboard artist and production illustrator (Filmation, Hanna-Barbera, Marvel Productions), dies from muscular dystrophy at age 68.^[56]

June

• June 3: William L. Snyder, American film producer (Rembrandt Films), dies at age 80.^[57]
• June 5: Jeanette Nolan, American actress (voice of Ellie Mae in The Rescuers, Widow Tweed in The Fox and the Hound), dies from a stroke at age 86.^[58]
• June 12:
  • Retta Davidson, American animator (Walt Disney Animation Studios, Chuck Jones, Ralph Bakshi), dies at age 76.^[59][60]
  • DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, Bill Melendez), dies at age 83.^[61]
• June 24: Henry G. Saperstein, American film producer and distributor (UPA), dies at age 80.
• June 28: Jean-Yves Raimbaud, French animator and screenwriter (Space Goofs, Oggy and the Cockroaches), dies from lung cancer at age 40.^[62]

July

• July 6: Roy Rogers, American singer and actor (narrator of the Pecos Bill segment in Melody Time), dies at age 86.^[63]
• July 8:
  Ersatz
  ), dies at age 71.
• July 16: Tony Sgroi, American comics artist and animator (worked for Warner Bros. animation, Bob Clampett, Walter Lantz, Hanna-Barbera), dies at age 73.^[64]
• July 17: Joseph Maher, Irish actor (voice of Emile Dorian in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Tyger, Tyger"), dies at age 64.^[65][66]

August

• August 14: Stanislav Holý, Czech graphic artist, caricaturist, animation designer, children's book illustrator and animator (Mr. Pip), dies at age 55.^[67]
• August 25: Lee Gunther, American film editor (co-founder of Marvel Productions), dies at age 63.

September

• September 6: Whitney Lee Savage, American animator (Mickey Mouse in Vietnam, animated segments in Sesame Street), dies at age 69.^[68]
• September 25: Jeff Moss, American composer (Sesame Street), dies at age 56.

October

• October 3: Roddy McDowall, British-American actor (voice of Mad Hatter in the DC Animated Universe, Proteus in Gargoyles, the Breadmaster in The Tick, Snowball in Pinky and the Brain, Mr. Soil in A Bug's Life), dies from lung cancer at age 70.^[69]
• October 15: Jack Boyd, American animator and special effects creator (
  Walt Disney Company
  ), dies at age 82.

November

• November 3: Bob Kane, American comic book writer, animator and artist (co-creator of Batman, Cool McCool, and Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse), dies at age 83.^[70][71]
• November 24: Jacques Eggermont, Belgian comics artist and animator (worked for CBA), dies at age 80.^[72]
• November 30: Ruth Clifford, American actress (fifth voice of Minnie Mouse and third voice of Daisy Duck) dies at age 98.^[73][74][75]

December

• December 10: Ray Goossens, Belgian animator (Musti, Plons de Kikker) and comics artist, dies at age 74.^[76]
• December 12:
  MGM, Walter Lantz, Hanna-Barbera
  ), dies at age 88.
• December 19: Kazuo Harada, Japanese film director and producer (Studio Comet, Nihon Ad Systems, Tsuchida Production), dies at an unknown age.^[77]
• December 21: André LeBlanc, Haitian-American-Brazilian comics artist and animator (worked for Hanna-Barbera), dies at age 77.^[78]
• December 25:
  Richard Paul, American voice actor (voice of Sonny in Coonskin), dies at age 58.^[79]
• December 30: G. Stanley Jones, Canadian actor (voice of Lex Luthor in Challenge of the Superfriends, Riff Raff in Heathcliff), dies at age 72.

Sources