Editing Don Bluth (section)

== Career ==
=== Early work ===
After graduating high school,<ref>{{cite web |title=Don Bluth University - About Don Bluth |url=https://www.donbluthuniversity.com/about.html |website=Don Bluth University website |access-date=5 April 2025}}</ref> Bluth was hired in 1955 by [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Walt Disney Productions]] as an assistant to [[John Lounsbery]] for ''[[Sleeping Beauty (1959 film)|Sleeping Beauty]]''. In 1957, Bluth left Disney, recalling he found the work to be "kind of boring".{{sfn|Cawley|1990|page=[http://www.cataroo.com/DBbio.html 13]}} For two and a half years, Bluth resided in [[Argentina]] on a [[missionary (LDS Church)|mission]] for [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]. He returned to the United States where he opened a local theater in [[Culver City, California|Culver City]], producing musicals such as ''[[The Music Man]]'' and ''[[The Sound of Music]]''.<ref name=NYTimes8.1.76/>

Bluth returned to college and earned a degree in English literature from Brigham Young University. In 1964, Bluth illustrated ''Affairs of the Harp'', a [[harp]] maintenance manual by Samuel O Pratt, with dozens of anthropomorphic cartoon harp characters he called "Harpoons".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pratt |first1=Samual O |others=Illustrated by Don Bluth |title=Affairs of the Harp |date=1964 |publisher=Charles Colin |location=New York}}</ref> In 1967, Bluth returned to the animation industry, and joined [[Filmation]] working on layouts for ''[[The Archie Show]]'' and ''[[Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1970 TV series)|Sabrina the Teenage Witch]]''.<ref name=NYTimes8.1.76/> In 1971, he returned full-time to Disney as an animation trainee. His first project was ''[[Robin Hood (1973 film)|Robin Hood]]'', in which he animated sequences of [[Robin Hood (Disney character)|Robin Hood]] stealing gold from [[John of England|Prince John]], rescuing a rabbit infant, and romancing [[Maid Marian]] near a waterfall.<ref name="MormonInfluence">{{cite book|last=Hunter|first=James Michael|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5oM1B1VE-yMC&q=eric+larson+robin+hood&pg=PA59|title=Mormons and Popular Culture: The Global Influence of an American Phenomenon|chapter=The Mormon Influence at Disney|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group|Praeger]]|year=2012|pages=58–61|isbn=978-0-313-39167-5}}</ref> For ''[[Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too]]'', he animated [[Rabbit (Winnie-the-Pooh)#Disney adaptations|Rabbit]] alongside John Lounsbery.<ref name="MormonInfluence"/> During production on ''[[The Rescuers]]'', Bluth was promoted to directing animator alongside the remaining members of [[Disney's Nine Old Men]]. He then worked as an animation director on ''[[Pete's Dragon (1977 film)|Pete's Dragon]]''. His last involvement with Disney was the short ''[[The Small One]]''. Meanwhile, he produced his first independent film, ''[[Banjo the Woodpile Cat]]''.

=== 1981–1985: Departure from Disney and early critical success ===
For ''[[The Fox and the Hound (film)|The Fox and the Hound]]'', Bluth animated several scenes of the character Widow Tweed. During production, creative differences between Bluth and studio executives had arisen concerning artistic control and animation training practices. On his 42nd birthday in 1979, Bluth resigned from the studio to establish his own [[List of animation studios|animation studio]], [[Don Bluth Productions]], along with [[Gary Goldman]], [[John Pomeroy]], and nine fellow Disney animators.<ref>{{cite news |last=Harmetz |first=Aljean |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/09/20/archives/11-animators-quit-disney-form-studio-loyalty-is-cited.html |title=11 Animators Quit Disney, Form Studio |work=The New York Times |page=C14 |date=September 20, 1979 |access-date=January 3, 2022}}</ref><ref name="comicsjournal">{{cite magazine|last=Heintjes|first=Tom|title=Newswatch: Bluth animation firm goes bankrupt|url=https://www.tcj.com/tcj-archive/the-comics-journal-no-98-may-1985/|access-date=July 30, 2012|magazine=The Comics Journal|issue=98|page=19|date=May 1985}}</ref> To this end, Don Bluth Productions demonstrated its ability in its first production, a short film titled ''[[Banjo the Woodpile Cat]]'', and this led to work on an animated segment of the live-action film ''[[Xanadu (film)|Xanadu]]''. The studio's first feature-length film was ''[[The Secret of NIMH]]''. Bluth employed 160 animators during the production and agreed to the first [[profit sharing]] contract in the animation industry.<ref name="comicsjournal" /> Though only a moderate success in the box office, the movie received critical acclaim. Later, with the home video release and cable showings, it became a cult classic.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cawley|first=John|title=The Secret of N.I.M.H.|url=http://www.cataroo.com/DBnimh.html|work=The Animated Films of Don Bluth|publisher=Cataroo.com|access-date=July 30, 2012|quote=The film developed a cult following which only increased with easy access via video and cable showings.}}</ref> Nevertheless, due to the modest gross and an industry-wide animation strike, Don Bluth Productions filed for bankruptcy.{{sfn|Cawley|1990|pages=[http://www.cataroo.com/DBvidgames.html 57–58]}}

His next film would have been an animated version of the Norwegian folk tale ''[[East of the Sun and West of the Moon#Film adaptations|East of the Sun and West of the Moon]]'', but the financial resources were drawn back and it was never made.<ref>{{cite news|last=Beck|first=Jerry|title=Don Bluth Goes Independent|url=https://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.3/articles/beck1.3.html|access-date=August 10, 2012|newspaper=Animation World Magazine|date=June 1996|quote=That failure [of ''Secret of NIMH''] caused Aurora to back out of producing Bluth's next film, ''East of the Sun, West of the Moon''.}}</ref> In 1983, he, [[Rick Dyer (video game designer)|Rick Dyer]], Goldman, and Pomeroy started the Bluth Group and created the [[arcade game]] ''[[Dragon's Lair (1983 video game)|Dragon's Lair]]'', an [[on rails]] game which let the player choose between simple paths for an animated-[[cartoon]] character on screen (whose adventures were played off a [[LaserDisc]]). This was followed in 1984 by ''[[Space Ace]]'', a [[science fiction|science-fiction]] game based on the same technology, but which gave the player a choice of different routes to take through the story. Bluth not only created the animation for ''Space Ace'', but he also supplied the voice of the villain, Borf.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cawley|first=John|title=Space Ace|url=http://www.cataroo.com/DBspace.html|work=The Animated Films of Don Bluth|publisher=Cataroo.com|access-date=July 25, 2012}}</ref> Work on a ''Dragon's Lair'' sequel was underway when the video arcade business [[North American video game crash of 1983|crashed]]. Bluth's studio was left without a source of income and the Bluth Group filed for bankruptcy on March 1, 1985.<ref name="comicsjournal" /> A sequel called ''[[Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp]]'' was made in 1991, but it was rarely seen in [[video arcade|arcades]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Dragon's Lair II|url=https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7648|publisher=The International Arcade Museum|access-date=August 10, 2012|quote=This game ranks a 24 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most often seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on census ownership records.}}</ref>

An adaptation of ''[[Beauty and the Beast]]'' was also planned to be directed by Bluth in 1984, but the project was canceled by [[Columbia Pictures]] upon discovering that Walt Disney Pictures had plans for [[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|their own adaptation]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bluth |first=Don |title=Exposure sheet: Official newsletter of the Don Bluth Animation Fan Club |publisher=Don Bluth Studios |year=1984 |volume=5 |location=Tarzana, Los Angeles}}</ref> In 1985, Bluth, Pomeroy, and Goldman established, with businessman [[Morris Sullivan]], the [[Sullivan Bluth Studios]]. It initially operated from an animation facility in [[Van Nuys, California]], but later moved to [[Dublin]], Ireland, to take advantage of government investment and incentives. Sullivan Bluth Studios also helped boost animation as an industry within Ireland.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.estudiosirlandeses.org/reviews/drawing-conclusions-irish-animation-and-national-cinema/|title=Estudios Irlandeses – Drawing Conclusions: Irish Animation and National Cinema|website=estudiosirlandeses.org|language=es-ES|access-date=February 12, 2017}}</ref> Bluth and his colleagues taught an animation course at [[Ballyfermot Senior College]].<ref>{{cite web|access-date=November 19, 2010|url=https://carpetbagger.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/03/an-animated-irish-invasion/|title=An Animated Irish Invasion|author=Melena Ryzik|work=The New York Times|date=March 3, 2010}}</ref>

=== 1986–1995: Affiliation with Steven Spielberg ===
Teaming up with producer [[Steven Spielberg]], Bluth's next project was ''[[An American Tail]]'', which at the time of its release became the highest grossing non-Disney animated film of all time, grossing $45 million in the United States and over $84 million worldwide.<ref name="americantail">{{cite web|last=Cawley|first=John|title=An American Tail|url=http://www.cataroo.com/DBtail.html|work=The Animated Films of Don Bluth|publisher=Cataroo.com|access-date=July 30, 2012}}</ref> The second Spielberg-Bluth collaboration ''[[The Land Before Time (film)|The Land Before Time]]'' did even better in theaters, and both found a successful life on home video.<ref name="americantail" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Cawley|first=John|title=The Land Before Time|url=http://www.cataroo.com/DBland.html|work=The Animated Films of Don Bluth|publisher=Cataroo.com|access-date=July 31, 2012}}</ref> The main character in ''An American Tail'' (Fievel Mouskewitz) became the mascot for [[Amblimation]] while ''The Land Before Time'' was followed by thirteen direct-to-video sequels and the animated series (none of which had any involvement from Bluth or Spielberg). Bluth ended his working relationship with Spielberg before his next film, ''[[All Dogs Go to Heaven]]'' and was not involved with ''[[An American Tail: Fievel Goes West]]'', the first film produced by Spielberg's new [[Amblimation]] studio. Although ''All Dogs Go To Heaven'' only had moderate theatrical success, it was highly successful in its release to home video.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cawley|first=John|title=All Dogs Go To Heaven|url=http://www.cataroo.com/DBdogs.html|work=The Animated Films of Don Bluth|publisher=Cataroo.com|access-date=July 31, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103084802/http://www.cataroo.com/DBdogs.html|archive-date=January 3, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> He also directed films, such as ''[[Rock-a-Doodle]]'', ''[[Thumbelina (1994 film)|Thumbelina]]'', ''[[A Troll in Central Park]]'', and ''[[The Pebble and the Penguin]]'', which were all critical and box office failures; however, ''[[Rock-a-Doodle]]'' would find greater success on home video.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sell-Through Soaring |first=Marc |last=Berman |url=https://variety.com/1992/digital/features/sell-through-soaring-100742/ |date=November 1, 1992 |website=Variety |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421035629/https://variety.com/1992/digital/features/sell-through-soaring-100742/ |archive-date=2021-04-21 |access-date=2024-05-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbr.com/90s-animated-films-loved-forgotten/|title=25 Animated Films '90s Kids Loved (But Totally Forgot About)|first1=Evan|last1=Hopkins|first2=Fawzia|last2=Khan|first3=Jordan|last3=Iacobucci|publisher=[[Comic Book Resources|CBR]]|date=May 6, 2024|accessdate=May 17, 2024}}</ref>

=== 1990s–2000: Youth theater and Fox Animation Studios ===
In the 1990s, Bluth began hosting youth theater productions in the living room of his Scottsdale, Arizona, home. As the popularity of these productions grew and adults expressed their wishes to become involved, Bluth formed an adult and youth theatre troupe called Don Bluth Front Row Theatre. The troupe's productions were presented in Bluth's home until 2012, when their administrative team leased a space off Shea Boulevard in Scottsdale and converted it into a small theater.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/don-bluth-front-row-theatre-in-scottsdale-needs-50-000-to-stay-open-8418740|title=Don Bluth Front Row Theatre in Scottsdale Needs $50,000 to Stay Open|first=Lynn|last=Trimble|date=July 7, 2016}}</ref>

Bluth scored a hit in 1997 with ''[[Anastasia (1997 film)|Anastasia]]'', produced at [[Fox Animation Studios]] in [[Phoenix, Arizona]], which grossed nearly US$140 million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|title=Anastasia (1997)|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl4014179841/weekend/|publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=July 31, 2012}}</ref> In a positive review of the film, critic [[Roger Ebert]] observed that its creators "consciously include[d] the three key ingredients in the big Disney hits: action, romance, and music". ''Anastasia'' became Don Bluth's most commercially successful film and it established [[20th Century Fox]] as a Disney competitor until 2019, when Disney purchased the company.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ebert|first=Roger|title=Anastasia|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19971121/REVIEWS/711210301/1023|access-date=July 31, 2012|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times|date=November 21, 1997}}</ref>

Despite the success of ''Anastasia'', Bluth resumed his string of box office failures with ''[[Titan A.E.]]'', which made less than $37 million worldwide in 2000 despite an estimated $75 million budget.<ref>{{cite web|title=Titan A.E. (2000)|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3681846785/weekend/|publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=July 31, 2012}}</ref> In 2000, 20th Century Fox Studios shut down the Fox Animation Studio facility in Phoenix, making ''Titan A.E.'' the last American-made traditionally animated film released by 20th Century Fox in theaters to be fully animated and not a live-action/animation hybrid until the release of 2007's ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=20th Century Fox Feature Films (Fox Animation Studios) Animated Theatrical Cartoons (1977–)|url=https://www.bcdb.com/cartoons/20th_Century_Fox/Feature_Films/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118040928/http://www.bcdb.com/cartoons/20th_Century_Fox/Feature_Films/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 18, 2013|publisher=The Big Cartoon Database|access-date=July 30, 2012}}</ref> It also stands as Bluth's most recent theatrical film as a director.

=== 2002–2011 ===
In 2002, Bluth and video game company [[Ubisoft]] developed the video game ''[[Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair]]'', an attempt to recreate the feel of the original ''Dragon's Lair'' LaserDisc game in a more interactive, three-dimensional environment. Reviews were mixed, with critics both praising and panning the controls and storyline, but the visuals were noteworthy, using groundbreaking [[Cel-shaded animation|cel-shading]] techniques that lent the game a hand-animated feel.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/dragons-lair-3d-return-to-the-lair/critic-reviews/?platform=pc|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=July 25, 2012}}</ref> {{as of|2012||}},<ref>{{cite news|last=Arrant|first=Chris|title=EXCLUSIVE: Don Bluth Talks About His Return To "Dragon's Lair"|url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/interviews/exclusive-don-bluth-talks-about-his-return-to-dragons-lair.html|access-date=July 25, 2012|newspaper=Cartoon Brew|date=April 5, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509041052/http://www.cartoonbrew.com/interviews/exclusive-don-bluth-talks-about-his-return-to-dragons-lair.html|archive-date=May 9, 2012}}</ref> Don Bluth and Gary Goldman were seeking funding for a film version of ''Dragon's Lair''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kelly|first=Kevin|title=Don Bluth trying to make Dragon's Lair movie|url=http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/01/don-bluth-trying-to-make-dragons-lair-movie|access-date=July 25, 2012|newspaper=Joystiq|date=May 1, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Weinberg|first=Scott|title=Don Bluth Still Wants to Make a 'Dragon's Lair' Movie|url=http://blog.moviefone.com/2007/04/29/don-bluth-still-wants-to-make-a-dragons-lair-movie/|access-date=July 25, 2012|newspaper=Moviefone|date=April 2, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008061112/http://blog.moviefone.com/2007/04/29/don-bluth-still-wants-to-make-a-dragons-lair-movie/|archive-date=October 8, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> After apparently sitting in development for over a decade, the project raised over $570,000 via a successful crowdfunding campaign in January 2016.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dragons Lair Returns &#124; Indiegogo|url=https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dragon-s-lair-returns#/|website=Indiegogo|access-date=April 3, 2016}}</ref> Bluth and Goldman continued to work in video games and were hired to create the in-game cinematics for [[Namco]]'s ''[[I-Ninja]]'', released in 2003. In October 2004, [[Polydor Records]] released the song "[[Mary (Scissor Sisters song)|Mary]]", by the [[Scissor Sisters]], which was accompanied by a music video for which Bluth did the animation.<ref>{{cite news|author=Paolo|title=Don Bluth animates Scissor Sisters video|url=https://animatedviews.com/2004/don-bluth-animates-scissor-sisters-video/|access-date=July 25, 2012|newspaper=Animated Views|date=October 2, 2004}}</ref>

The following month, [[Dark Horse Books]] released Bluth's ''The Art of Storyboard''.<ref name="SVALibrary">{{cite web|url=https://sva.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=01VISUAL_INST:01VISUAL&search_scope=MyInstitution&tab=LibraryCatalog&docid=alma99714843406006|title=Don Bluth's art of animation drawing|publisher=[[School of Visual Arts]]|language=en-US|url-status=live|access-date=April 21, 2024|archive-date=April 21, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240421074529/https://sva.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=01VISUAL_INST:01VISUAL&search_scope=MyInstitution&tab=LibraryCatalog&docid=alma99714843406006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/donbluthsartofstoryboarding/mode/2up|title=Don Bluth's Art Of Storyboarding|author=Bluth, Don|language=en-US|date=2004|publisher=[[Dark Horse Books]]|access-date=April 21, 2024|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> This was followed in May 2005 by the companion book, ''The Art of Animation Drawing''.<ref name="SVALibrary" /> In 2009, Bluth was asked to produce storyboards for, and to direct, the 30-minute Saudi Arabian festival film ''Gift of the Hoopoe''. He ultimately had little say in the animation and content of the film and asked that he not be credited as the director or producer. Despite this, he was credited as the director.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gift of the Hoopoe -Recent film of Don Bluth?|url=https://donbluthanimation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=559|access-date=July 25, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310143446/http://donbluthanimation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=559|archive-date=March 10, 2012}}</ref> In 2011, Bluth and his game development company [[Square One Studios]] worked with [[Warner Bros.]] Digital Distribution to develop a modern reinterpretation of the 1983 arcade classic ''[[Tapper (arcade game)|Tapper]]'', titled ''[[Tapper World Tour]]''.

=== 2015–present: return to animation ===
In October 2015, Bluth and Goldman started a [[Kickstarter]] campaign in hopes of resurrecting hand-drawn animation by creating an animated feature-length film of ''[[Dragon's Lair]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/donbluth/dragons-lair-the-movie?ref=video|title=Dragon's Lair: The Movie (Canceled)|website=Kickstarter|date=October 26, 2015 }}</ref> Bluth plans for the film to provide more backstory for Dirk and Daphne and show that she is not a "blonde airhead".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/dragons-lair-movie-wont-depict-sexualized-version-/1100-6433325/|title=Dragon's Lair Movie Won't Depict "Sexualized" Version of Princess Daphne|work=[[GameSpot]]|access-date=September 13, 2016}}</ref> The Kickstarter funding was canceled when not enough funds had been made close to the deadline, but an [[Indiegogo]] page for the project was created in its place.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dragon-s-lair-returns/x/12369452|title=Dragon's Lair Returns|website=[[Indiegogo]]}}</ref> Two months later, Indiegogo campaign reached its goal of $250,000, 14 days after the campaign launched.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dragon-s-lair-returns#/updates|title=Dragon's Lair Returns|website=[[Indiegogo]]}}</ref> As of February 2018, the total exceeded $728,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dragon-s-lair-returns#/|title=Dragon's Lair Returns|website=[[Indiegogo]]}}</ref> A live-action ''Dragon's Lair'' film starring [[Ryan Reynolds]] was announced to be released in 2020, but it ended up being postponed due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/dragons-lair-movie-ryan-reynolds/|title=Netflix requires rights to the Dragon's Lair film|work=[[/Film]]|date=March 27, 2020}}</ref> Bluth was listed as a producer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/3/28/21198013/dragons-lair-movie-netflix-ryan-reynolds-don-bluth-live-action|title=Dragon's Lair movie coming to Netflix, with Ryan Reynolds starring|website=Polygon|date=March 28, 2020}}</ref>

In 2020, Bluth launched a new animation studio called Don Bluth Studios with animator and vice president of the company Lavalle Lee, founder of traditionalanimation.com. His goal is to bring a "renaissance of hand-drawn animation", in the belief that there is an audience demand for it. His first project is called ''Bluth's Fables'', an anthology of short stories written, narrated, and drawn by Bluth. The stories are intended to stylistically resemble [[Aesop's Fables]] and [[nursery rhyme]]s. The studio's productions are live-streamed first, and then uploaded to [[YouTube]]. ''Bluth's Fables'' is done with pencil tests and then traced and colored in [[Clip Studio Paint]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=BLUTH FABLES – NEW CONCEPT BY THE NEWLY FORMED DON BLUTH STUDIOS |url=https://www.traditionalanimation.com/2020/bluth-fables-new-concept-by-the-newly-formed-don-bluth-studios/ |last=Lee |first=Lavalle |website=Traditional Animation |date=September 11, 2020 |access-date=September 12, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hakim |first=Nicole |url=https://www.cbr.com/don-bluth-studio-renaissance-hand-drawn-animation/ |title=Don Bluth Launches New Studio, Hopeful for a 'Renaissance of Hand-Drawn Animation' |website=[[Comic Book Resources|CBR]] |date=September 11, 2020 |access-date=September 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Don Bluth Forms New 'Totally Transparent' 2D Studio|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/people/don-bluth-forms-new-totally-transparent-2d-studio/|last=Milligan|first=Mercedes|work=[[Animation Magazine]]|date=September 11, 2020|access-date=September 12, 2020}}</ref> Bluth's memoir, ''Somewhere Out There: My Animated Life'', was released on July 19, 2022.<ref>{{cite tweet|url=https://twitter.com/DonBluth/status/1471941219416559620|user=DonBluth |title=I am very excited to announce the publication of my autobiography, "Somewhere Out There: My Animated Life". The pre-order is now available. I think, for anyone going into the art of animation, this is a must-read. I hope you enjoy it. |number=1471941219416559620 |date=December 17, 2021 |access-date=January 3, 2022 |archive-date=December 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217203230/https://twitter.com/DonBluth/status/1471941219416559620 |via=[[Twitter]] |url-status=live}}</ref> His first children's picture book, ''Yuki, Star of the Sea'', was released on April 1, 2024. It tells the story of a whale who is captured and taken to Hollywood to become a movie star.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.donbluthstudios.com/|title=Don Bluth Studios|website=www.donbluthstudios.com}}</ref>