In Remembrance: Dan Lee

     Dan Lee, the Pixar Animation Studios character designer who defined the look of the titular character for the hit film Finding Nemo, has passed away in Berkeley, California on Saturday, January 15, 2004. He was 35.

     Born in 1969 in Montreal, Canada, Lee spent most of his formative years in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Ontario. The son of Chinese immigrants, Lee developed an interest in animation while in high school. He attended Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, graduating from their classical animation program and receiving the Board of Governors Silver Medal for Academic Excellence. Following graduation Lee worked for Kennedy Cartoons in Toronto and Colossal Pictures in San Francisco, helping to produce cartoons for televisions and commercials.

     Lee joined the Pixar staff in 1986, working as a character designer and animator on A Bug’s Life and Toy Story 2. On A Bug’s Life, Lee designed Rosie, Princess Atta, Dot, Hopper and Tuck & Roll. In addition to designing the young clownfish Nemo for Finding Nemo, Lee also designed Nemo’s father Marlin, Bloat and the barracuda. Lee was often praised by his co-workers for being able to imbue a character with a cuteness that was never cliché or cloying.