Glenn McQueen
A pioneering Pixar animator whose digital artistry gave life and unforgettable personality to toys, bugs, and monsters, shaping the soul of early CGI features.
1960–2002 (age 42)·Canadian animator·Birthday: December 24·Baby Boomers
Biography
Glenn McQueen was part of the small, revolutionary band of artists who proved computers could create characters with heart. A Canadian animator who cut his teeth at Pacific Data Images, he joined Pixar just as it was transitioning from short films to its first feature-length gamble. As Supervising Animator on 'Toy Story,' McQueen was instrumental in defining how Woody and Buzz moved and emoted, translating traditional animation principles into a new digital realm. His leadership and exacting eye for performance continued on 'A Bug's Life,' where he oversaw the entire animation team, and he brought a gruff tenderness to the monstrous Sulley in 'Monsters, Inc.' Known for his booming laugh and relentless drive for quality, McQueen pushed his teams to find the emotional truth in every pixel. His sudden death from melanoma in 2002, at just 41, was a profound loss to the animation community, but his legacy is etched into the joyful performances that made a generation believe in computer-generated worlds.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Glenn was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Glenn Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Glenn's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2002Died at 42
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
Key Achievements
- Served as Supervising Animator on Pixar's groundbreaking first feature, 'Toy Story' (1995).
- Was the Supervising Character Animator for James P. 'Sulley' Sullivan in 'Monsters, Inc.' (2001).
- Worked as a supervising animator on 'A Bug's Life' (1998), helping manage a large crew of animators.
- Contributed to the early CGI animation for the 'Simpsons' couch gag segments.
Did You Know?
The end credits of 'Monsters, Inc.' are dedicated to his memory.
He was known for his distinctive, hearty laugh, which colleagues said could be heard throughout the Pixar offices.
McQueen began his career working on traditional animated television shows like 'The Raccoons.'
A scholarship for animators at Sheridan College in Ontario was established in his name.
“The computer is just a tool; the story is everything.”
