Ward joined the Disney animation staff in 1934. As one of Disney's "nine old men," Ward's contribution to the body of Disney animated film classics include the creation of Jiminy Cricket for "Pinocchio" and the animation of the crow sequence in "Dumbo". His career in television and shorts is equally distinguished. Ward retired in 1972 to become a world traveler. As a consultant to Walt Disney Imagineering, his design projects include World of Motion at Epcot Center and new attraction concepts for Disneyland. He is also a consultant for the Animation department. Ward was also well-known as the creator and leader of the world-famous jazz band, the Firehouse Five Plus Two. He has one of the largest collections of antique toys as well as old railroad toys from 1870, and operates his own full-size railroad of historic steam locomotives on his orange ranch in San Gabriel, California.


One of Ward's most famous characters, Jiminy Cricket