Ralph Zondag is a Canadian animator, storyboard artist, and director.

Life and career

Zondag studied animation at

Sheridan College Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, formerly Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology, is a public polytechnic institute partnered with private Canadian College of Technology and Trades operating campuses ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada from 1983 to 1984. He started his career at the

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

-based

Nelvana Nelvana Limited (; also known as Nelvana Enterprises, Nelvana International or Nelvana Digital; commonly known as Nelvana; stylized as "nelvana") is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment production company owned by Corus Entertainment s ...

studio in working on projects like ''

The Care Bears Movie ''The Care Bears Movie'' is a 1985 animated musical fantasy film directed by Arna Selznick from a screenplay by Peter Sauder. It was the second feature film from the Canadian animation studio Nelvana after the 1983 film ''Rock & Rule,'' in ...

'' (1985). He later joined

Sullivan Bluth Studios Don Bluth Entertainment (formerly Sullivan Bluth Studios) was an Irish-American animation studio established in 1979 by animator Don Bluth. Bluth and several colleagues, all of whom were former Disney animators, left Disney on September 13, 1979, ...

in Ireland and worked as animation director on ''

The Land Before Time ''The Land Before Time'' is a franchise consisting of American animated film, animated Adventure film, adventure Children's film, family films centered around dinosaurs, including a Movie theater, theatrical movie, various Direct-to-video, st ...

'' (1988), in which he animated the characters Petrie and the Sharptooth, and ''

All Dogs Go to Heaven ''All Dogs Go to Heaven'' is a 1989 animated musical fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Don Bluth and co-directed by Gary Goldman (his directorial debut) and Dan Kuenster. Set in New Orleans in 1939, it tells the story of Charlie B. Barkin ...

'' (1989). He also directed television commercials while working at Sullivan Bluth. In 1993, he made his directorial debut for '' We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story'' based on the book of the same name, along with his brother Dick. Zondag joined

Walt Disney Feature Animation Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that produces animated feature films and short films for the Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a s ...

during the early 1990s and co-wrote ''

Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. S ...

'' in 1995. In 2000, he and Eric Leighton directed ''

Dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...

'' as a part of the Disney Computer Graphics Unit. Zondag was nominated for

Annie Award The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in American cinema and television. Origina ...

for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production. He worked on projects such as ''

Rugrats Go Wild ''Rugrats Go Wild'' is a 2003 American animated crossover adventure film based on the Nickelodeon animated television series ''Rugrats'' and ''The Wild Thornberrys''. It is the final installment of both the ''Rugrats'' and ''The Wild Thornberr ...

'' (2003), ''

Home on the Range "Home on the Range" ( Roud No. 3599) is an American folk song, sometimes called the "unofficial anthem" of the American West. Dr. Brewster M. Higley (also spelled Highley) of Smith County, Kansas, wrote the lyrics as the poem "My Western Hom ...

'' (2004), '' Balto III: Wings of Change'' (2004), '' Valiant'' (2005), and ''

Curious George Curious George is a fictional monkey who is the title character of a series of popular children's picture books written and illustrated by Margret and H. A. Rey. Various media, including films and TV shows, have been based upon the original ...

'' (2006). Zondag worked as storyboard artist on '' Ultimate Avengers 2'', ''

Flushed Away ''Flushed Away'' is a 2006 animated adventure comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Features. The film was directed by Sam Fell and David Bowers, from a screenplay by Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais, Chris Lloyd, Joe Keen ...

'' (2006), '' The Golden Compass'' (2007), and ''

Kung Fu Panda ''Kung Fu Panda'' is an American martial arts comedy media franchise that started in 2008 with the release of the animated film '' Kung Fu Panda'' produced by DreamWorks Animation. Following the adventures of the titular Po Ping (primarily v ...

'' (2008). He worked the 3-D animated features ''

Meet the Robinsons ''Meet the Robinsons'' is a 2007 American animated science-fiction comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is based on the 1990 children's book ''A Day with Wilbur Robinson'' by William Jo ...

'' (2007) and '' Bolt'' (2008). Zondag also created concept art during the pre-production of ''

Tangled ''Tangled'' is a 2010 American animated musical film, musical Adventure film, adventure fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Loosely based on the German fairy tale "Rapunzel" in th ...

'' (2010). His most recent credits are the educational TV series '' Space Racers'' and the Christian-themed film '' The Star''.

Filmography

Animation department

* '' The Star'' (character designer) 2017 * '' Space Racers'' (TV Series) (storyboard supervisor - 6 episodes) 2016-2017 * ''

NFL Rush Zone ''NFL Rush Zone'' is an American action-adventure animated television series. In the first season, the show centers on an 11-year-old football fan named Ish, who learns he must protect shards of a power source called "The Core", hidden at 32 NFL ...

'' (TV Series) (storyboard artist - 4 episodes) 2013 * ''

Superbook Superbook may refer to: * Superbook (1981 TV series), a Japanese Christian anime television series initially produced at Tatsunoko Production and TV Tokyo in Japan. * Superbook (2011 TV series), an American Christian animated television serie ...

'' (TV Series) (revisions - 1 episode, 2013) (Revisions - 1 episode, 2013) * '' Bolt'' (animator) 2008 * ''

'' (animator: July Films) 2006 * '' Valiant'' (character developer) 2005 * ''

'' (additional animator) 2003 * ''

'' (directing animator) 1989 * ''

'' (directing animator) 1988 * ''

An American Tail ''An American Tail'' is a 1986 American animated musical adventure comedy-drama film directed by Don Bluth and written by Judy Freudberg and Tony Geiss from a story by David Kirschner, Freudberg and Geiss. The film stars the voices of Phi ...

'' (animator) 1986 * '' Strawberry Shortcake Meets the Berrykins'' (TV movie) (animator) 1985 * ''

Ewoks The Ewoks (singular: Ewok) are a fictional species of small, furry, mammaloid, bipeds in the ''Star Wars'' universe. They inhabit the forest moon of Endor and live in arboreal huts and other simple dwellings, being seen as primitive in comp ...

'' (character layout artist - 13 episodes) 1985 * '' Star Wars: Droids'' (character posing artist - 13 episodes) 1985 * ''

'' (animator) 1985

Art department

* '' Space Racers'' (TV Series) (storyboard artist - 11 episodes, 2014–2018) (storyboard supervisor - 1 episode, 2017) * '' Barbie: Dolphin Magic'' (storyboard artist) 2017 * ''

Animal Crackers An animal cracker is a particular type of cracker (food), cracker, baked in the shape of an animal, usually an animal either at a zoo or a circus, such as a lion, a tiger, a bear, or an elephant. The most common variety is light-colored and sli ...

'' (storyboard artist) 2017 * ''

Peter Rabbit Peter Rabbit is a fictional animal character in various children's stories by English author Beatrix Potter. A mischievous, adventurous young rabbit who wears a blue jacket, he first appeared in ''The Tale of Peter Rabbit'' in 1902, and subseq ...

'' (TV Series) (storyboards - 9 episodes) 2012-2013 * '' Dragons: Riders of Berk'' (TV Series) (storyboard artist - 3 episodes) 2012-2013 * ''

Archer Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In modern ...

'' (TV Series) (storyboard artist - 13 episodes) 2011-2012 * '' The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'' (storyboard artist) 2008 * '' Ultimate Avengers II'' (storyboard artist) 2006 * '' The Adventures of Brer Rabbit'' (Video) (storyboard artist) 2006 * '' Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows'' (storyboard artist) 2005 * ''

Father of the Pride ''Father of the Pride'' is an American animated sitcom created by Jeffrey Katzenberg and produced by DreamWorks Animation. The series aired on NBC from August 31, 2004 to May 27, 2005. The series was part of a short-lived trend of 3D animated s ...

'' (storyboard artist - 1 episode) 2004 * '' Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas'' (storyboard artist) 2004 * '' Balto III: Wings of Change'' (storyboard artist) 2004 * '' Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers'' (storyboard artist) 2004 * ''

Clifford's Puppy Days ''Clifford's Puppy Days'' is an animated children's television series that originally aired on PBS Kids from September 1, 2003 to February 25, 2006. The prequel to the 2000–2003 series ''Clifford the Big Red Dog'', it features the adventures o ...

'' (TV Series) (storyboard artist - 1 episode) 2004 * '' A Troll in Central Park'' (storyboard artist) 1994 * ''

Rock-A-Doodle ''Rock-a-Doodle'' is a 1991 independent animated musical comedy film produced by Sullivan Bluth Studios Ireland Limited and Goldcrest Films. Loosely based on Edmond Rostand's 1910 comedy play '' Chantecler'', ''Rock-a-Doodle'' was directed ...

'' (storyboard artist) 1991

Director

* ''

'' (2000) * '' We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story'' (1993)

Miscellaneous crew

* ''

'' (TV series) (revisions - 2 episodes, 2013 - 2014) (Revisions - 1 episode, 2013) 2013-2014 * ''

'' (sequence director) 1991

Writer

* '' The Little Matchgirl'' (Short) (story development) 2006 * ''

'' (additional story) 2004 * ''

'' (story) 2000 * ''

'' (story) 1995

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zondag, Ralph Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Canadian animated film directors Canadian storyboard artists Walt Disney Animation Studios people Canadian expatriates in the United States