BIO
Stephen Anderson is a 30 year veteran of the animation industry, having been an animator, storyboard artist, writer and director for animated features and television series.
Stephen was accepted into the Character Animation program at the California Institute of the Arts in 1988 and, after three years, was hired at Hyperion Animation where he worked on the feature films Rover Dangerfield and Bebe’s Kids as an animating assistant and an animator, respectively. At this studio, he also helped develop several other feature projects through storyboarding, concept drawings and character designs and eventually became a storyboard artist and director on The Itsy Bitsy Spider television series for the USA Network, and on the direct-to-video series The Oz Kids.
He joined the story department at Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1995 as a story artist on Tarzan. He was then promoted to story supervisor for the The Emperor’s New Groove and Brother Bear and received an Annie Award nomination for his storyboarding work on Groove. He made his feature film directing debut with Meet the Robinsons in 2007. A year later, he was offered the chance to bring Winnie the Pooh back to the big screen and directed the 2011 film Winnie the Pooh. Anderson, and his directing partner Don Hall, received Annie Award nominations for writing and directing. Disney Feature Animation is an intensely collaborative environment and, as a result, Stephen has helped out with storyboarding for Bolt, Tangled, Wreck-it Ralph, Zootopia, Moana, Frozen and Frozen 2.
Stephen was also an instructor at CalArts for approximately ten years. He taught story development for second year students and later, for third and fourth year students. His class covered the basics of storyboarding as well as lectures on screenwriting concepts, story structure and visual storytelling. He has also given lectures on storyboarding and the creative process at San Jose State, Loyola Marymount University, Santa Barbara Community College, the CTN Expo and Sheldon High School in Sacramento, California.
Stephen moved to Walt Disney Television Animation in 2019 to be a supervising director on season one of Monsters at Work for Disney+. Taking a break from Disney, he worked for Atomic Cartoons as animation director for the HBO Max series Young Love, Alcon Entertainment as a storyboard artist on The Garfield Movie and Wild Canary as a storyboard artist on Disney Junior’s Ariel.
Stephen is currently back at Walt Disney Animation Studios, directing a Princess and the Frog special for Disney+.
FILMOGRAPHY
Reels
ANIMATION DIRECTING
LIVE-ACTION SHORTS
Storyboards
BOOKS
Disney In-Between: The Lost Years (1966-1986)
Disney In-Between: The Lost Years 1966 - 1986 spans the transformative era at The Walt Disney Studios, from Walt Disney’s 1966 passing to the studio’s triumphant resurgence in the vibrant mid-80s under the visionary stewardship of Roy E. Disney, Michael Eisner, Frank Wells, and Jeffrey Katzenberg.
Uncover the tale of how this once-independent, family-driven movie powerhouse - renowned for its innovation and forward-thinking - faltered amidst seismic disruptions. Through exclusive interviews with the brilliant minds behind classics like The Rescuers, Pete’s Dragon, Freaky Friday, The Black Hole, The Fox and the Hound, Tron, Never Cry Wolf and The Black Cauldron, the reader will gain unprecedented insight into a studio shackled by tradition, veering away from Walt Disney’s legacy of innovation.
But the story doesn’t end there. Disney In-Between illuminates the rise of a new generation of filmmakers and leaders, fueled by a profound love for Disney’s enchantment, yet unencumbered by its history. Together, they shattered boundaries, paving the way for a future defined by growth and unparalleled success.
BLUE
From Josh Armstrong, author of Picture of Grace, and Stephen J. Anderson, the acclaimed Disney director and artist behind Meet the Robinsons and Winnie the Pooh (2011), comes a deeply heartfelt picture book about growing up, letting go and the places that stay with us forever.
Blue wasn’t the newest car. Or the fastest. But it was ours.
This is the story of a boy and the car that carried his family through it all—school mornings, Saturday soccer, Sunday drives, and the quiet moments in between. Through scraped knees, snowball fights, and the birth of a baby sister, Blue was there. Until one day, it couldn’t be. And that’s when the boy learned one of life’s hardest lessons: how to say goodbye.
Told with gentle humor and nostalgic honesty, Blue is a beautifully illustrated journey through the seasons of childhood. With artwork by Stephen J. Anderson that bursts with warmth and detail, every page feels like a memory pulled from your own life.
If you’ve ever loved something old and worn, if you’ve ever held on when it was time to let go, this story is for you. Perfect for readers young and old, Blue is a timeless reminder that the best journeys aren’t about the destination—they’re about who rides with you along the way.
The Boy Who Found His Smile
Brought to you by the Director and Writer team of Walt Disney's animated feature film, "Meet the Robinsons," in "The Boy Who Found His Smile," Ryan wakes up feeling grumpy and learns that his signature smile has vanished. He embarks on a whimsical adventure to find his missing smile. His stuffed animal friends provide him with clues. Ryan learns that by thinking happy thoughts, he can rediscover the joy within himself. Ultimately, he realizes that his smile was always there, "right under his nose." This heartwarming story highlights the importance of positivity and self-discovery.
Kathie Lee Gifford says: "My friend Michelle has written a charming, whimsical, sweet little book that will appeal to the child in each of us. The tender message she shares is that the very thing we're looking for is the very thing that we already have."