Will Vinton, an avatar for Portland's creative scene for decades, has died at the age of 70.
Vinton had battled Multiple Myeloma for 12 years, according to a note on his Facebook page posted by his children.
Here's the note in full.
This morning our father, Will Vinton, passed away surrounded by love from his family. Will had endured a 12 year battle with Multiple Myeloma, although you never would have known of this fight. For the vast majority of that time he continued forward in his life with strength, positivity, and humor, enjoying tropical get-aways, shepherding new creative ventures, and caring for his two sons, daughter and wife. Will was the strongest man we have ever known, both in his work ethic and his mental resolve. He always said, “Do good work and everything else will follow,” and he never gave up on the things that were important to him. He saw the world as an imaginative playground full of fantasy, joy, and character.
He instilled in us the greatest values of creativity, strength, and pride in ones own work. He created stories and characters filled with laughter, music, and powerful lessons that are globally beloved. He brightened any room with his signature mustache, and he continued to make jokes and laugh until the very end. His work will live on in animation history and will continue to inspire creative thinkers and makers. We grieve heavily as our dad leaves a hole in our lives that will be impossible to fill. His wishes were for us to continue the projects he had started; we will try our best to do so.
We will honor him in our own work and strive to always embody his lessons. We ask that his passing be a celebration of his life and work. He wouldn’t want us to be sad or discouraged, but rather to celebrate the wonder and beauty of life in his name. We ask for support and understanding for our family during this time. Please leave a comment if there’s something you would like to share about our father.We love you Dad - Billy, Jesse & Alex
A celebration of Vinton's life is planned at the No Vacancy Lounge on Sunday Oct. 21, at 3 p.m.
The artist led a revival of the claymation animation form, winning an Oscar for "Closed Mondays" as well as several Emmys.
Perhaps his most-famous creation, though, were the characters used in the California Raisins ad campaign.
Vinton also founded the Portland Creative Conference and built his Will VintonStudios into an internationally respected production house before Nike's Phil Knight, in 2002, became the enterprise's majority shareholder.
In a 2015 Portland Business Journal interview, Vinton said he held no ill will toward Knight.
"Some of the narratives I’ve read made the sale of the company to Phil Knightseem far more acrimonious," he said. "We were up to 450 people in 2000. I really didn’t find a true business partner that I was looking for to sort of move to the next level. By 2003-04, I was delighted actually to be able to step away and shed it and see it go on as it has, beautifully, under Phil Knight.
"The sale itself was problematic. It was very hardball, as might be expected given the parties involved. But that’s so water under the bridge. I was absolutely ready to move on. I have absolutely no animosity whatsoever. With a little bit of perspective, it was a delight to see that enterprise, that baby, have the backing, frankly, that has been represented by Laika."
The Portland Business Journal is a KGW News partner.