John Kurtz

50 Years of Drawing Magic

John Kurtz has spent five decades bringing beloved characters to life—from Pooh Bear to Clifford the Big Red Dog, the Coca-Cola Polar Bears to Muppets and Disney princesses. He’s one of just 12 artists ever approved by Jim Henson and a go-to illustrator for major brands, books, and animated icons. Whether sketching for View-Master or designing for Cartoon Network, John’s signature is storytelling.

He began his career in Napa with soulful portraits set in the Old West—pieces that sold out instantly. That spark led him across the globe to Amsterdam, where he became a go-to illustrator for major European brands like Heineken and Hertz. It was also there he illustrated his first children’s book, Robby the Seal.

Back in the U.S., John took a detour into 3D art at View-Master, mastering now-extinct techniques and leading the creative team. He soon became the go-to guy for ​everyone from Sesame Street to Disney, Cartoon Network to National Geographic.

Known in the publishing world as “Turbo” for his rare combo of speed and precision, John’s fingerprints are on everything from scientific illustrations to product packaging. He’s illustrated over 25 Pooh books alone, along with murals for the Olympics and packaging for Pepperidge Farm Goldfish (yep, those fish are his).

Today, he’s still at it— his original works, hand-painted cels, and behind-the-scenes stories are showcased in galleries across the globe. His work reminds us that a good drawing doesn’t just tell a story—it becomes part of yours.

The Process

The scene determines the depth and number of layers needed to bring it to life. Each character is painted on a clear acetate, allowing the colors to stay bold and vibrant. Every element-from a flowing cape to parts of the background- gets its own layer of plexiglass, with varying thickness depending on its placement in the scene. These layers stack back to the most distant background, which is hand-painted with acrylics on a board primed with gesso.

John chooses which side of the plexiglass to paint on depending on the effect he wants to achieve, especially when working around the complexity of the elements behind the characters.

Inking is done by brush, pen, or airbrush- whichever tool best captures the detail needed. The colors are traditional cel paints custom-mixed for each individual character to maintain authenticity and depth.

Multiplane Plex-Z

“Bridging the world of animation from imagination to a life sized reality.”