By Sheri Ebert

Box office hit film “Rio” features animation by Saskatchewan-born artist

Apr 18, 2011 | 2:47 PM

Animated kids movie Rio was tops at the weekend box office and no one is happier about it than a Saskatchewan-born animator.

Born and raised in Aberdeen, Sheldon Kruger now works for Blue Sky Studios in New York, which animated Rio. Kruger admits that while growing up he did a bit of doodling in his notebook margins while in class.

“My mom was a painter, and then yeah, drawing when I was a young kid. But I didn't really think about animation that much. I was more into watching fishing shows than cartoon,” Kruger said in a phone call Monday.

Kruger went on to play baseball and attend university in California. That's when he decided to take animation classes.

If movie-goers watch closely, you can see some of the parts in Rio Kruger says he animated.

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“I guess some parts that you might remember would be, there's guys wearing alligator costumes and they're dancing in the big parade. Some other parts are some of the monkey dancing parts, particularly monkeys that get kicked in the face in the shot, ” Kruger explained.

Next for Kruger? Working on the latest film in the Ice Age franchise, due out next year.

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