Meet the Illustrators

Jeffrey Varab — From Disney Classics to New Christmas Legends

Disney & Don Bluth Animation Veteran • Mulan • Balto • FernGully • All Dogs Go to Heaven • Rock-A-Doodle • A Troll in Central Park

Jeffrey Varab is a veteran animation artist whose career spans some of the most memorable animated films and productions from Disney, Don Bluth Studios, and other major animation houses. His extensive experience encompasses character animation, supervising animation, directing animation, character design, animation posing, and previsualization.

Varab’s impressive filmography includes work on Disney’s Mulan, where he served as supervising animator for the characters Chi Fu and Grandmother Fa. He also served as supervising animator on Balto, bringing the title character to life, and was a leading character animator on FernGully: The Last Rainforest, where he worked on the character Magi Lune.

His work with the legendary Don Bluth Studios includes such acclaimed animated features as All Dogs Go to Heaven, Rock-A-Doodle, A Troll in Central Park, and Subway to Paradise. On Rock-A-Doodle and A Troll in Central Park, Varab was credited with directing animation, reflecting his experience not only as an animator but also as a creative leader responsible for bringing animated performances and sequences to life.

His credits extend across a remarkable range of animation styles and productions. He worked as a supervising animator on We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story and as an animator on Benjamin Blümchen. He also contributed additional character animation to the science-fiction feature Titan A.E. and served as an animation posing artist and lead animator on A Fish Tale.

Varab later brought his traditional animation expertise into the world of digital filmmaking and visual development. His credits include serving as previsualization supervisor on Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, demonstrating the breadth of his experience across both animated and live-action cinematic production.

For Matt Dragovits’ Christmas Adventures, Varab’s decades of experience in animation provide a valuable connection to the traditions of hand-crafted character animation and cinematic storytelling. His work on productions ranging from Disney classics to Don Bluth’s beloved animated adventures makes him particularly well suited to helping visualize the expressive characters, dramatic performances, and magical world of Zach’s Quest and Dawn of Legends.

With experience stretching from traditional hand-drawn animation to modern cinematic previsualization, Jeffrey Varab represents a rare generation of artists who understand both the artistry and the technical craft required to bring unforgettable characters and stories to the screen.

Irma Torre — Bringing the Magic of Disney Animation to a New Christmas Adventure

Disney Animation Veteran • The Little Mermaid • The Lion King • Aladdin • Pocahontas • Mulan • Lilo & Stitch • Brother Bear

Irma Torre is a veteran Disney animation artist whose career helped shape the visual development of some of the most beloved animated films of the Disney Renaissance and beyond. Her remarkable credits span decades of traditional animation and include an extraordinary collection of Disney classics that continue to influence animation and family storytelling around the world.

Torre’s Disney career includes work on The Little Mermaid (1989), the landmark film widely credited with helping usher in the Disney Renaissance. She began her Disney credits in ink-and-paint, contributing to the Florida Studio Tour production team.

She continued her work with Disney on The Prince and the Pauper (1990) and Roller Coaster Rabbit (1990) as an ink-and-paint artist before advancing into color design and modeling.

Her credits as a color modeler include Disney’s Aladdin (1993) and The Lion King (1994) — two of the most recognizable animated films in cinematic history. She also contributed as a color modelist on Pocahontas (1995).

Torre’s expertise continued to grow, and she served as color models supervisor on Disney’s Mulan (1998). She subsequently served as color models supervisor on John Henry (2000), Lilo & Stitch (2002), and Brother Bear (2003).

Her Disney credits also include Runaway Brain (1995) and the later Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection (2015), where she was credited as color models supervisor for the segment “John Henry.” She also contributed ink-and-paint work to Timeless Tales.

What makes Torre’s career particularly significant is the breadth of her experience. She worked through multiple stages of the traditional animation process, from ink and paint to color modeling and color-model supervision, gaining an understanding of how color, character design, and visual consistency contribute to the storytelling power of an animated production.

Her credits place her among artists who helped establish the distinctive visual language of an extraordinary era of Disney animation — from The Little Mermaid and Aladdin to The Lion King, Pocahontas, Mulan, Lilo & Stitch, and Brother Bear.

For Matt Dragovits’ Christmas Adventures, Torre’s experience represents an important connection to the craftsmanship and visual storytelling traditions that have made animated family adventures timeless. Her extensive background brings a rare level of professional insight to the development of the Legends of Christmas world, where memorable characters, imaginative environments, and a rich visual palette are essential to bringing the magic of Christmas to life.

From the hand-painted artistry of traditional animation to the sophisticated color development of feature films, Irma Torre has spent her career helping create worlds that generations of audiences have treasured.