Ralph Zondag

Ralph Zondag is a storyboard artist and animation director.

Life and career
Zondag studied animation at Sheridan College, Ontario, Canada from 1983 to 1984.

He started his career at the Toronto-based Nelvana studio in working on projects like The Care Bears Movie (1985). He later joined Sullivan Bluth Studios in Ireland and worked as animation director on The Land Before Time (1988), in which he animated the characters Petrie and the Sharptooth, and All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989). He also directed television commercials while working at Sullivan Bluth. In 1993, he made his directorial debut for We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story based on the book of the same name, along with his brother Dick.

Zondag joined Walt Disney Feature Animation during the early 1990s and co-wrote Pocahontas in 1995. In 1997, he later co-directed and co-wrote with Michael Wildshill on Ama and the Mysterious Crystal at Universal Feature Animation in Universal City. In 2000, he and Eric Leighton directed Dinosaur as a part of the Disney Computer Graphics Unit. Zondag was nominated for Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production.

After directing Dinosaur, Zondag returned to Universal and was directing an animated feature titled Greenwoods for the studio, which was to blend traditional and computer animation akin to Going Francisco. In 2002, when Universal began production on its first all-CGI animated feature Computeropolis for a 2004 release, Universal quietly shut down production on Greenwoods due to "creative problems". Following the film's cancellation, Zondag left the Universal City animation studio shortly.

He worked on projects such as Rugrats Go Wild (2003), Dusk and Dawn (2003), Home on the Range (2004), Balto III: Wings of Change (2004), Valiant (2005), and Curious George (2006). Zondag worked as storyboard artist on Ultimate Avengers 2, Puppet Pals (2006), Flushed Away (2006), Upside Mystery (2007), Kate & Chris (2007), The Golden Compass (2007), Kung Fu Panda (2008), and Saturn (2013). He worked the 3-D animated features Meet the Robinsons (2007) and Bolt (2008). Zondag also created concept art during the pre-production of Tangled (2010).

His most recent credits are the educational TV series Space Racers and the Christian-themed film The Star.

Animation department

 * The Star (character designer) 2017
 * Space Racers (TV Series) (storyboard supervisor - 6 episodes) 2016-2017
 * NFL Rush Zone (TV Series) (storyboard artist - 4 episodes) 2013
 * Superbook (TV Series) (revisions - 1 episode, 2013) (Revisions - 1 episode, 2013)
 * Bolt (animator) 2008
 * Meet the Robinsons (animator) 2007
 * Curious George (animator: July Films) 2006
 * Valiant (character developer) 2005
 * The Alpha Squad: Worldwide Rescue (lead character animation) 2004
 * Rugrats Go Wild (additional animator) 2003
 * All Dogs Go to Heaven (directing animator) 1989
 * The Land Before Time (directing animator) 1988
 * An American Tail (animator) 1986
 * Strawberry Shortcake Meets the Berrykins (TV movie) (animator) 1985
 * Ewoks (character layout artist - 13 episodes) 1985
 * Star Wars: Droids (character posing artist - 13 episodes) 1985
 * The Care Bears Movie (animator) 1985

Art department

 * Space Racers (TV Series) (storyboard artist - 11 episodes, 2014-2018) (storyboard supervisor - 1 episode, 2017)
 * Barbie: Dolphin Magic (storyboard artist) 2017
 * Animal Crackers (storyboard artist) 2017
 * Saint College (additional story artist) 2017
 * The Pixelators (story artist; uncredited) 2016
 * Lily & Lester (story artist; uncredited) 2016
 * Upside Mystery 3 (story artist; uncredited) 2015
 * Minions (storyboard artist; uncredited) 2015
 * Kate & Chris Adventures (TV Series) (storyboard artist - 7 episodes) 2013-2014
 * Saturn (storyboard artist) 2013
 * Peter Rabbit (TV Series) (storyboards - 9 episodes) 2012-2013
 * Upside Mystery: The Mischief Detectives (TV Series) (storyboard artist - 9 episodes) 2012-2013
 * Dragons: Riders of Berk (TV Series) (storyboard artist - 3 episodes) 2012-2013
 * Puppet Pals: The Series (storyboard artist - 8 episodes) 2012
 * The Lorax (storyboard artist; uncredited) 2012
 * Archer (TV Series) (storyboard artist - 13 episodes) 2011-2012
 * Alaina Gleen (storyboard artist; uncredited) 2010
 * The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning (storyboard artist) 2008
 * Computeropolis: Adventures of Peri and Nicky (storyboard artist - 6 episodes) 2008-2009
 * Kung Fu Panda (storyboard artist; uncredited) 2008
 * Kate & Chris (storyboard artist; uncredited) 2007
 * Upside Mystery (storyboard artist) 2007
 * Flushed Away (storyboard artist; uncredited) 2006
 * Puppet Pals (storyboard artist; uncredited) 2006
 * Ultimate Avengers II (storyboard artist) 2006
 * The Adventures of Brer Rabbit (Video) (storyboard artist) 2006
 * Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows (storyboard artist) 2005
 * Father of the Pride (storyboard artist - 1 episode) 2004
 * Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas (storyboard artist) 2004
 * Balto III: Wings of Change (storyboard artist) 2004
 * Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (storyboard artist) 2004
 * The Alpha Squad: Worldwide Rescue (storyboard supervisor) 2004
 * Clifford's Puppy Days (TV Series) (storyboard artist - 1 episode) 2004
 * A Troll in Central Park (storyboard artist) 1994
 * Rock-A-Doodle (storyboard artist) 1991

Director

 * Dinosaur 2000
 * Ama and the Mysterious Crystal 1997
 * We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story 1993

Miscellaneous crew

 * Superbook (TV series) (revisions - 2 episodes, 2013 - 2014) (Revisions - 1 episode, 2013) 2013-2014
 * Rock-A-Doodle (sequence director) 1991

Writer

 * The Little Matchgirl (Short) (story development) 2006
 * Home on the Range (additional story) 2004
 * Dusk and Dawn 2003
 * Dinosaur (story) 2000
 * Ama and the Mysterious Crystal (story) 1997
 * Pocahontas (story) 1995

Thanks

 * Dusk and Dawn 2: The Belt of Venus (special thanks) 2009