Background Artist

The Life and Work of Tyrus Wong

By: Karen Fang

Narrated by: Caroline McLaughlin

You might not know the name Tyrus Wong, but you probably know many of the images he shaped, including scenes from the beloved Disney classic Bambi. Yet when he came to this country as a child, Tyrus was an illegal immigrant locked up in an offshore detention center. How did he go on to a long and prosperous career drawing animation cels, storyboards, and greeting cards that shaped the American imagination?

Background Artist shares the inspiring story of Tyrus Wong's remarkable 106-year life and showcases his wide array of creative work, from the paintings and fine art prints he made working for Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration to the unique handmade kites he designed in his retirement to fly on the Santa Monica Beach. It tells how he came to the United States as a 10-year-old boy in 1920, at a time when the Chinese Exclusion Act barred him from legal citizenship. Yet it also shows how Tyrus found American communities that welcomed him and nurtured his artistic talent.

Covering everything from his work as a studio sketch artist for Warner Bros. to the best-selling Christmas cards he designed for Hallmark and other greeting card companies, this book celebrates a multi-talented Asian-American artist and pioneer.

©2024 Karen Fang (KBI Always Look Up, LLC) (P)2025 KBI Always Look Up, LLC

So Much More Than a Disney Legend

I was interested in this book because I LOVED Bambi as a kid, and Tyrus Wong was a name that I recognized from the first time I watched behind the scenes features on the DVD. He was the artist who is responsible for the painterly look of the entire film.

I was excited to read this because I loved his work and didn’t know much more about him. I assumed he’d worked on other Disney movies like most of the other Disney artists whose work I’ve admired, like Mary Blaire or Eyvind Earle. Little did I know, his work at Disney on Bambi was just one short chapter in a long, extremely interesting life!

“Background Artist” covers Tyrus’ entire life from his childhood coming to America during the time of Asian exclusion, where he had few rights, to his adulthood working for Disney, Warner Brothers, and Hallmark, to his retirement where he spent his final years designed kites.

The life of Tyrus Wong was even more interesting than I could have ever imagined, and this book is both a comprehensive look at his entire life, as well as over a century of American history that he lived through. Even if you don’t know who Tyrus is, if you are at all interested in American art, film, or history, I highly recommend this book.

An amazing life, expertly written and narrated

Karen Fang’s biography of Disney and Warner Brothers artist Tyrus Wong is an amazing story: moving but not sentimental, she conveys his journey to the US from China as a child during the years of Chinese exclusion and his achievements as a visual artist who excelled in many mediums. Although he is probably best remembered as the artist who made huge contributions to the style of Disney’s Bambi, he was so much more: a longtime concept artist for Hollywood, a renowned Christmas card designer, a husband and father, and ultimately a citizen. The audiobook, expertly narrated by Caroline McLaughlin, was gripping - even though I almost never read nonfiction! McLaughlin’s voice is smooth and authoritative, and she handles the many Chinese names and words with ease and charm. Highly recommended!

A Thorough Telling of An Amazing Life

Background Artist is a difinitive work on Tyrus Wong. The amount of detail that Professor Karen Fang put into this book is stunning. Tyrus Wong's life spanned the ups and downs of the Asian experience in America. His story is a broad mural of what life was like for Asians in America this past century. If you're like me, and only learned about Tyrus after his death, you'll be fascianted to learn more about him through this audiobook. The quality of reading is top notch, it's a long one, but I never got bored. It was gentle company for me during some drives, flights, and train rides this summer. Highly recommend. Kudos to Dr. Fang and a tip of the hat to Tyrus!