Stop-motion animation pioneer Eli Noyes passes away at 81

Eli Noyes, a pioneer of stop-motion animation, known for his use of clay and sand, has passed away. He was 81 years old at the time of his passing.

As per multiple reports, Eli Noyes passed away at his home in San Francisco. He was suffering from prostate cancer and died of cancer-related health complications. Toy Story producer Ralph Guggenheim announced the tragic news.

Eli Noyes earned an Oscar nomination for his 8-minute animated film Clay or the Origin of Species. The film created a genre of clay stop-motion animation.

Noyes’ work has had a huge impact on early children’s TV shows. Nickelodeon’s show Pinwheel featured his sand-animated pinwheels.

He is survived by his wife, Augusta and children Isaac and Abigail and grandchild Esme. His passing is a huge loss to the animation and film industry.