'Toy Story,' 'Finding Nemo' story artist Rob Gibbs passes away at 55

In tragic news, Disney-Pixar artist and director Rob Gibbs has passed away at the age of 55. The cause of death is still unknown at this time, as per The Hollywood Reporter. Ever since a Pixar spokesperson confirmed his death, messages of condolence have come flooding in. Gibbs contributed to numerous films that defined our childhoods, such as Finding Nemo, Toy Story, and Wall-E. Needless to say, thousands of folks all over the world have felt like a part of their childhoods is lost forever. Thankfully, his legacy will live on forever in film.

Daniel Chong, the creator of the animated television series We Bare Bears for Cartoon Network, posted on Twitter, "Heartbroken over the loss of Rob Gibbs. If you or your kids have seen any Pixar CarsToons shorts, Rob directed most of 'em... He was such a positive, hilarious, and heartfelt guy, who cared a lot for his crew. Will miss him." Others who had worked with Gibbs chimed in as well. Director and co-writer of Pixar’s Onward and Monsters University Dan Scanlon wrote, "Rob Gibbs was the first person to befriend me when I came to Pixar. He always made sure that no one felt left out. He made sure that everyone was invited to the party. He was a great artist, a loving parent, a dedicated teacher, and a thoughtful, reliable, joyful friend. I miss you, Rob." He also uploaded a photo of the story artist.

In addition to working on many of Disney and Pixar's now-classic movies, Gibbs was also the father of Mary Gibbs, who voiced the character of Boo in Monsters, Inc. David Silverman, who many may know as one of the animators of The Simpsons, stated, "Very sad to hear the passing of the talented and kind Rob Gibbs. Truly funny and talented story artist, writer, and wonderful guy. A delight to work with on Monsters, Inc. His daughter Mary was the charming voice of Boo. My condolences to his family." Prior to his death, he was working on the upcoming Germany/Belgium/Canada co-production HUMP. As the film's co-director, this would have been his feature directorial debut.

Gibbs was working on the pre-production of the movie, which tells the story of Rami, a camel who journeys across the Arabian Desert in order to reunite with his owner and best friend, Omar, a 10-year-old Bedouin boy. Unfortunately, the film will have to go on without him. MovieBrats Pictures, the production house behind the feature, posted in remembrance, "Our hearts broke this morning when we learned of the sudden passing of Rob Gibbs, co-director on our animated film HUMP. We've not only lost a creative partner, but also a wonderful human being, always in a good mood and never short of a joke that made it a joy to work with him over the past few years... He loved spending time with his daughter, and he loved old classic cars and zombie stories.
You'll be dearly missed, Rob." While Gibbs may no longer be with us, his legacy will live on in the movies he helped mold.