The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super strength to the power to heal-except one, Mirabel. But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family’s last hope. Released November, 2021, the film has garnered Claybrook another accolade and achievement from the Academy, the first being for his work on Frozen in 2014.

The Eagle Pass News Gram caught up with the man who has quickly become the most famous man inout fair city and this is what he had to say about his work, and historic rise to prominence in a highly competitive industry that is the motion picture business.

What was your favorite animated character growing up as a child?

My first favorite cartoon character was Popeye. Maybe influenced by the statue of him in Crystal City. But when color TVs became popular they stopped showing the old black & white Popeye cartoons and only showed the later color cartoons I didn't like as much. So then Baloo the bear from Disney's "Jungle Book" became my favorite.

What type of animation was it?

Those were hand drawn animation.  

What other characters do you remember?

Another of my favorites were "Heckle and Jeckle the talking magpies"  That teamed a wise-guy Brooklyn bird with posh British accent.

What did you study in college?

I was leaning towards science and math, but a freshman movie course hooked me on old movies. So I majored in film with a minor in computer science. (This was a years before "Tron" introduced computer generated imagery into animation.) For one of my film classes I made a short animated movie.

What was your first foray into professional animation?

I worked on an animated opening for a San Antonio TV News station that showed off their new helicopter. Now I can't remember which station it was.

Tell us about the first accomplishments in your career.

My first accomplishment was learning how to animate from a book I got from Eagle Office Supply on Main St. for $2. It was Animation" written by ex-Disney animator Preston Blair. 

Describe to our readers what your job entails.

I am a character technical director. I take an unmoving model that was created in a computer and build controls that allow it to move naturally and be expressive. Then pass that on to the animator who will manipulate the controls to create an emotional acting performance.

As an artist, what are the most prevalent changes you’ve seen in the field of animation.

Computer animation did not exist when I began animating. Now it has become the dominant production method for animation

Is it your job to create these amazing characters from fruition?

I am part of a team. A designer draws the character. A modeler will sculpt the character in the computer. After it is approved by the designer and director it comes to me. Then I build the controls to bring the model to life and pass it on to the animator who uses those controls to convey the character's actions and emotions on screen. Other character technical directors create rigs that simulate clothing and hair that will react naturally to the character's motions and the environment. Other artists paint colors and textures onto the model. Finally the character is lit with simulated lighting in the computer and digital images are rendered.

You have an extensive resume. What are your most memorable projects?

Probably my first movie at Disney "Dinosaur" and my latest "Encanto"

Now for some fun questions. What are some of your favorite non-animated movies?

"Metropolis" the 1927 silent movie is Fritz Lang's dark vision of the future

"Just Imagine" a 1930 sound film, it's a wackily optimistic sci-fi fantasy 

"We're No Angels" from 1955, my favorite Christmas movie set on Devil's Island

"Jason and the Argonauts" from 1963 with amazing stop-motion puppet animation by Ray Harryhausen

"Atragon" a 1965 wildly imaginative Japanese sci-fi/monster movie 

If someone were writing a book about Glen Claybrook, what would the title be?

"They Pay Me to Do This???"

If someone were making a movie about you, who’d play you?

Zach Galifianakis.

What’s on Glen Claybrook’s iPod? Besides Moon and Maurice Munter (Ha ha) What’s on your playlist?

All of ZZ Top, The Beatles, Bob Wills, Ray Charles, Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West, James Brown, Jeff Beck, Tower of Power, Bob Marley, Weird Al Yankovic, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Peter Wolf, Brian Setzer, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Robert Randolph and the Family Band.

With this, our conversation with the man that has put Eagle Pass on the word stage came to a close. Special thanks to my friend and fellow musician Maurice “Weechie” Munter, his brother Billy and my colleague Jose Landa for their assistance with the completion of this piece. A piece that I consider to be, as Glenn would atest, my crowning acievement in my journalistic endeavors here at The Gram.