Disney has faced tough competition in animation, but some of its fiercest rivals came from inside the studio itself. In this episode, we uncover the Disney Defectors — the artists and executives who left to create new Disney animation competitors and changed the course of film history.

Behind every Disney success story lies a trail of competition, and sometimes that competition came from within. This episode of Synergy Loves Company explores the five most important Disney Defectors — insiders who walked away from the Mouse House and reshaped animation history. We begin with Charles Mintz, whose betrayal nearly ended Walt Disney’s career but ultimately led to the creation of Mickey Mouse. Then comes Ub Iwerks, the artistic genius behind Mickey who struck out to build his own studio. UPA challenged Disney’s style with bold, modernist animation, while Don Bluth shook the industry in the 1980s by producing hit films that rivaled Disney at the box office. Finally, Jeffrey Katzenberg, one of the architects of the Disney Renaissance, left to co-found DreamWorks, sparking a new era of competition. Together, these Disney defectors reveal how Disney animation competitors didn’t just come from Hollywood — they came from Disney’s own ranks. If you love animation history, this episode shows how rivalry fueled innovation.

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