Mark Walton is used to being animated about cartooning. After all, he's been working for Disney for more than a decade now.
"I have one of the greatest jobs ever. I get paid to doodle and draw. For a lot of people, that's a dream come true, myself included," the 40-year-old storyboard artist, animator and writer said.
However, he's still getting used to being animated in a Disney cartoon. Walton supplied voices for supporting characters in "Chicken Little" (he was Loosey Goosey) and "Home on the Range" (in which he voiced the two longhorns, Barry and Bob).
He's also one of the voice performers in the studio's latest cartoon feature, the digitally animated "Bolt," which is being shown theatrically in both the 2-D and 3-D formats. Specifically, Walton, a Utah native and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gives voice to Rhino, a slightly unhinged hamster.
As he explained, Rhino is a television junkie who's a big fan of the title character, a similarly delusional, canine small-screen star (John Travolta).
And despite being encased in a plastic hamster ball, Rhino tries to help Bolt get from New York City to Hollywood — so Bolt can be reunited with his owner and television co-star, Penny (Miley Cyrus).
"Rhino is pretty crazy, but he means well and has a good heart," Walton said. "Unfortunately, he's a little too enthusiastic for his own good and is completely obsessed with proving himself to his hero."
Regarding his casting, Walton says the "Bolt" filmmakers "apparently thought I had the perfect voice for a hamster. I'm still not sure whether I should be horrified or flattered."
In reality, Walton was approached to be one of the "temp" voices for the in-production version of the cartoon. During the storyboarding and "rough" animating processes, animators often read and record character lines — though those are typically replaced by later, voice-talent recording sessions.
"Evidently I did something right. Either that, or they were completely desperate," he laughed.
On a more serious note, Walton expressed some regrets about not getting to act opposite Travolta, Cyrus and other cast members, including comic actors Nick Swardson, Diedrich Bader, Greg Germann and Susie Essman.
That's because animation filmmakers typically record actors in the studio separately. "They do that so they can ensure the sound levels and sound quality are consistent, and so they can work with the actors one-on-one," he said.
But according to Walton, recording a cartoon voice is "not really as easy as it sounds. They can show you what your character is doing, but unless you have someone else there with you, it's a little unnerving."
Walton is a 1995 graduate of Utah State University and recently returned to the Beehive State with the "Bolt Across America" Tour.
That tour also featured a life-size, inflatable hamster ball, though Walton didn't try it out. Instead, he preferred to "be myself and not a hamster again."
He also discussed his experiences working with legendary animator Glen Keane ("Beauty and the Beast," "The Little Mermaid") on Disney's 1999 animated version of "Tarzan."
"Glen is a genius, pure and simple. When you get to work with someone like that, it's a career highlight."
Walton and other animation veterans briefly joined the unemployment line when Disney closed its Florida studios in 2004 — when the studio began cutting its supposed "2-D" animation productions.
"Things got a little scary for those of us who were working there," he recalled. Walton and a lot of the others were spared by Pixar chief John Lasseter, who joined Disney in an executive role and revived some traditional animated projects.
Lasseter also found roles for some of the axed animators and became heavily involved with the in-production "Bolt."
"John is one of those people who expects your hardest efforts all the time and really pushes you to do your best," Walton said. "Everything he touches becomes gold."
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com