Painter, printmaker, and animator Merle Thomas Cox was born in Indiana on June 9, 1896. Little is found on his history, though it is known that he came to California around 1928 to work for Walt Disney Animation Studios. He was a background painter for animated feature films such as Pinocchio, Snow White, Fantasia, and Cinderella (posthumously released), working on a total of 35 films. He was also a producer. He died in Los Angeles on October 27, 1949.