Trivia

At age 17, he wrote a letter to the Walt Disney Studios asking how one becomes an artist on their staff. The production manager at the time was a Mr. Don Duckwall, who encouraged Asbury to submit drawing samples. Asbury did so and was then advised to gain training at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) near L.A., which offers a degree in Character Animation. Asbury followed that advice and started at CalArts in 1980.

Both of the Asbury-directed animated films Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) and Shrek 2 (2004) opened the Cannes Film Festival and both were nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar.

Though not himself a ventriloquist, Kelly harbored a lifelong passion for the offbeat art form, even going so far as to write a 128-page non-fiction book on the subject called "Dummy Days - America's Favorite Ventriloquists from Radio and Early TV" (Angel City Press 2003).

Mentored by Chuck Jones.

Art school classmates with other CalArts alumni and future animated feature directors Rob Minkoff (The Lion King (1994)), Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale (Beauty and the Beast (1991), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)), Bruce W. Smith (Bebe's Kids (1992), The Proud Family (2001)), and Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch (2002)). Several other of Asbury's peers went on to win multiple Emmy awards and direct successful TV shows, The Simpsons (1989) among them.

Living in Southern California (February 2011)

A three-time Annie Awards nominee.