As the world mourned en masse for the loss of the public figure Steve Jobs, a few groups felt the death in a much more intensely personal way. There was Apple, of course, the computer giant that the late titan co-founded over three decades ago and the place where he made his biggest impact on the world. But Pixar, the other massive company he helped launch, had to deal with the loss more intimately, given the small size and tight-knit nature of the animation studio.
Having released a heartfelt statement from longtime partners John Lasseter and Ed Catmull on the evening he passed and then dedicated their website splash to him soon after, the computer animation division of Disney -- Jobs sold the studio to the Mouse House in 2006 -- posted on Monday a photo of a rainbow over their offices, with the caption, "A rainbow on a cloudy and sad day over our studio? Thanks, Steve. 10/5/11"
On an individual level, Lee Unkrich, who directed the studio's "Toy Story 3" and is currently working on heading up another project, tweeted some memories of Jobs late Monday night.
"I once had a serious meeting with Steve Jobs while wearing this Halloween costume. He was completely unfazed," he wrote, linking to a ridiculous photo of a man in a traditional dirndl. "Just the two of us, in his office. He was not wearing a costume. I'd kill for a fly-on-the-wall photo, but none exists."
He continued, explaining another awkward memory: "I once forwarded an email from Steve Jobs to a friend, adding a snarky comment. Steve's reply informed me that I'd replied, not forwarded," he wrote, "Steve was extremely cool about it. He said he'd been emailed FAR worse things accidentally. And many not so accidentally..."
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