[3] He would often refine character sketches from Bill Peet, incorporating ideas of Ken Anderson.

The final look of many characters in the Disney films was designed by Kahl, in his angular style inspired by Ronald Searle and Picasso.

He is revered by contemporary masters of the form such as Andreas Deja, and also Brad Bird, who was his protégé at Disney in the early 1970s.

In the behind-the-scenes feature "Fine Food and Film" shown on the Ratatouille DVD, Bird referred to Kahl as "tough," but in a gentle way, as he often gave Bird advice on where he could improve in animation whenever he came up short.

[4] On April 19, 1987, Kahl died of pneumonia, aged 78, in Mill Valley, California.