For those of you who read Italian and who love Disney comics: you will want to know that this book was released a few months ago. I am still trying to find out how to buy a copy.

This is a Kickstarter project that I am likely to support next month. The target seems a little high, though!

And here is the last one.

This just in from Julie Svendsen.

James Bodrero by Campbell Grant.

James Bodrero by Jack Miller.

One more from the February 1940 issue of Town and Country.

While researching They Drew As They Pleased - Volume 3, I stumbled upon a series of caricatures of James Bodrero by his Disney Character Model Department colleagues, in the style of some of the most famous masters. All of those caricatures were released in the magazine Town and Country from February 1940. Since those drawings will not appear in They Drew As They Pleased and since I know most of you will enjoy seeing them, I will post them here over the next few days, starting with this version of Bodrero by Martin Provensen.

My good friend Alain Littaye is trying to sell this extremely realistic painting of Walt. He can be contacted at neverlandeditions@gmail.com.

They Drew As They Pleased - The Hidden Art of Disney's Musical Years is now listed on Amazon.

This new book is not one I will pick up, but I know that some of you like to be aware of every single Disney-related publication out there.

More exciting material released today by Michael Barrier about Jack Kinney. Not to be missed.

I have now read the Disneyland-related chapter in the newly released biography of Ruth Shelllhorn by Kelly Comras. It is fairly short but meticulously researched and full of great new information.

This book will be released by Theme Park Press at the end of the month and should become the "bible" of theme park designers.

The blurb reads in part:

[Want to design a theme park?
Over the past century, theme parks have created worlds where pirates still loot Caribbean towns, where daring adventurers explore booby-trapped temples, and where superheroes swing from New York skyscrapers - and allowed us to step into them too. This is a book about how to design those fantastic places, and the ingenuity that goes into their creation.
This is a handbook for the practicing designer, a textbook for the aspiring student, and a behind the scenes guidebook for the theme park fan, drawing on hundreds of interviews with accomplished designers from Walt Disney Imagineering, Universal Creative, Merlin Entertainments, and more. Theme Park Design & The Art of Themed Entertainment explores everything from the stories, themes, and characters that theme parks bring to life, to the business models, processes, and techniques that allow them to do it.
From rocket ships to roller coasters, fairy tales to fireworks shows, and dinosaurs to dark rides, never before has a book dived so deep into the art form of themed entertainment.]

I had the pleasure of contributing to this newly released book and very, very much looking forward to reading the other entries!

The blog will be updated again on Friday, March 11.

And now for an exclusive look at the cover of the upcoming They Drew As They Pleased - The Hidden Art of Disney's Musical Years!

Quick reminder: Next week will see the release of Three Years in Wonderland by Todd James Pierce, one of the most important books ever released about the early years of Disneyland. The book is revolutionary and a definite "must-have."

Garry Apgar just gave me a heads up about a new series of Mickey comic books which will be released this year in France and which seems utterly fascinating. One of the entries in the series will be written and drawn by none other than Loisel, a famous French comic book artist who created two classic graphic novels: La Quete de l'Oiseau du Temps and Peter Pan. He also served for a while as a concept artist at the Disney Studio in the 1990s. Can't wait.

I admit that I am totally fascinated by what I have seen to date of the universe of Zootopia. I have a feeling that I will love the movie and the beautiful new art-book released by Chronicle Books reinforces that opinion. This is really a book that should be added to your library if you are interested in Disney's latest productions.