Thanks to Gunnar Andreassen for pointing me in the direction of those great Horvath drawings on Heritage Auctions.

Do not miss today:

- MAMMOTH Disney History Institute News ... by Paul F. Anderson
- Ward Kimball by Andreas Deja
- Stargazing at Mickey's Gala Premier by Jeff Pepper
- Secrets of the Rocketeer by Jim Korkis

Interesting photo of a meeting between Ward Kimball and Tezuka Osamu (creator of Astroboy).

Thanks to Paul Reiter for the information (through MichaelBarrier.com) which allowed me to locate it.

Interesting photo of Ward Kimball and Bill Walsh from the Kimball estate being sold at the moment on ebay. According to the caption:

[U.S.C. Disney Tribute, November 22, 1968, L to R: Douglas Knapp (student), Ward Kimball & Bill Walsh, Richard Franklin (student).]

The Disney Books Network was updated this weekend.

Do not miss today

- WALT AT ZERMATT by Michael Barrier
- New Tomorrowland Construction by Paul F. Anderson
- Milt Kahl II by Andreas Deja

And this is a Spanish box containing four beautiful Mickey and friends jigsaw puzzles, which was probably released between 1932 and 1933.

Help needed

As ever, I am swamped under un-transcribed interviews (and the Walt's People team of volunteers is busy transcribing). Most of those interviews are absolutely fascinating and cover subjects as varied as Walt himself, Disney animation, Disney's trains, Imagineering, and much, much more.

Any volunteers?

Please email me at didier.ghez@gmail.com

Update about Walt's People - Volume 11

It looks as if the manuscript will be ready for review by the contributors around the middle of next week, which in practical terms means that the book should be released around the end of August or more likely early September.

Here is the introduction (the Foreword has been provided by John Canemaker and the cover drawing is being created by none other that John Musker).

[One of my dreams would be to know that all the artists who surrounded Walt have been interviewed or have written their memoirs. This is not the case.
And yet, to fully understand Walt and his creations, I am more and more convinced that one needs to understand the artists and individuals who surrounded and influenced him. Which is why, above and beyond the interviews which are the heart of Walt’s People, I will also include in the series a few well-researched essays about key but little-known Disney artists. By better understanding the lives and times of Perce Pearce, Otto Englander, John P. Miller, Cy Young, John Sibley, or John Dunn, to name a few, we will manage to connect more and more dots, while picturing even more clearly the dynamics of the Studio.
If you have written or are planning to write such an essay, I would encourage you to submit it for publication.

Speaking of connecting the dots, this volume has a scope unequaled by its predecessors. It includes for the first time a large section about Walt Disney Imagineering, a subject which we have not yet tackled much in the series, allowing us to understand better the evolution of the Audio-Animatronics and the building of Walt Disney World. It also delves for the second time into the ‘50s, thanks to the interviews with Ward Kimball, Frank Armitage, Ray Aragon, Jacques Rupp, and Joe Hale. There is even a chapter focusing on very recent Disney history, in which we discover how Ed Catmull helped preserve “the holy fire” of Disney storytelling and bring it back where it belongs. Of course the Golden Age of Disney animation, the troubled ‘40s, or Disney comic-book history are also discussed in detail, thanks to the “usual suspects.”

One more thing: my interview with Ray Aragon was conducted only a few days before his death, which leads me to remind you, once again, how important it is today to preserve Disney history in a timely fashion. Time is running shorter and shorter.

And now, without further ado, let’s meet two Disney Legends who knew Walt as a young man.

Didier Ghez
Oñati, Spain, April 2011.]

There were virtually no Disney items released in Spain after the start of the Civil War on July 17, 1936, so when one discovers a book like the one above (I was lucky to do so this weekend) one expects it to date from 1936. But I am also almost certain that this is the translation of the book Mickey Mouse and Mother Goose which was released in the UK by Collins in 1937, which means that it would have been released in Spain during the Civil War, which would be consistent with the quality of the paper used.

Do not miss today:

- SURFING THE SUBMARINE LAGOON by Paul F. Anderson
- DAPPER WALT~An Up and Comer ... An "Important Director" by Paul F. Anderson
- The Walt Disney Studio - One Year On by David Lesjak
- Frank & Ollie by Andreas Deja
- Eric Larson by Andreas Deja
- Vintage Headlines: Keep Running. We're Brothers by Jeff Pepper
- The Osmond Brothers at Disneyland by Jim Korkis
- Walt Disney WorldSwan and Dolphin on WDW Radio Podcast by Werner Weiss and Jim Korkis

One of the greatest True Life Adventures' cinematographers is Paul Kenworthy. While working on one of his interviews, I stumbled upon a German documentary that has been produced about him, unfortunately not yet released on DVD. I am hoping to get more information about this within the next few weeks. For now, you can see above the trailer of About Paul, as the documentary is called.

And as if all this (see below) was not enough, Andreas Deja (who left Disney in January this year but still acts for them as a consultant) has just launched his blog.

It's an other very, very beautiful day for Disney History. Michael Barrier has just released his interview with Fred Kopietz. Enjoy!

Do not miss today:

- MICKEY MOUSE CHAPTER OF DeMOLAY APRIL 1933 by Paul F. Anderson
- PLEASANT BUFFOONERY ~ Remembering Wally Boag by Paul F. Anderson (great article!)
- WALT DISNEY AT THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE REVUE by Paul F. Anderson
- IMPORTANT DISNEYLAND GUEST! Very Important! by Paul F. Anderson
- 5 Year Anniversary of Daveland Blog! by Dave DeCaro
- Tribute to Betty & Wally by Dave DeCaro
- Remembering Wally Boag & Betty Taylor, the stars of Disneyland's long-running Golden Horseshoe Revue by Jim Hill
- Now back on DVD, “Bambi” recalls Walt Disney’s love of nature (with Jim Korkis)

Jim Korkis just found out that Stuart Ng is selling some usually pretty hard to find books of non-Disney drawings by Herb Ryman. You can see them here. Some are a bit cheaper at this other link.

This just in from Leo Holzer:

[We're saddened by the death of a true one-of-a-kind Disney Legend, Wally Boag, a comic song-and-dance man who probably "lost" more than a million teeth in his record run at Disneyland's Golden Horseshoe Revue. He performed at Walt and Lillian Disney's 30th anniversary party a scant few days before Disneyland opened to the public and the show became one of Walt's favorite things to show off to famous visitors. He was also the only performer allowed to sell his own line of merchandise at the park. Does anyone remember or still have "Boagalloons"?

Betty Taylor has also passed away, a day after her fellow "Golden Horseshoe Revue" castmember. She was in the show the longest, joining it in 1956 and remaining until its final performance in 1986.]

This is not really Disney history, but since this book is written by Disney producer Don Hahn and will contain quite a few examples related to his Disney career, I thought you might want to know about it.

This is basically a new, completely updated and expanded version on Don's previous book, Dancing Corn Dogs in the Night.

I will try and post of a review of the book when I get it.

The new Hake's auction is up. A few cool pieces, including this funny diploma created by T. Hee for Bill Cottrell.

Dental Health (1945)

This just in from Florian (through Jim Korkis):

[I found your article called "The Whole Tooth: Disney and Dentistry". You mentioned there the film "Dental Health" (produced in 1945 for the U.S. Army). I wonder where you found the project number 7280? The film is now available online and the project number is 8-2096.

This information can also be found here.

Another note - the running time of the film is obviously not 8 minutes. I guess you have this information from Richard Shale's book "Donald Duck Joins Up", but Shale wrote in there: "Running times refer to Disney-produced footage and are sometimes not the total running time of the film."]

Do not miss today:

- The Norman Rockwell-Walt Disney Connection by Jim Korkis
- The Return of The Rocketeer by Jim Korkis

I have to admit that I probably would not have thought of picking up this book. But I had the pleasure of receiving of a review copy and I feel lucky to now own it. As you probably noticed, I have become fascinated by the True-Life Adventures over the past few months and African Cats seems to be a worthy successor to that classic series (I have not yet seen the movie but I am now looking forward to it thanks to this beautiful book). In addition, our trip to South Africa a few years ago exposed us for the first time to the beauty of that continent and of its fauna. A sense of wonder which never left me.

Which is probably why I started reading this bookthe moment I got it and loved every bit of it. The text is well-written. It is beautifully illustrated. It feels like a very long issue of National Geographic. My only reservation is the fact that it does not feature any image about the making of the movie. In other words no photos of men and women actually shooting it. And no words about pre-production work.

In summary: A beautiful book, which you will love if you are interested in African wildlife or in contemporary True-Life Adventures.

Do not miss today:

- World War One Walt by Jim Korkis
- Fighting the War with Ink and Paint: Recap with Paul F. Anderson

This just in from Philippe Videcoq:

[I will auction off on Saturday June 11 an exceptional item, the very rare 1929 Mickey Mouse model sheet, probably drawn by Les Clark and coming from the Burt Gillett estate. It appears on page 46 of Pierre Lambert's book about Mickey and was featured in the "Once Upon a Time Walt Disney" exhibition that took place in 2007-2008 at the Grand Palais in Paris, then in Montréal, Munich and Helsinki.

Here is the link to the auction.]

There is really "treasure everywhere," as mentioned a few days ago on this blog.

Jim Korkis had heard that a few years ago, Disney Legend Ron Logan had written his memoirs. Finding that manuscript became a small obsession with me (as is always the case when I hear of the autobiography of a key Disney artist or executive).

A few weeks ago I managed to track it down. It turns out that the "book," written by Logan in 2001, has been released as support material for a course that Professor Logan teaches at University of Central Florida. Titled Walt Disney Entertainment, A Retrospective Look (1955 - 2000) it offers a very interesting history of Disney's live entertainment in the parks, through Logan's and some of his colleagues' recollections.

If you decide to order it, it will reach you as 144 not-bound pages (As mentioned it really is seen by Logan as support material for his course, not as a book - although that's what it really is after you bind it).

Thanks to my partner in crime Jim Korkis and to Ron Logan's assistant Bill Zanetti I was able to find out how to order it. Just follow this link.

I jumped the gun two weeks ago and removed the post a few hours after it went up. But it's now official, Jake Friedman is working on a biography of Art Babbitt. To say that Jake has done his homework is an understatment. I believe that book will be probably be THE definitive book on Babbitt.

If you have unusual documents related to Art, please email me and I will put you in touch with Jake.

This just in from Phil Rushton:

[You might be intrigued by some pages that I recently came across in the first three issues of IPC's obscure 1972 educational magazine Walt Disney's Now I Know. While most of this publication was taken up with relatively uninteresting facts and puzzles it also included a handful of fascinating historical features in which cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck were incorporated into realistic scenes that seem to have been specially painted by top British comic artists (almost like a reversal of the live-action/cartoon sequences used in films such as Mary Poppins). For example I'm not sure how much involvement they had with the principal cartoon characters seen but it's clear to me that the examples below were mostly drawn by Patrick Nicolle and the great Ron Embleton (of Wulf the Briton and Trigan Empire fame).

Here is also the cover of issue no.1 in which the Pat Nicolle page appeared (I'm not sure of the artist in this case), and the second half of the Ron Embleton feature on Ancient Egypt from no.2 (the continuation of this in no.3 was illustrated by Angus McBride - another well-known British artist).

Now I Know, like its companion Disneyland, was produced in London by the editorial team responsible for Look & Learn (home of the famous 'Trigan Empire' strip) in association with the Disney Studios in Holywood.]

This just in through Julie Svendsen.

I had the pleasure to receive last week thanks to John Wigmans and Phil Rushton the autobiography of English artist Basil Reynolds, one of the two key artists of the 1930s Mickey Mouse Weekly, along with Wilfred Haughton. The autobiography had been published by Denis Gifford in the English fanzine The Illustrated Comic Journal.

I will release this document in a future issue of Walt's People.

As Jim Korkis (and Calvin and Hobbes) reminded me: "There's treasure everywhere."

Do not miss today:

- Historic 1928 Disney announcement by David Lesjak
- Coming by popular demand! 1929 Mickey Mouse ad by David Lesjak
- And you call that a vacation? by David Lesjak

This just in from Amid Amidi:


[Not sure if you know, but that famous caricature of Walt was drawn by Milt Kahl.

Enclosed is the proof I found in one of Ward's photo albums =)]

I have just picked up this great French 1930s needle kit and I thought you would enjoy seeing it. It was prodiced by Charles Leruth & Cie. in Aix-La-Chapelle.

Do not miss today:

- Chronicle’s Fall 2011 Animation Books by Amid Amidi
- Paul F. Anderson shares the untold history of the war years at Walt Disney Studios by Jim Hill
- ALICE COMEDIES ad June 21, 1925 by Mark Sonntag
- Don Rosa's Never Published Disney-MGM Comic by Jeff Pepper

This just in from Are Myklebust:

[Here is the link to the website of a Swedish female modern artist, who has made a real life model of the interior of the trailer from the classic Mickey Mouse short, “Mickey’s Trailer” (1938) - that even works! There is also video of the process on her website (just click on one of the images). Quite amazing!]

This just in from Mark Sonntag:

[A few days ago Cartoon Brew posted a link to Film Daily scans available online. Here's some of my favorites which I've uncovered. I really love the Skeleton Dance ad. Feel free to post them. I've uncovered a bunch of reviews for the Alice, Oswald, Mickey and Symphonies shorts which I'll post next week. I should be storyboarding, but this was too exciting.]

Do not miss today:

- A Walt Disney World Duo - Golf Championship and the First Candelight by Jim Korkis
- 1922 Laugh-O-Gram ad and a 1925 Disney biography by David Lesjak
- ALICE GETS IN DUTCH review by Mark Sonntag
- THE SKELETON DANCE ad by Mark Sonntag
- PLANE CRAZY write up by Mark Sonntag

This just in from Jim Korkis:

[There is a "lost" book written and illustrated by Disney legendary animator and director Jack Kinney in the late Seventies It was roughly 135 (xeroxed) pages and done for the Institute for Career and Vocational Training in Culver City, California (Executive director at the time was Ira Englander). The cover was done by Jack Kinney and proclaimed that the the title was "Learn Animation: It's Your Move". However, the title page claims the manual is actually entitled "Animation: A Piece of Paper And A Pencil and You" by Jack Kinney. There is no copyright anywhere in the book.

It terms of a manual of how to do animation, it is hopelessly outdated and its long glossary of animation terms seems as relevant as describing the parts of a buggy whip. In terms of the history of animation, there are no anecdotes or references that would help connect the dots. This is a straight forward basic "how to animate" book with no stories. While the book does xerox off examples of certain artists like Heinrich Kley and some badly washed out photos, the real treasure in the book are the previously unpublished drawings by Kinney himself. Just like the more famous Preston Blair book, there are pages and pages and pages of Kinney showing how to do character construction, expressions, lip sync, gags, and more. For a true Kinney fan, the joy is that occasionally he will include a sketch hidden in with dozens of other sketches of Mickey Mouse or Popeye or even Disney storyman Roy Williams to illustrate his point. Those drawings by Kinney are probably the only reason for a Disney fan or animation fan to try to track down a copy. ]

This just in by Greg Heberlein:

[I bought a Walt-autographed Simon & Shuster Art of Animation last year from Howard Lowery. Since there was no dust jacket, I shopped for another copy so I could put a dust jacket on the autographed copy. The second book turned out to be a 1958 Golden Press publication, the one in which the dust jacket matches the Golden Press book's cover as well as the Simon & Shuster dust jacket. Do you know anything about how the Golden Press edition came to be? Although mine has a 1958 publication date, it includes material into the early 1960s.]

Could anyone answer that question?

This is a French mystery novel, which I saw in a bookshop two weeks ago while on vacation. Horrible enough for me not to be the only one to have bad dreams about it ;-)

I was looking recently for any possible information about a Disney secretary who was part of one of the short cartoon units at the Studio in the '50s. I was not expecting to find anything. But I did: she was listed among the credits of a Disney short... in one place only, a page of the book Animated Film Encyclopedia: A Complete Guide to American Shorts, Features, And Sequences, 1900-1979 by Graham Webb. This caught my attention. Having reviewed that book in more details, I realized that it was the tool I had been looking for for years: a place where one can find detailed credits of all the Disney shorts (or at least all the shorts created for general release), including most or all of the animators who worked on each short, the layout artists, the story men, etc!

This is a treasure trove for researchers when it comes to reference books. I am still puzzled as to how Graham pulled it off: by checking all the animator drafts? By getting the information from some of the artists? In any case, to me the result is priceless. Graham is working on a second edition which will be released shortly. I will try and interview him soon for this blog.

A note of caution: there are several versions of the first edition of the book, including one in two volumes. I believe I am linking to the complete-one-volume set.

Do not miss today:

- The Mysterious Jack... by Steven Hartley
- Lost Treasures - Adventureland by Maxime
- Lost Treasures - Frontierland by Maxime
- Lost Treasures - Fantasyland by Maxime

You should check this article which has just been released on http://www.awn.com/ (forget the two or three typos it contains). I was particularly frustrated at the Blogger outage this week as it prevented me to share with you yesterday morning this great shot of Freddie Moore and Art Babbitt which Jake used to illustrate his article.

This book seems to be pretty well done and I will pick up my own copy soon.

Do not miss today:

- New Disney History Discoveries by Jim Korkis
- "Working with Disney" gives you an up-close look at Walt Disney, the man by Jim Hill
- SAMLAND - Disney World Essentials by Sam Gennaway

Although this book is aimed at kids, I have a feeling it might contain some good information about former Disney artist Wah Ming Chang. I will let you know as soon as I get it.

This just in from Carlene Thie. I have a feeling that this could be an interesting DVD. (I have not seen it yet)

I am not yet sure if this new book by Bear Manor Media contains much about James Sheldon's work for Disney, but I will soon find out when I get the book. I am also planning to interview Sheldon in the near future.

The table of contents of issue 16 of Tales of the Laughing Place has been announced and there is a lot I am looking forward to in it.

This just in from S/R Labs.

Do not miss today:

- Forgotten Dreams: The Woodcutter's House by Jeff Pepper (Great stuff)
- Disney’s “Understanding Stresses and Strains” (1968) by Jerry Beck
- The Social Side of Health
- Steps Towards Maturity and Health
- Mary Blair, Fred Moore and Some Other Dude by Amid Amidi
- Two new books you MUST buy! by Jerry Beck
- Letter from Charles Mintz by Mark Sonntag
- Dick Van Dyke's memoir reveals what it was really like to work with Walt by Jim Hill
- The Forgotten Story of Dixie Landings by Jim Korkis
- The Sad Song of the South by Jim Korkis
- Bonus Sunday on Vintage Disneyland Tickets