Wonderful series of caricatures of Disney artists by T. Hee currently on auction through Bonham's. (Thanks to Gunnar Andreassen for the heads up.) There are a lot more (not shown online, unfortunately). I wish I could buy them all. Please, if some of you does so, could he or she send scans?

 Unknown

 Unknown

 Larry Landsburgh

 Lou Debney

 Lulu Cavette

 Martin Provensen

 Paul Allen

 Ray Patin

 Peter O'Crotty

 Peter the Hermit

 Pinto Colvig

 Roy Williams, George Stallings, Dana Coty

 Shirley Temple

 Ted Sears

 Ted Sears

 Wilfred Jackson

 Walter Catlett and Don Brodie

 Webb Smith

 Norm Ferguson and Lou Debney

Lee Harline

 Unknown

 Unknown

 Unknown

 Unknown

 Unknown

 Norm Blackburn

 Norm Ferguson

 Otto Englander

 Perce Pearce

 Ray Disney

 Roy Williams

 Ted Sears

 Ted Sears

 Walt Pfeiffer

 Ward Kimball

 Ward Kimball

Ward Kimball

Another book I am really looking forward to picking up next year is The Noble Approach: Art and Designs of Maurice Noble by Tod Polson.

Let's admit it: not since Monsters Inc. have I looked forward so much to seeing an upcoming Pixar or Disney movie. I simply can't wait to discover Wreck-it Ralph. I love the concept of the movie, and, based on the trailer, I adore the characters.

So I was extremely excited to receive the "Art of" book this week and to see that it does not disappoint. The artwork is beautiful (I had forgotten that Glen Keane had contributed to the project, by the way), I love the design of the characters and I really enjoy the backgrounds.

As always, I would have loved to see a little bit more text in this book, but the idea is to show the art, so the editor's choice is pretty logical overall.

Let's hope the movie will be as good as I am forecasting...

This just in from Werner Weiss through Jim Korkis:

[Disney Legend Ray Watson died:

http://www.ocbj.com/news/2012/oct/23/ray-watson-passes-key-planner-irvine-co-former-dis/

Here's what I wrote 17 months ago at http://www.yesterland.com/wrather.html

I’m also glad to see Ray Watson honored. My respect for Watson comes from things he did as the head of the Irvine Company, especially how Upper Newport Bay became a protected wildlife refuge under his leadership. But Watson played a very important role at Disney as Chairman at a critical time when the company was in danger of being broken up before the arrival of Eisner and Wells. He served on Disney’s Board of Directors for over 30 years. Watson will turn 85 this year.]

Marty Sklar's long-awaited autobiography, Dream It! Do It! (The People, The Places, The Projects): My Half-Century Creating Disney's Magic Kingdoms is finally available for pre-order on Amazon. Release date: August 13, 2013.

This small note was released in the magazine Film Daily from April 7, 1936

[Interviewing Disney Man Carter Ludlow, Walt Disney representative, who is in New York in search of "animators" for the enlarged Disney studios, will be interviewed by Sam Taylor, radio screen commentator, over WOR at 7:15 tonight.]

This is one interview I really wished had been recorded.

Don't forget that this book will be released tomorrow.

Here is a book I simply can't wait to get my hands on. I knew that David Gerstein was working on it but I had not seen it announced on Amazon yet (thanks to Todd James Pierce for the heads up).

Oh, am I looking forward to that one!! Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!! (spoken with Mickey's voice, of course.)

Did any of you pick up this new book? Is it good? Bad? Neutral?

The Disney Books Network was updated over the weekend.

Do not miss today:

- Backstage at the Golden Horseshoe by Todd James Pierce
- Arthur’s Bar Mitzvah by Jake Friedman
- The Art of the Disney Poster by Jim Korkis
- D23 Presents: Cinderella Stories by Courtney Potter
- Did anyone get invited to this? by David Lesjak
- The "World Famous Cartoonist" . . . and a frog named Flip by David Lesjak

As some of you know, I have been researching for the last 15 months the details of Walt's trip to Europe in 1935. I just discovered that United Artists' publicity chief for England and Europe  at the time was a person called Francis Meynell. By researching his name, I found out that he had written an autobiography, which seems to include a small section about Disney. Not sure yet how much there is in there, but I just ordered the book and will let you know when I find out.

 An incredibly rare, obviously non-authorized, Mickey Mouse record from fascist Italia.

The new S/R Labs auction catalog is now online and contains a few beautiful pieces like this concept art painting by Ken Anderson created for The Rescuers and, later, Catfish Bend.

If you read German, are a Barks fan and want to get a huge 416-page book which collects all his oil paintings, you may want to pick up this newly released volume.

I simply can not wait to pick up the book I Disney Italiani when it gets released early November. If you speak Italian, this will definitely be a must-have.

Do not miss today:

- Before the Magic Opened - 1971 by Todd James Pierce
- The 1939 World's Fair and Disneyland by Todd James Pierce
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY WDW ~ DHI's Daily Construction Shot by Paul F. Anderson
- Don 'Ducky' Williams: An Underappreciated Disney Treasure by Jim Korkis
- Some oddball Disney photos and postings (thanks to Jim Korkis for the link)

I will be in Cannes and London most of next week. The blog will be updated again on Monday 15th.

Here is a fantastic shot of Walt, Diane and Sharon which I had never seen before. Here is the story behind this discovery.

Do not miss today:

- David Hall Story Art Stills by Matt Crandall
- Thirty Things You Never Knew About EPCOT Center by Jim Korkis

I had never seen this photo of Walt, which I found recently in a 1935 magazine from Italy. It was obviously taken on November 22, 1933 when Walt received a diploma of commendation from the National Academy of Fine Arts of Buenos Aires. The presentation was made at the Disney studio by Dr. H.C. Niese, the Argentine Consul in Los Angeles.

This is a photo of Walt I had never seen before. Apparently the woman on the photo is a rich heiress from Argentina.

Do not miss today:

- In Memory of Jeanette Thomas by Diane Disney Miller
- Danny Kaye and the Opening of EPCOT Center by Jim Korkis
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY WDW ~ All Month at DHI by Paul F. Anderson
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY EPCOT ... TOO ~ African Style by Paul F. Anderson
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY WDW ~ DHI's Daily Construction Shot by Paul F. Anderson

Walt's People - Volume 13

Now that Walt's People - Volume 12 is out, do you wonder what I have in store for Volume 13 (to be released around May next year). Wonder no more. Here is the table of contents:

Jim Korkis: Virginia Davis
John Culhane: Reg Massie
John Canemaker: George Bakes
Paul F. Anderson: Milt Neil
John Culhane: Al Dempster
John Culhane: Joe Grant
John Culhane: Woolie Reitherman
Michael Broggie: Becky and Carla Fallberg
Dave Smith: Jean Erwin
John Canemaker: John P. Miller
Milton Zolotow and Lawrence Weschler: Jules Engel
Michael Barrier: Fred Kopietz
Dave Smith: Don Duckwall
Pete Docter: John Sibley
Malcolm Willits: George Sherman
Malcolm Willits: Floyd Gottfredson
Robin Allan: Richard Todd
Les Perkins: Roy E. Disney
Les Perkins: Stormy Palmer
Les Perkins: Paul Kenworthy
Les Perkins: Hunt and Chris Hibler
Didier Ghez: Boyd Shaffer
Paul F. Anderson: Fess Parker
Didier Ghez: Dave Spafford
Alberto Becattini: Bob Moore
Didier Ghez: Blaine Gibson
Jay Horan: X. Atencio
Michael Broggie: Don Iwerks
Didier Ghez: Tony Baxter
Didier Ghez: Eddie Sotto

Let me start my stating the obvious: if you are reading this blog today and if there is only one Disney history book you will buy this year it should be this one. The Fairest One of All is a "must have" more than any other books I have discussed in recent years. It is full of never-seen-before visual documents, as expected, but more importantly, it is the most in-depth and the most accurate historical analysis of the making of a Disney movie, ever. This is the closest to perfection that a book about the making of a Disney movie will ever get.

Does this mean that after reading this book you will know absolutely everything about the making of the movie and about the artists who worked on it? Of course not, since this is as impossible in practical terms as the creation of Borges's imaginary 1:1 scale map of the world.

In other words, when we discuss Disney history, there is always more to research and to learn. This book is for the most serious Disney historians among us a stepping stone. A very tall one.

For some it will serve as inspiration to research the life and career of Dorothy Ann Blank, others will want to understand better the role Natalie Kalmus and Technicolor played when it comes to the history of Disney (this subject alone would deserve an in-depth monograph), while at least one of the readers will someday decide to write the long-awaited biographies of Ham Luske, Norm Ferguson, Freddie Moore, or Art Babbitt (that one is currently in progress thanks to Jack Friedman).

What is certain is that all of us will be indebted to J.B. Kaufman for all the dots he connected, all the documents he gave us access to and all the stories he unearthed through his new book. As always, along with Michael Barrier, John Canemaker, Paul F. Anderson and a few others, he raises the standards of Disney history to levels which are difficult to reach and is preparing the field in a spectacular way for those in the future who will have the discipline and dedication it takes to contribute in a meaningful way to the understanding of Disney history.

Hats off. It is now more difficult than ever to have the patience to wait for the release of J.B.'s upcoming book about Pinocchio. When  it comes to Snow White, the wait was worth it. Get that book today.