While this is not technically Disney-related, I know that many of you will love to know that Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol - The Making of the First Animated Christmas Special by Darrell Van Citters is finally back in print.

This book by Graham Allan, Rebecca Cline and Charlie Price is, simply put, unbelievable. At 380 pages, it is massive and contains more than 1,500 photos. It will take you weeks to go through it properly and to admire all of the details (including a few dozen black and white historical photos).

The reaction of my wife when she saw the book on our coffee table was: "Let me go through this page by page." She was blown away, but also totally overwhelmed by the first few pages about Halloween. "This is so fascinating, and there is so much in there, that it will take me at least until Christmas to 'read' this book as it deserves."

In other words: Not for the faint at heart, but definitely a must-have for Disney parks enthusiasts.

I simply can't wait to get a copy of Pierre Lambert's upcoming book. Here is an exclusive preview!

 

 Heads up about another new book by Jim Korkis!

 I am happy to say that the Disney Books Network is finally back online after a few weeks of issues.

I plan to update it later this week.

 A new book I just added to my Amazon wish list.

Do not miss today:

- An interview with Pete Menefee (thanks to Michael Goldberg for the heads up)

 

Jim Korkis' new book has just been released. I will order my own copy today.

I have just received a review copy of The Disney Monorail: Imagineering a Highway in the Sky.

I have yet to read it (although it contains relatively little text) but it is such a visually stunning book, filled to the brim with exciting artwork and photographs, that I can already say that this is a "must-have" and one of the best Disney history books of the year. 

Congratulations to the three authors. This one is a winner!
 

 I just ordered this new book.

The Hyperion Historical Alliance (HHA) has some great news to announce today!

The latest issue of the HHA Annual has finally been released. You can order it at this link on Amazon.

If you like to read very in-depth essays by vetted Disney historians about little know aspects of Disney history, you should not miss this issue of the Annual (nor the previous one). I believe you will love it.

Please spread the word!

Really looking forward to this upcoming French Disney graphic novel...

A new podcast you may want to listen to.

Worth reading today:

 Disney’s many failed attempts to bring Don Quixote to the screen by Jack Yarwood

 

Now that the last volume of the They Drew as They Pleased book series has been released, what am I working on when it comes to Disney history, aside from volumes 25 and 26 of the Walt's People book series?

SHORT TERM

1. 2020 Hyperion Historical Alliance Annual

The new Hyperion Historical Alliance Annual is about to be released in just a few weeks and contains two new essays by yours truly. One about "Grace Huntington in Disney's Story Department" (I am particularly proud of this essay which explores totally uncharted territory) and one about "Mickey Mouse's Revivals (1978 - 2018)."

2. The Origins of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures monograph

This new monograph relies on huge amounts of never-seen-before material including the diaries of cinematographers Al and Elma Milotte, their "lost" autobiography, storyboards of many of the early, unproduced True-Life Adventures and a lot more. It will be the first time ever that this story will be told. The layout of the monograph is now in the process of being approved by Disney, and (depending on how things evolve with COVID), the monograph should be released by the Hyperion Historical Alliance Press at some point next year.

3. 2021 Hyperion Historical Alliance Annual

I have submitted two essays for the 2021 HHA Annual. One about "Bianca Majolie in the Story Department" (I have uncovered huge amounts of new material since I released that chapter about Bianca in They Drew as They Pleased - Volume 1) and one about "Walt Kelly in the Story Department" (including a surprising revelation about the origins of Pogo).

LONGER TERM

4. Walt Disney's Adventures in Music, History and Nature monograph

I have started researching the second volume of the "True-Life Adventures" monograph series. That second volume which will focus on "Beaver Valley" and "The Olympic Elk," but also on two parallel series that Walt was working on at the time: "Adventures in Music" and "Adventures in History".

5. Mickey Mouse on Stage and on Radio in the 1930s monograph (in collaboration with Libby Spatz)

Full of new info and never-seen-before photos of the Fanchon and Marco shows, the Roxy Theater show, the Stadler and Rose shows, the "Mickey Mouse Theater of the Air" radio show, the British "Meet Mickey Mouse!" radio show and a lot more...

6. The Making of Walt Disney's Darby O'Gill and the Little People monograph (in collaboration with Jim Hollifield)

Complete with an in-depth exploration of Walt Disney's trip to Ireland in 1946. Full of stunning never-seen-before photographs. I am currently awaiting the detailed diaries of one of the storytellers who met Walt in Ireland in 1946. Can't wait to get them in a few weeks and to get the entries translated from Gaelic to English.

7. Two essays for the 2022 HHA Annual

If all goes well, I am planning to research and write two essays for that issue of the Annual. One will be about Walt Disney and Hans Christian Andersen, the other about a proposed collaboration between The Walt Disney Studios and the French animation studio Les Gemeaux in 1946/47.

Of course, all the "longer term" projects are now progressing more slowly than planned due to the impact of the pandemic.

More about all of this soon... 

Pierre Lambert's new book will be released on October 24. Can't wait!!!
 

 A new podcast (Notably Disney) about the latest volume of They Drew as They Pleased. Enjoy!

This upcoming book may not technically be a Disney history book, but artist T.S. Sullivant's art has inspired the art of so many Disney artists over the years, that mentioning it here is a no-brainer. Can't wait!

 Excellent two-part interview of Imagineer Frank Stanek posted at this link and this link.

 A new podcast has just been released about the making of my latest book on Mousetalgia.

I just discovered this recently released book by my good friend Alberto Becattini and purchased a copy on ebay this morning. Can't wait to get it in a few weeks.

With Walt's People - Volume 24 recently released and Volume 25 on the verge of completion, I am starting to assemble Volume 26. That volume will contain several interviews related to Disney in Europe, including two I conducted with the artist Pierre Nicolas, famous for his "Mickey crying" cover for Paris Match and for the seminal comic book series "Mickey Through Time."

While conducting some research to write the introduction, I stumbled upon (and ordered) this special edition of the first installments of "Mickey Through Time" released in 2017. Has anyone ever seen this album? 

My dream would be for all the episodes of the "Mickey Through Time" series to be released in book form one day. There is absolutely no chance that this will ever happen, unfortunately.

The latest issue of Disney Twenty-Three magazine has just been announced. Some good things in there.

 

You may enjoy the interview conducted by Jim Hill and Drew Taylor about the final volume of They Drew as They Pleased - The Hidden Art of Disney.

Few copies of The Making of Walt Disney's Fun and Fancy Free monograph are left and we do not yet know if it will be reprinted.

If you have not yet picked up your copy you may want to consider doing it today at StuartNg.

They Drew as They Pleased - The Hidden Art of Disney's New Golden Age (the sixth and final volume in the series) will be released tomorrow.

Animated Views just published an interview with me about the making of the series. Enjoy!

I recently discovered that, in 1993, the director of Disney's movie, The Great Locomotive Chase, had written his autobiography.

It seems to contain an excellent chapter about his work for Disney, so I just ordered it.

Yes, I am very much looking forward to this upcoming book.

I hate typos. I really do. Unfortunately we discovered three in Disney's Grand Tour:

On page 32: The dates "September 17" and "September 20" should be "June 17" and "June 20"

On page 54: "On the evening of June 26, 1935" should be "On the evening of June 27, 1935"

Many thanks to reader Christopher Polt for spotting those.

My good friend Michael Goldberg just spotted a wonderful article that you should not miss:

Elie Wiesel Visits Disneyland by Menachem Butler

New auction coming up at Van Eaton Galleries.

Hmmm. I am wondering if this upcoming graphic novel will be good, bad or terrible. We will see!

I am happy to announce that the 24th volume of Walt's People has been released today. If you are looking for a good read while stuck at home you may want to consider picking it up this week.

Walt's People: Volume 24 features appearances by Otto Englander, Jack Campbell, Van Kaufman, Ward Kimball, Bill Hurtz, Fini Rutiger, Eric Gurney, Wilfred Jackson, Eric Larson, Burny Mattinson, George Harding, Marc Davis, Claude & Evie Coats, Wathel Rogers, Bob Otto, Marvin & Marjorie Davis, Marty Sklar, Jow Fowler, Rock Hall, and Pat Burke.

This upcoming book looks extremely interesting! (Thanks to David Peake for the heads up).

Do not miss today:

- Alfonse's Restaurant by Andreas Deja

Don't miss this great video!

I just bought this book last week and noticed that it contains a few pages about the negotiations between Studio Ghibli and Disney for the distribution of Studio Ghibli's movies in the US. Hence the heads up on this blog.

Look at what showed up in the mail yesterday. With this sixth volume, the They Drew as They Pleased - The Hidden Art of Disney art book series is now complete.

I cannot tell you how happy this makes me feel.

I am now working on a monograph about The Origins of the True-Life Adventures that will break a lot of new ground and that I believe many of you will enjoy reading.

They Drew as They Pleased - The Hidden Art of Disney's New Golden Age will be released in just a few weeks.

I failed to get this wonderful item on eBay yesterday. Did one of you buy it? If so, would you be willing to send me a good scan? My email address is didier.ghez@gmail.com

This may not be a book about Disney, but according to its author, Sebastien Roffat, it does contain some extremely interesting Disney sections:

[In 1948 there were discussions with Jack Cutting : the French studio Les Gémeaux ask if the Walt Disney studios can help the production of the film. Bob Leffingwell and John Harburg come in Paris and give some advices to the French team. There are many letters between the Disney Studios and the les Gémeaux studios and between Wally Feignoux director of Disney France.]

I can't wait to get this book.

The Hyperion Historical Alliance is in the process of finalizing the 2020 Hyperion Historical Alliance Annual. Click on the image to get a sense of the outstanding content that we have in store for that issue.

I will let you know in a few weeks when it becomes available for purchase on Amazon.

I am really looking forward to this amazing auction next week!

I can't wait to stream Don Hahn's new documentary, Adventure Thru the Walt Disney Archives when it premieres on Disney+ on June 27!

The Disney Books Network has been updated.

 Two marvelous pieces by Mary Blair that will be sold by Heritage Auctions in two weeks.

The next animation art auction from Heritage Auctions on June 19 to 21 will be absolutely stunning. You can discover the catalog at this link. I will post a few highlights over the next few days, starting with this amazing David Hall, which I used on the cover of They Drew as They Pleased - The Hidden Art of Disney's Musical Years.

Walt with Louis Lumiere and Mlle. Hélène Vacaresco, President of C.I.D.A.L.C. in Paris in 1935 (See my book Disney's Grand Tour for more details). I had never seen this specific photo before.

Thanks to  François Monferran for the heads up!

Here is another photo of Walt I had never seen before, courtesy of François Monferran. 

This is apparently Walt at the Chingford Festival in the United Kingdom, in July 1952. More info at this link.