I just ordered this. I will let you know what I think when I get it. I am quite excited about it.

I just received my personal copy of Donald Duck--The Ultimate History by JB Kaufman and David Gerstein.

Like it predecessor "Mickey Mouse --The Ultimate History" it is massive and it is a must-have.

I had a chance to read the full manuscript a few weeks ago and, from cover to cover, it is full of new information and illustrations that I had never seen before.

As you can expect, knowing me, the chapters that I found the most fascinating were those about the abandoned Donald Duck shorts, which are extensive and amazingly detailed.

I realize that this is not a cheap book, but owning is really, really worth it. I am convinced that you will not regret it.

I really hope that both Taschen, JB and David have many more surprises of this caliber for all of us.

Is it just me or are Pierre Lambert's art books getting better and better with each new release!!?

I just received my own copy of his Cinderella and I was absolutely stunned by its content. So much artwork that I had never seen before, including a much larger amount of pre-production art that ever before (at least it feels that way).

This is a must-have if there is one this holiday season. My advice: Get it as soon as you can!

 

Now that Walt Disney and El Grupo in Latin America has been released, we are hard at work on the sequel, which should be released in 2026: the monograph Walt Disney and El Grupo in Mexico and Cuba (1942 - 1944). 

In the context of that (absolutely fascinating) research, I just unearthed this photograph, shot on December 17, 1942, when Walt visited the offices of the radio station XEW. 

It features the Mexican artists Toña "La Negra", Pedro de Lille and Sergio Torres. Sadly, it will not be included in the monograph since it was sold at auction in 2017 and I was unable to locate a high resolution scan. But I thought you may enjoy it.

Did one of you purchase those rare photos of the 1941 Disney strike on eBay a few days ago? If so, could you please email me at didier.ghez@gmail.com? 

Two great books that none of you should miss just popped up this weekend for pre-order on Amazon:

The Happiest Place on Earth: The Incredible Story of Walt Disney's Disneyland by Don Hahn and Christopher Merritt and After Disney: Toil, Trouble, and the Transformation of America's Favorite Company by Neil O'Brien.

 

Two photos of Walt spotted on Facebook yesterday. The caption reads:

[In this photo you can see the famous Walt Disney with his wife Lilian on the island of Matica (in the Dominican Republic in February 1957), on one of his visits to Mr. Rogers at the Hamaca Hotel, located in the Boca Chica Spa. Mr. Roger was the manager of the Hamaca Hotel and creator of the Matica Zoo.]