I first started admiring Michael Barrier's work in the mid-80s when I discovered his - by that time deceased - magazine Funnyworld which gave me an idea of how fascinating Disney and animation history could be, how precise and serious about it one could get (in the best sense of the term) and how beautifully it could be written about.

Even when I disagree strongly with him, I have never ceased to admire Michael and his work. I believe he is at his best when publishing in-depth research like Funnyworld or his books Hollywood Cartoons and the upcoming Animated Man.

All of this to say that I was delighted (the word is probably too weak) to see him release this weekend an article by Donald Draganski about Paul Hindemith (pictured here) encounter with Walt Disney. This is the kind of piece I adored in Funnyworld and that I appreciate even more today. I hope that now that he has completed his biography of Walt Michael will find more time to release such outstanding material... and maybe quite a few of his groundbreaking interviews...