The Disney Books Network has been updated.

This upcoming book about Milt Kahl by Andreas Deja was just announced by Andreas on his blog and the news was relayed on Facebook by Sandro Cleuzo. 

Needless to say I am very much looking forward to this!!!

Some books change everything. This is the case of The Happiest Place on Earth--The Incredible Story of Walt Disney's Disneyland by Don Hahn and Christopher Merritt.

If you have to own only one book about the creation of Disneyland, this is the one to get.

It is massive, full of artwork and photos that I had never seen before, and the text is meticulously researched and dispels several myths while also telling many new stories.

This is Disney history art its best: incredible illustrations and in-depth research. 

Chris Merritt and Don Hahn are not just immensely talented artists they are also among the best Disney historians alive.

Way to go! More, more!!!

 

This just in from Heritage Auctions:

Join Us!

Reception
Thursday, June 5 | 6 - 8:30 PM
100 Premier Highlights for Preview

Heritage Auctions
9478 West Olympic, First Floor
Beverly Hills, CA 90212

RSVP@HA.com or 310-492-8630

This just in: A new website featuring Disney Legend Marc Davis' personal artwork has been launched by his family and can be accessed at this link. 

I just received my copy of The Art of Elio, and once again this book by Chronicle Books is a winner that deserves to be added to your library.

I was particularly charmed by the concepts for the alien world by Juliette Oberndorfer and Maria Lee and by the designs of the ambassadors Questa and Helix.

The book is pure eye candy and I am hoping that I will also adore the movie itself. Fingers crossed! 

I just received a copy of Adventures in Childhood by Jose Bellido and Kathy Bowrey. It is a very specialized book which deals with intellectual property and children's entertainment.

I am flagging it here because it contains several chapters related to Disney, including a particularly interesting one about the troubled relationship between Disney and the Great Ormond Street Hospital related to Peter Pan.

As always, my friend Jose Bellido and his colleague Kathy Bowrey have really done their homework and I discovered a lot that I did not know in this volume!

 

Back in 2017, Heritage Auctions sold a large collection of documents pertaining to the estate of composer Carl Stalling, including photographs and--most importantly--correspondence between Stalling and Walt Disney.

If you bought this collection at the time and are reading this post, could you please, please email me at didier.ghez@gmail.com?

This just in from Amidi Amidi:

- New Biography Of Iconoclast Disney Director And Animator Ward Kimball To Be Published In 2026

Two excellent books to highlight today. One released last week and one which will be released tomorrow:

Animating the Victorians: Disney's Literary History: The author conducted some research at the Disney Archives about Disney's early plans for Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland and it shows. There is very good new material in this volume.

After Disney: Toil, Trouble, and the Transformation of America's Favorite Media Company: A must-read. This will probably be one of the best Disney history books of the year.

 

I am really looking forward to this upcoming book from my friend and fellow Disney historian Todd James Pierce!
 

Two interesting books are now available for pre-order on Amazon:

- Welcome Aboard: A Celebration of Walt Disney's Trains from The Walt Disney Family Museum 

- The Art of Zootopia 2

Looking forward to reading Christian Renaut's new book!
 

Now available for pre-order on Amazon. Hurrah!
 

Oh, this is exciting!!! The draft cover of Mindy Johnson's upcoming book has just been revealed. From what I understand the book will mostly focus on non-Disney artists but it will also contain many Disney connections (Margaret Winkler being one of them, of course).

Can't wait!!!

Tony White apprenticed to such legends as Richard Williams, Ken Harris and Art Babbitt. This new book is for me!
 

My friend David Peake just found out that the cover of the long-waited book about X. Atencio has been revealed. I am really, really looking forward to this upcoming book, which will be released at the end of the year.

 Oh!!! Ron Clements' long awaited autobiography is now available for pre-order on Amazon!

If you like the Disney movie Hercules and / or if you love the art of Gerald Scarfe, do yourself a favor and pick up right away the newly released Disney's Hercules--The Art of Gerald Scarfe.

Written by Gerald Scarfe himself, this is a massive volume that is filled from cover to cover with never-seen-before pieces of artwork and marvelous tales about their creation.

It is one of the very best Disney art books I have seen in years and a clear must-have from my standpoint.

Way to go Insight Editions!

Happy 2025! I am happy to share that Walt’s People: Volume 30 has just been released by Skyway Press!

Walt’s People: Volume 30 features appearances by SHARON BAIRD remembering ANNETTE FUNICELLO, CARL BARKS, BILL BERG, EDIE CARHART, CLAUDE COATS, WILL EYERSON, HAROLD HELVENSTON, RAY JACOBS, PHYLLIS LAMBERTSON-JACOBSEN, BILL SHEPARD, RUTHIE TOMPSON and PETER WOODS. 

Among the hundreds of stories in this volume: Storyman RALPH WRIGHT remembers how he pitched a sequence for Bambi that featured an anthill and which developed into a large series of highly creative storyboards. 

Director DAVID SWIFT recalls how Walt Disney called him at home and admitted he cried after reading his script for Pollyanna. 

Imagineer, CHRIS BROWN gives a fascinating account of life and work in the Show/Ride Mechanical Engineering Department at WED (now Walt Disney Imagineering). 

TREVOR BRYANT explains how he helped set up Walt Disney Imagineering's Research and Development Department.