Heritage's next big auction will take place on December 13 and 14. The quality of the artwork on sale is simply astounding: never-seen-before pieces from Bambi by David Hall (above) and Retta Scott (below), concept paintings by Mary Blair, JP Miller, and Retta Scott, and on and on it goes. This is an event that should not be missed in any way, shape or form, and I will feature it on the blog at least once or twice again in the next few weeks.

My brother just sent me the catalog of this exhibition which recently took place in Beijing and Shanghai. It's a beautiful catalog, but not one that is worth tracking down: 70% of the content is linked to recent animated features and most of the artwork from the "vintage" titles has already been seen often.

And another good read from Theme Park Press is, of course, Secrets Stories of Walt Disney World by Jim Korkis.

According to the publisher:

[The Rosetta Stone of Disney Magic

Warning! There be secrets ahead. Disney secrets. Mickey doesn't want you to know how the magic is made, but Jim Korkis knows, and if you read Jim's book, you'll know, too. Put the kids to bed. Pull those curtains. Power down that iPhone. Let's keep this just between us...

If you've come expecting more of the same Disney trivia, you're in for a surprise. This is not a Disney trivia book. It's a book of Disney secrets, each exactly two pages long, and each brimming with backstage lore. Jim Korkis gathered these secrets when he worked at Walt Disney World as an instructor at Disney University. They're all true. They're all cool. And they include:

- How the popularity of Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach meant the doom of an important piece of Disney history

- United Arab Emirates, Equatorial Africa, Costa Rica, and other planned Epcot pavilions that never were

- Disney's original plans for Figment, how corporate politics turned him purple, and why the Dreamfinder shrunk

- Wilderness Junction, the Alpine Resort, the Enchanted Snow Palace Ride, and other abandoned attractions

- Beacon Joe, the character you've never heard of, even though he appears numerous times throughout Disney World]

Here is another extremely exciting new book from Theme Park Press.

The publisher, Bob McLain says:

[The Ogren book (Together in the Dream: The Unique Careers of a Husband and Wife in the Early Decades of Walt Disney World) contains stuff that no one has read before, including interactions by R.J. Ogren (a Disney World artist) with Leota Toombs, Marc Davis, Alice Davis (who wrote the foreword), and others.

R.J. painted Animatronic figures and "plussed" attractions. Suzanne drove monorails, marched in parades, and entertained as Sleepy the dwarf. Together, the Ogrens brought their unique skills to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom during its formative years. This is their story.

R.J. and Suzanne were indeed "together in the dream": their adventures as husband-and-wife cast members spanned the backstage areas of iconic attractions, Main Street parades, and Disney executive offices. They worked with celebrities, Disney artists like Marc and Alice Davis, and the fun-loving, creative geniuses who called the "Animation Art Studio" home.

Among the stories the Ogrens tell:

- Working underwater at the old 20,000 Leagues attraction, aboard the pirate ship in Pirates of the Caribbean, and in the "jungle" of the Jungle Cruise

- How Disney trains its monorail drivers, and the surprisingly rigorous tests they must pass to qualify

- Life in the "Dwarf unit", the tight-knit group of cast members who perform as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in the Magic Kingdom

- Why some Animatronic characters don't wear pants

- Repairing bullet holes in the Haunted Mansion, replacing Dopey's stolen head, and other examples of Disney guests gone wild]

This is clearly a "must have" for Disney parks historians and enthusiasts.

Not directly linked to Disney History, but I know that many of you will be interested to know that Think Pink: The Story of DePatie-Freleng by Mark Arnold has just been released. I will definitely pick up a copy.

I am actively working at the moment on research for They Drew As They Pleased - Volume 3. Once of the artists who will be featured in that upcoming volume is the astonishing Ecuadorian Eduardo Sola Franco, who worked at the Disney Studio for a few months in 1939, tackling chiefly on the abandoned Don Quixote project.

Sola Franco's complete illustrated diaries have just been released a few days ago in book form in Ecuador and while browsing through them yesterday I found quite a few drawings of his Disney colleagues, including the two below. The first one shows his friend and fellow concept artist Fini Rudiger. The second one features mostly members of Disney's Character Model Department: Martin Provensen, Fini Rudiger, James Bodrero, Art Heinemann (not a member of the Model Department) and sculptor Duke Russell.

'Lost' Disney cartoon Sleigh Bells to be screened

You probably have heard about this discovery by now. I would not be a surprised if a good friend of mine was at the origin of that great find. In all cases I am glad to see that the long list of "lost" Oswalds is getting much shorter.

A book with an intriguing title and description is now available for pre-order on Amazon:

Disney Villains: Delightfully Evil: The Creation • The Inspiration • The Fascination by Jen Darcy

[The greatest heroes must face the greatest villains. For decades, Walt Disney Animation and Pixar Animation Studios animated features have offered up some of the most iconic and malevolent villains. Disney Villains: Delightfully Evil showcases rare concept art and photographs and explores the villains' creative origins, roles within the stories, and influences on and within pop-culture. The deluxe package collects villains by themes such as vain, family, royalty, instincts, and more.]

This upcoming auction by TCM/Bonhams contains a few truly spectacular Disney-related items, including this extremely rare photo of Walt in France (Red Cross years) and this beautiful Mary Blair painting. (Thanks to Michael Goldberg for the heads up).

Picking up the newly released version of Window on Main Street (Theme Park Press) by the late Disney Legend Van Arsdale France is definitely worth it, even if you already own the original book. Theme Park Press tracked down the uncut version of the manuscript which is full of details that did not make it into the 1991 Laugher Publication version.

I was fairly critical when Marty's previous book was released. I felt that One Little Spark: Mickey's Ten Commandments and the Road to Imagineering was a much better effort. It is still not the book that I hope Marty will one day decide to write: a real, in-depthy autobiography, but it is nonetheless a very good read. Marty gathered stories and thoughts from his fellow Imagineers and One Little Spark therefore contains quite a few stories about WDI's creative process which we had never heard before. The book is fairly short and an easy read, so one I would recommend as a way to relax in-between the more serious and in-depth volumes which I have reviewed over the past few weeks.

You know the day is going to be a good one when Michael Barrier releases the transcript of one of his fascinating interviews. Today is one of these days with Goofy director Jack Kinney.

BOOK SIGNING TOUR

Are you eager to buy a signed copy of They Drew As They Pleased - The Hidden Art of Disney's Golden Age for you or for a friend?

Here is the agenda of my small signing tour in Los Angeles:

Friday, November 20: From 11.00 to 12.45 at the Disney Studio in Burbank

Saturday, November 21: 1PM to 2PM at CTN Expo

Saturday November 21: 7PM to 9PM at Gallery Nucleus

See you all soon!

Two upcoming books from Theme Park Press which might be of interest to a few of you.

From the publisher:

CREATING MY OWN NEMESIS

Everyone knows Disneyland, but few Americans can name a single *British* theme park. Come across the pond to meet the UK's John Wardley, whose exciting career as an innovator of dark rides and roller coasters began with a simple magic trick.

Before he began designing such famous British theme park rides as Nemesis and Oblivion, John Wardley was a young boy brave enough to bring a flashlight onto the Clacton Pier Ghost Train dark ride to figure out how it worked. From there, he became Britain's foremost theme park designer, with over 20 rides to his credit for Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures, and other locations.

Hang on tight for:

- John's early years as a magician, and designing special effects for *The Rocky Horror Picture Show*, James Bond films, and other productions

- John's early theme park projects, including jungle boat rides, underground mine trains, and the Scream Machine

- John's "meet and greet" with Queen Elizabeth

- John's unique working relationship with Madame Tussauds (the wax museum) to revitalize British amusement and theme parks

- John's later theme park projects, including the world-famous Nemesis and Oblivion coasters, and the revolutionary TH13TEEN wing coaster

With exclusive photos, this is the thrill ride you *read*!

=== ===

EPCOT'S WORLD SHOWCASE

No thrill rides. Few characters. Great food and shopping. Alcohol. For many Disney guests, Epcot's World Showcase is *their* kind of theme park, and this first-ever, illustrated, pavilion-by-pavilion guide is *your* passport to everything it has to offer.

The World Showcase can be overwhelming in its variety and detail. Each pavilion is a self-contained "experience", with entertainment, shopping, dining, and even attractions and shows. With so much international flavor on display, it's easy to breeze past hidden gems and miss out on the magic - not to mention overlook that perfect meal or souvenir!

You'll learn all about:

- The history of each pavilion, with helpful tips on finding (and appreciating) its historical and architectural details

- The best places to eat, from table-service restaurants to kiosks, and what you'll find on the menus

- The best places to shop, with descriptions of each store and its unique merchandise

- Shows, "street" performers, fun activities, characters, and other pavilion entertainment

- Plus, the book includes your very own "photo album" with over five dozen shots of the best each pavilion has to offer

Get your passport in order - the "World" awaits!

=== ===

There is not that be be said about this book that does not yet already appear on the blurb from Amazon:

[This whimsical, deluxe Art Deco-themed art book showcases Walt Disney characters in a style reminiscent of caricatures from the famed walls of Sardi's and The Brown Derby. Disney Supervising Animator and Director Eric Goldberg drew a little more than 200 stylized images in a collection that first debuted as a display within the Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank, California. Now with An Animator's Gallery, the show comes right to you.]

The book is a beauty and Eric's drawings are very enjoyable. That's basically it. Definitely not a "must have" for Disney historians but a great gift for casual Disney fans. Dave Bossert and Eric Goldberg have produced a very good book, but there are so many great Disney books that have been released this year that this one is unlikely to make it on my "top 10 list." I love owning it, though.

For those of you who focus on the history of the Disney parks, do not forget to pick up this new book from Theme Park Press, which contains some fun interviews with quite a few of the men and women who worked on / for Walt Disney World, including Mary Sklar, Bob Gurr, Jay Rasulo, Tony Baxter and various others.

The Disney Books Network was updated over the weekend.

I will carry on reviewing newly released books next week, but in the meantime, here are two upcoming comic book volumes which I will pick up as soon as they are released:

- Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Vol. 9: "Rise Of The Rhyming Man"
- Silly Symphony, Vol. 1: The Complete Disney Classics

Once again, I am amazed at how many great Disney history books are being released in 2015. It will take us a few years to digest all of them.

The Nine Old Men by Andreas Deja is at the very top of my "best of 2015" list. It's a book that is written with passion by one of the best animators of Disney's new golden age. Andreas not only has the artistic and technical knownledge which allowed him to select the very best animation drawings and scenes from Milt, Marc, Frank, Ollie, and the others, but he also spent years accumulating knowledge and stories about the nine masters more often than not first hand. The result is exactly what I was hoping for: a book where both text and illustrations are pure delight.

I afraid that this is another "must have". What an embarrassment of richess!

Before Ever After: The Lost Lectures of Walt Disney’s Animation Studio by Don Hahn and Tracey Miller-Zarneke is a revolutionary book. It is the kind of book that raises the standards for Disney history books overall. It's close to 450 pages long and when you start looking at it, you know right away that Don and Tracey tried to make every page special (they succeeded). Every document included in the book has been selected with extreme care. Most of the photos and illustrations have never been seen before, each of the lectures is special in its own way. The authors found a lot of great material and then started digging even deeper to find even more treasures.

This is the book I dreamed would be released about Disney's Training Program. It's "practically perfect in every way."

Of course, the only criticism one could raise, is one that could be raised about many books that are dear to our hearts (the criticism apply to my own books too): we wish the book were even larger and included even more of those rare illustrations and lectures.

Let's hope the book is immensely successful. I would love to see a volume 2 released some day

2015 is proving to be a truly exceptional year when it comes to Disney history books. David Bossert 's volume about Dali and Disney is clearly one of the highlights and a "must have".

Bossert managed to include in the book every single piece of artwork created by Dali for Destino, as well as many never-seen-before photographs. His text is also well-research and a very good read.

Two thumbs up. Five stars. One of the best Disney history books of 2015 without a doubt.

I just purchased this book which contains an excellent short interview with Disney live-action director Robert Stevenson. This is not a must-have but some of you will be love to know that this interview exists.

Another interview about They Drew As They Pleased, this one on The Mouse Castle Lounge.

The Disney Book by Jim Fanning is a marvelous book about everything Disney. It is not a book for Disney historians however, but a book for future Disney historians.

In other words: if you know of a smart kid that loves Disney and wants to know more about all your can think of in the Disney universe, The Disney Book is the perfect introduction to bring him or her as a gift. You won't find rare, never-seen-before photos, or documents that have been freshly unearthed, but you will find all the photos and images that we love and that will give beginers a taste of what Disney history is about. 

The layout is very enjoyable, the range of information covered is very broad, and the book is likely to get a lot of kids excited about the universe we adore. Not a small achievement. Congratulations Jim!

The catalog of Van Eaton Galleries' upcoming 2nd Disneyland auction is now available in pre-order.

A few books I will definitely pick up when they are released next year:

- The Art of Disney's Dragons by Tom Bancroft
- Walt Disney's Donald Duck: The Daily Newspaper Comics Volume 2
- Walt Disney's Donald Duck: The Sunday Newspaper Comics Volume 1
- Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Vol. 9: "Rise Of The Rhyming Man" (Vol. 9)

My brother, who lives in Shanghai for the moment, has promised to pick up a copy of the catalog of the Disney art exhibition that is currently taking place in that city. I will let you know how good it is when I get it in a few months.

The Vault of Walt: Volume 4: Still More Unofficial Disney Stories Never Told by Jim Korkis has just been released. I am looking forward to getting it!

Auctionata has just announced its upcoming Animation and Comic Art auction which will take place on October 14. A few interesting items in there, including this great piece of concept art by James Bodrero (not Preston Blair, despite the catalog's description).

The blog will be updated again on a regular basis starting on October 14.

Presentation of They Drew As They Pleased - The Hidden Art of Disney's Golden Age at Books and Books three days ago.

You can see the whole thing at http://livestream.com/uainmedia/didierghez
 
It contains behind the scenes about the making of the book and some previews of Volume 2

Not sure how interesting this catalog is, but I just ordered it. (Thanks to Jim Korkis for the heads up.)

I just received this new book and unfortunately there is no way I can recommend it. All of the classic posters it features are posters that we have already seen in several other books in the past. The editors do not seem to have made any effort to dig up new, exciting material, which is particularly sad considering how many beautiful, off-the-beaten path Disney posters have never been released in book form. A wasted opportunity.

Nice little article found on ebay a few weeks ago.

Live Event on Monday at 8PM EST / 5PM PST

The presentation of my new book They Drew As They Pleased - The Hidden Art of Disney's Golden Age at Books and Books in Coral Gables, Florida, will be streamed live in two days, on Monday, September 21.

This will be a great occasion to order signed copies and to learn more about the making of the book and about its content.

The link to the live event is:

http://livestream.com/uainmedia/didierghez

An off-the-beaten-path books just spotted on Amazon, which I will not pick up, but that might interest a few of you:

- Cleaning the Kingdom by Ken Pellman and Lynn Barron

The "Look Inside" functionality has still not been implemented on Amazon despite all our efforts, so here is a page with a short preview of the book.

This just in from Garry Apgar:

[We all know about two kinsmen named “R. Disney” who played a vital role in Walt Disney’s life – big brother Roy and Uncle Robert, "the real dandy of the family," as Walt once called him. Turns out, per this report from the London tabloid The Mirror, another “R. Disney” left his mark in history, in Nottinghamshire, England, almost three hundred years before Walt was born:

Kirstie McCrum, “Graffiti Scrawled by Walt Disney’s Ancestor Discovered at Civil War Centre 400 Years Later”

The Mirror, September 1, 2015

It’s a small world after all, as the graffiti left on a Nottinghamshire wall by schoolchildren 400 years ago shows that Walt Disney’s ancestor was adding his mark.

The writing can be seen on walls at the Old Magnus Building in Newark ahead of work to create the National Civil War Centre on the site.

Originally a grammar school, the markings were found in the attic, formerly a dormitory.

The list of names include R Disney 1608 – believed to be an ancestor of animation legend Walt.

Disney’s family came from Norton Disney, in between Lincoln and Newark, he even visited the village in 1949.

Manager Michael Constantine told the BBC the graffiti was daubed on the walls by pupils at the school which was built in 1529.

He said: “We think school discipline would have been a bit more fierce back in the 1600s, so it was probably the thing the children did the day before they were due to leave.

“Probably like a tradition - just before they set sail.”

“We know some of the children were at this free grammar school because their fathers lent King Charles £1,000-plus and never got it repaid.

“Which is why, instead of being educated at home as members of the gentry, they attended a grammar school in Newark.”

The public are now able to see the graffiti in the £5.4m National Civil War Centre.]

A few interesting books are now on pre-order on Amazon (thanks to David Peake for the heads up):

- Disney Facts Revealed: Answers to Fans' Curious Questions by Dave Smith
- The Art of Sanjay's Super Team by Sanjay Patel
- Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland: An Illustrated Journey Through Time by Mark Salisbury

Two interviews you might be interested in this morning:

- Jeremie Noyer from Animated Views interviewing me about They Drew As They Pleased
- The second interview of Wilfred Jackson by Michael Barrier

A few books of interest that have just been released by Theme Park Press:

- The Ward Kimball - The Story of Disneyland Engine No. 5 by Steve DeGaetano
- On the Disney Beat: Over 30 Years of Chronicling the People and Places in Walt's World by Chuck Schmid
- From Disneyland's Tom Sawyer to Disney Legend: The Adventures of Tom Nabbe
- The Disneyland Railroad: A Complete History in Words and Pictures by Steve DeGaetano

They Drew As They Pleased - The Hidden Art of Disney's Golden Age has been released today. If you already picked up your copy, please, please do not forget to post a review on Amazon. This will help a LOT.

Another upcoming book from Theme Parl Press which I am really looking foward to.

The publisher has the following to say about it:

[Stop the Presses!

Journalist Chuck Schmidt has covered Disney for over three decades, attending lavish special event parties and enjoying access to Disney executives and Imagineers. He was first in line for new attractions, shows, even cruise ships. What's that like? Chuck's memoir tells all.

Being a newspaper reporter is not a life of glitz and glamour. But for a reporter like Chuck Schmidt, who was on the "Disney beat" for the *Staten Island Advance*, it means one-on-one time with Disney Legends like Marty Sklar and Tony Baxter; admittance to private, after-hours galas in the parks; and plenty of bling.

Now retired, Chuck tells the never-before-told story of how he and other journalists publicize the latest and greatest from the Mouse, taking you backstage to a side of Disney that guests never see:

- Celebrity-studded soirees for events like the opening of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and the christening of the *Disney Dream*

- How former Disney CFO Jay Rasulo's innovations changed the theme park experience for many guests—but few people know who he is

- The evolution of Disney's increasingly over-the-top press events, traced back to a Hollywood operator named Eddie Meck who taught Walt how to promote Disneyland

- How Chuck became an "honorary citizen" of Walt Disney World

With a foreword by Marty Sklar, and featuring exclusive photos and contributions from Disney Legends Sklar, Tony Baxter, Bob Gurr, and Charlie Ridgway, *On the Disney Beat* is your personal press badge to all things Disney!]

Really looking forward to this upcoming book from Theme Park Press!

This just in from Garry Apgar:

[Recently, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a 28-minute program, “Donald Duck Gets Drafted,” devoted to the wartime films made by the Walt Disney studio in the 1940s. The program was narrated by the great English cartoonist and self-avowed “life-long Disney fan,” Gerald Scarfe, whose drawing (above), published in the New Yorker in 2006, will appear in my book Mickey Mouse: Emblem of the American Spirit, due out next month from the Walt Disney Family Foundation Press.

Here’s how the BBC describes the show:

“Marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two, illustrator and animator Gerald Scarfe tells the story of Disney’s fascinating on and off-screen contribution to the war effort. This documentary explores how the iconic Studio in California became a war plant in the 1940s, churning out groundbreaking military training films and propaganda shorts, educational posters and leaflets, along with insignias for troops to help boost morale on the frontline.  

“Gerald, who worked as production designer on Disney’s 1997’s big screen animation Hercules, examines what motivated Walt to offer his artists’ inkwells as weapons of war. He uncovers why Donald Duck rather than Mickey Mouse became the Studio’s wartime mascot and reveals which film reportedly put Walt on Hitler’s own personal hit list. Plus he examines Walt Disney’s personal role as a Goodwill Ambassador in South America, intended to help stem potential Nazi influence.”

Providing additional commentary are Brian Sibley, David Lesjak, Paula Sigman Lowery, and John Baxter. Are Myklebust provided the audio link to the program currently available online.]

Six days only until the release of They Drew As They Pleased - The Hidden Art of Disney's Golden Age!

Jerry Beck just published a review on Cartoon Research. Enjoy!