Collector Joel Cohen will auction his stunning collection of Disney books and vintage Disneyana on December 9th. For more information about this exceptional auction, check this link.

I was browsing Amazon yesterday trying to identify new upcoming books about Disney history and stumbled upon something weird: a whole series of books about Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Steamboat Willie, Flowers and Trees, The Wise Little Hen (and on it goes), by an author called Diana Rowe, all to be released on November 1, 2010 by an unknown publisher called 6 Degrees Books.

I googled 6 Degrees Books but could not find anything about them and all the books they are planning to release according to Amazon are listed as November 1, 2010 (including the non-Disney ones). As to Diana Rowe's web site it does not even mention those upcoming Disney books. Very, very weird.

Do anyone know what this is all about?

I have a feeling that this upcoming book will be boring, but then I might be wrong and some of you will want to know that it exists.

Do not miss today:

- Remembrance / Veteran's Day by David Lesjak

Amazon has just released the cover of Tim Susanin's upcoming book, Walt before Mickey: Disney's Early Years, 1919-1928, and I thought you would enjoy it.

I have often mentioned that my favorite pieces of Disney art are concept drawings and concept paintings. It will not come as a surprise therefore if I tell you that Walt Disney Animation Studios The Archive Series: Design is by far my favorite volume in this great series. There is beauty to be seen at every page: from the Horvath drawings at the beggining to the very small piece from 101 Dalmatians by Walt Peregoy at the end.

Some of my favorite artwork in the book: some drawings by Horvath created for the Nutcracker Suite, a small painting by Sylvia Holland for The Three Caballeros, David Hall's artwork for Peter Pan, a very weird drawing of Maleficent, Walt Peregoy's art for 101 Dalmatians, some fabulous character studies by Ken Anderson for The Jungle Book, some Black Cauldron drawings by Tim Burton, some Beast drawings by Mel Shaw, Andreas Deja, and Chris Sanders,...

In other words, this book is clearly a must-have.

My only slight reservations are that we have seen many of those drawings before (not the ones I mention above). I have the feeling that the Animation Research Library could really have unearthed a few more unknown treasures, especially when it comes to Disney shorts, Mary Blair, Ferdinand Horvath, David Hall, etc. I also have an issue with the fact that exactly half of the book is focused on post-1988 artwork. There is clearly a "political" decision at work there which bothers me.

Then again, those are minore qualms. I can't wait to see the next instalment in this series.

Armchair Archivists — November 9, 2010 - Walt's last filmed appearance



Frankly it does not get much better than this in terms of Disney history. Do not miss this video. This promises to become a "can't miss" series on YouTube.

Dalí, Disney, Destino i Fantasia al Museu de Figueres



Here is a report (in Catalan) about the Dali and Disney exhibition mentioned yesterday (thanks to Emmanuel Bourmalo for the link).

Do not miss today:

- The Three Disney Space Shows That Never Were by Jim Korkis
- How Disney Legend Jack Hannah helped open "The Vault of Walt" for Jim Korkis by Jim Hill

If you are in the North of Spain in the next few weeks, you might want to visit this small exhibition about Dali and Disney at the Dali Museum. (Thanks to Emmanuel Bourmalo for the link)

Do not miss today:

- 1964 NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR THANKS by Paul F. Anderson
- Destination D Report
- WALT'S NEW TOMORROWLAND 1967~A Panoramic Treat by Paul F. Anderson

Tomorrow is a holiday in Madrid. The blog will be updated again on Wednesday.

While researching a totally different subject I stumbled upon this fascinating Oral History with Ray Watson, who was Chairman of Disney from 1983 to 1984.

Do not miss today:

- Classics are Back at BOOM! this January
- Toy Story 3: Pixar writer Michael Arndt tells the story behind the story by Jeremie Noyer

This just in from Are Myklebust:

[Here’s a link to a short (only one and half minute long), but very interesting film clip of Walt Disney visiting Tivoli in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1961, and where he is more casual than usual in clips like this:

www.dr.dk/kroeniken/1950erne/ferie_fritid/kultur_amerikanisering.asp

(There are also another film clip from 1949 referring to the newly released “Anders And” (= Donald Duck in Danish) comic book. And no, it is not Marilyn Monroe we see in one of the other clips, but a girl winning a “look-alike” contest.) ]

Not sure what this book is worth but at least now you know that it exists (thanks to Jim Korkis for the heads up).

Do not miss today:

- Walt's Unsung Star: Remembering James MacArthur by Jeff Kurtti
- Backstage With The Original 'Mickey Mouse Club' by Jennifer Armstrong
- Carl Stalling on Acetate by Michael Barrier
- Walt Liked Ike by Jim Korkis

No much about Disney in this interview with Campbell Grant, but I thought it would be a good appetizer while waiting for Michael Barrier's interview with him (which should appear on Michael's site in the following few months I believe).

Two weeks ago I mentioned the autobiography of Lloyd Beebe, Wilderness Trails and a Dream. I have now received it and can confirm that if you care at all about the history of Disney's True-Life Adventures and other nature-related movies, this is a "must-have."

Speaking of Lloyd Beebe, I also stumbled last week upon an exceptional interview with him conducted by Brian Shoemaker in 2000, that I believe you will all enjoy.

Do not miss today:

- Happy 97th Birthday, Don Lusk! by Jerry Beck
- Happy Birthday Don Lusk... by Steven Hartley
- Peet What You Sow by Ger Apeldoorn