Annotated bibliography of Disney reference books
Books about Disney animation
Andersen, Hans Christian; Slater, Teddy: The Emperor's Nightingale
(Disney Archives) published by Disney Press; 1992.
A nice book publishing for the first time never seen before conceptual artwork done for
the never released short.
Andersen, Hans Christian; Lewin, Simon: The Steadfast Tin Soldier
(Disney Archives) published by Disney Press; 1991.
A nice book publishing for the first time never seen before conceptual artwork done for
the never released short.
Bailey, Adrian: Walt Disney's
World of Fantasy published by Paper Tiger; 1982.
The text is not the most interesting one can find, however some of the photographs will
make you like it.
Bain, David; Harris, Bruce: Mickey Mouse - Fifty Happy Years published by Harmony Books; 1977.
Barrier, Michael: Building a Better Mouse - Fifty
Years of Animation published by Library of Congress; 1978.
A beautiful exhibition catalog written by the famous animation and comic books historian.
Barrier, Mike J.: Hollywood
Cartoons - American Animation in Its Golden Age published by Oxford University Press;
1999.
Mike Barrier, the world famous animation and Carl Barks expert, has been for many years
the editor in chief of the best magazine in the field of animation and comics, namely
Funnyworld. This is a must have for any animation enthusiast or historian.
Bendazzi, Giannalberto: Cartoons, One
Hundred Years of Cinema Animation published by Indiana University Press; 1994.
A fabulous book about the history of animation all around the world. Not all about Disney,
obviously, but fascinating to understand the context of the art not only in America but
everywhere else too.
Bruno, Edoardo; Ghezzi, Enrico (editors): Walt Disney published by
Biennale di Venezia; 1985.
A beautiful (but small) catalog containing one of the first publications of Eisenstein's
essay about Disney. Written in Italian apart from the essay which is in English without
translation.
Canemaker, John: Before the
Animation Begins published by Hyperion; 1996.
This is for me one of the books of the decade. Beautifully illustrated with
never-seen-before documents, dealing in-depth with the great Disney artists that had been
most ignored in the previous books. A must have. I hope John will publish a volume two at
some point.
Canemaker, John: Treasures of
Disney Animation Art published by Harry N. Abrams; 1982.
A wonderful art-book that can only be fully appreciated in its original version and not in
the tinny little pocket book version that was published a while ago.
Canemaker, John: Vladimir Tytla Master Animator
published by Katonah Museum of Art; 1994.
This short catalog contains an in-depth look at the art and time of one of Disney's most
talented and powerful animators, he who gave life to the unforgettable Chernabog in
Fantasia.
Carroll, Lewis: Jabberwocky (Disney Archives) published by Disney
Press; 1992.
A nice book publishing for the first time never seen before conceptual artwork done for
the never released short.
Cohen, Karl F.: Forbidden
Animation, Censored Cartoons and Blacklisted Animators in America published by
McFarland &Co.; 1997.
Finally a book on this fascinating subject. Serious study but, unfortunately, too few
illustrations.
Culhane, John: Disney's
Aladdin, the Making of an Animated Film published by Hyperion; 1992.
Did anyone notice that Robin Williams had been "forgotten" ? This is, however a
very good (but short) book, well illustrated and that teaches a lot.
Culhane, John: Walt Disney's
Fantasia published by Harry N. Abrams; 1983.
The quality of the illustrations is not perfect, the text is.
Culhane, John: Retrospective -Walt Disney
published by Zagreb Film; 1974.
Catalog of the Walt Disney exhibit organized in 1974 for the Zagreb Film Festival.
Culhane, Shamus: Talking
Animals and Other People published by Da Capro Press; April 1998.
The long awaited reprint of the autobiography of a famous animator from the golden age.
Dahl, Lucy: James and the
Giant Peach published by Disney Press; 1996.
A short but beautiful homage to the movie and its making.
Davis, Marc (illustrator); Roberts Fulton: Chanticleer and the Fox (Disney
Archives) published by Disney Press; 1991.
An excellent book featuring all of the beautiful art developped by legendary animator Marc
Davis for the never released short.
Duca, Lo: Le Dessin Animé published by Prisma Editions; 1948.
One of the first French books about animation, it includes a great introduction by Walt.
Written in French.
Edwards, Scott and Stobener, Bob: Cel Magic, Collecting Animation Art published by Laughs Unlimited Inc; 1991.
Fanning, Jim: The Disney
Poster, from Mickey Mouse to Aladdin by Hyperion; 1993.
A selection of some of Disney's nicest original posters.
Feild, Robert D.: The Art of Walt Disney
published by Collins; 1944.
The first serious book about the Studio, it contains splendid illustrations. The text is a
bit dry, though.
Finch, Chistopher: Walt Disney's America
published by Abbeville Press; 1978.
This book contains amazing documents but is strangely unfocused. An excellent work,
though.
Finch, Christopher; Rosenkrantz, Linda: Sotheby's
Collectors Guide: Animation Art published by Henry Holt & Company, Inc.; 1998.
An excellent reference book for collectors.
Finch, Chrisopher: The Art of the
Lion King published by Hyperion; 1994.
From concept to finished animation of what became a real Classic.
Finch, Christopher: The Art of
Walt Disney published by Harry N. Abrams; 1973, updated in 1995.
The images are wonderful, the text is extremely precise and easy to read. What else could
one ask for ? The best part of the story is that it was updated twenty years after the
first edition. A condensed version was published in 1975.
Ginch, Bill and Miranda, Fred: The Official
Disney Trivia Book published by Paperjacks; 1988.
The first trivia book about Disney, it was published before the famous series of
"ultimate" trivia books by Dave Smith and Kevin Neary.
Grant, John: Encyclopedia
of Walt Disney's Animated Characters published by Hamlyn 1987; updated versions
published by Hyperion 1993 and 1998.
Contains most of the information you may want on major or minor characters and on the
animated features. The illustration are of top quality. The who's who of Disney's
universe. Updated on a regular basis.
Great Moments from the Films of Walt Disney
published by The Rutledge Press; 1981.
Huge photographs from Snow White, Pinocchio, Bambi, Dumbo, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty
with small commentaries.
Green, Howard: The Tarzan
Chronicles published by Hyperion; 1999.
A book written by Howard Green is almost bound to be excellent.This book is only one out
of two "making of" books released along with Tarzan. It is the most lavish of
the two.
Hahn, Don: Disney's
Animation Magic published by Disney Press; 1996.
One of Disney's most famous producers explains the animation process to kids. In the
meantime, the book reproduces a few interesting documents from the most recent era of
Disney's animation.
Hahn, Don: Disney's
Animation Kit published by Hyperion; 1999.
A guide for children on how to animate, by the famous Disney producer Don Hahn. Includes a
brief history of animation.
Holliss, Richard and Sibley Brian: Mickey Mouse,
His Life and Times by HP. Books; 1986.
The title says it all, but let us add that Richard Holliss and Brian Sibley are two of the
best English Disney experts, also authors of The Disney Studio Story and The Making of
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Holliss, Richard; Sibley Brian: The Disney
Studio Story published by Crown; 1988.
Two parts. One is the complete history of the studio, the other is a complete filmography
with commentaries. This is a must have. If only for the illustrations. But the anecdotes
are also fascinating. Very in-depth book.
Holliss, Richard; Sibley Brian: Walt Disney's
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs & the Making of the Classic Film published by
Hyperion; 1987.
An excellent, if a bit short, "making of". Originally published by Simon &
Schuster in 1987, then reprinted by Hyperion.
Hurter, Albert: He Drew as He Pleased published
by Simon and Schuster; 1948.
A collection of drawings and sketches by one of the Studio's best designers in the '30s
and '40s, one of those who influenced heavily the look of Snow White and Pinocchio. A very
rare and very desirable book. I am still looking for my copy of this specialized
masterpiece.
Jackson, Kathy Merlock: Walt Disney, a
Bio-Bibliography published by Greenwood Press; 1993.
By trying to do too much in too few pages, Kathy does not really succeed in creating an
in-depth reference book. The bibliography is interesting, though.
Justice, Bill: Justice for Disney published by Tomart Publications; 1992.
The autobiography of the man who drew Chip and Dale, animated most of Disneyland
attractions and is the nicest person you will ever meet at a Disneyana convention
("Give me a napkin ! I'll draw for you since you seem to enjoy it as much as I do
!").
Kinney, Jack: Walt Disney
and other assorted characters published by Harmony Books; 1988.
A look at the studio by one of the men who "created the magic", enjoyed it at
times, hated it sometimes and worked a lot on the Goofy shorts.
Koenig, David: Mouse Under
Glass published by Bonaventure Press; 1997.
A book about the inspirations, "secrets" and tidbits of information about
Disney's animated features. Nothing is really new, but it's summarized in a nice way.
Krause, Martin; Witowski, Linda: Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs, an Art in the Making published by Hyperion; 1994.
The beautiful collection of original art owned by Steve Ison is reproduced in this book.
While it could have been bigger, it is definitely a must-have for Disney animation and
Snow White fans.
Kurtti, Jeff: The Art of
Mulan published by Hyperion; 1998.
A new and beautiful addition to a great series.
Kurtti, Jeff: The Art of the
Little Mermaid published by Hyperion; 1998.
This book is really not worth the others in the "Art of" series. It does contain
a few concept drawings by Kay Nielsen, however, most of the book is made of stills from
the film. Moreover, none of the art is credited and this book only exists in a miniature
version, even though it was never originally published as a large coffee-table book.
Kurtti, Jeff: A Bug's Life -
The Art and Making of an Epic of Miniature Proportions published by Hyperion; 1998.
The "making of" of the new Pixar full-length feature by the author of The Art of
Mulan.
Kurtti, Jeff: A Bug's Life -
Special Collector's Edition published by Hyperion; 1998.
A smaller book than the official "art of" but nice to have.
Kurtz, Bruce D.: Haring, Warhol, Disney published by Prestel; 1991.
Nice animation art is reproduced in this large exhibition catalog.
Lambert, Pierre: Le Cartoon à Hollywood published by Librairies Séguier; 1988.
A nice book about animated cartoons. Nothing revolutionary, however.
Lambert, Pierre: Les Artistes de Disney published by Librairie Séguier; 1987.
Very nicely illustrated catalog of a travelling Animation Art exhibition. The art is often
"never seen before".Written in French.
Lambert, Pierre: Mickey Mouse
published by Démons et Merveilles; 1998.
The author of the best art book ever published on a Disney movie, Pinocchio, has created
an other masterpiece. The book is 300 pages long, contains 433 color documents and has an
introduction by Roy Disney. There is no limited edition as for the Pinocchio volume, but
all copies of the French book are sold in book-cases.Written in French with an English
edition published in December by Hyperion that does not contain a bookcase.
Lambert, Pierre: Pinocchio
published by Démons et Merveilles; 1995.
This is a book that marked the history of Disney books. It is by far the most lavish, the
most glossy, in short the most beautiful ever published about a Disney movie. Granted, the
text is short but the artwork is so gorgeous that it does not matter at all. This book was
originally published in French. The French edition can be found in two versions: the
regular one as well as a limited edition (450 copies, leather-bound binding in a hard
slipcase, complete with a beautiful high-quality litho). The English version was published
in 1997 by Hyperion. Legendary artists Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston recently gave
Charles Solomon an interview
about Pierre Lambert's book.
Lasseter, John; Daly, Steve: Toy Story -
The Art and the Making of the Animated Film published by Hyperion; 1995.
An excellent addition to the "making-of" series. Beautifully illustrated. Few
text, though.
Lotman, Jeff: Animation Art
- The Early Years (1911 - 1953) published by Shiffer; 1995.
A huge catalog of all the animation art ever sold by the big auctioneers, written by one
of the world largest collectors and animation art enthusiasts. This is a crucial reference
book for animation art collectors and historians.
Lotman, Jeff: Animation Art
- The Late Years (1954 - 1993) published by Shiffer; 1996.
The second volume of this amazing encyclopedia.
Lotman, Jeff: Animation Art
at Auction: Recent Years published by Shiffer; 1998.
The update to Jeff's first two books.
Lowery, Howard (editor): The Art of Grim Natwick self-published; 1991.
The catalog of the auction that followed Grim Natwick death. The biography of this famous
animator, that was in charge, among other characters, of Snow White, is quite complete.
The visual documents are stunning.
Maltin, Leonard: Of Mice and
Magic published by Plume; 1980.
The most complete history of American animation ever published.
Merritt, Russell and Kaufman J.B.: Walt in
Wonderland published by Edizioni Biblioteca dell' Imagine; 1992.
This English-Italian book is, to date, the only in depth book about "Walt before
Mickey". The documents it contains are often unique or never-published-before.
Mollica, Vincenzo: La Seduzioni di Biancaneve published by Editori del
Grifo; 1989.
According to Eta Beta: "A lot of info and images about the making of Snow White
and the Seven Dwarfs."
O' Brien Flora: Donald Duck,
Fifty Years of Happy Frustration by HP. Books; 1985.
The story of our favorite duck. Nice illustrations but nothing compared to the biographies
published by Disney Libri. Same series as Mickey Mouse, his Life and Times and Goofy,
the Good Sport.
O' Brien Flora: Goofy, The
Good Sport published by HP Books; 1985.
The biography of a legendary comical "actor".
Peet
Bill: An autobiography published by Houghton Mifflin Company; 1989 .
One of the most talented scenarists of the Studio tells us about his career. Too much of a
story and not enough of of biography to some readers' taste (including mine).
Pilling, Jayne (editor): A Reader in
Animation Studies published by Indiana University Press; 1998.
This book contains a few good essays about Disney, including one by Disney historian
Robin Allan.
Rebello, Stephen and Healey, Jane: The Art of
Hercules, the Chaos of Creation published by Hyperion; 1997.
The format of this book is different from the one of the three previous ones in the
"Art of" series. It is, however, as interesting as the others. Gorgeous
illustrations and nice text.
Rebello, Stephen: The Art of The
Hunchback of Notre Dame published by Hyperion; 1996.
An other masterpiece in the "Art of" series. As ever the documents reproduced
are stunning and the text is rather weak.
Renault, Christian: De Blanche Neige à Hercule
published by Dreamland; 1997.
The first French book about the history of the Disney studios and its artists to contain
information and artwork never published before (apart from the very specialized Pinocchio
by Pierre Lambert). This book is a must-have for French speaking readers and a very
recommended buy for the others.
Schickel, Richard: The Disney
Version published by Simon and Schuster; 1968, updated in 1997.
A strange so-called psychological analysis of Walt and his works. Not the worst of the
books mentioned here, though.
Schroeder, Russell; Saxon, Victoria: Disney's
Tarzan - Special Collector's Edition published by Hyperion; 1999.
A much smaller book compared to the "art of" written by Howard Green, but
worthwhile too.
Schroeder, Russell; Weidner Zoehfeld, Kathleen: Disney's Mulan
Special Collectors Edition published by Hyperion; 1998.
The story of the movie, illustrated with marvelous artwork from the film. Different from
the folding book and the "art of".
Schroeder, Russell: Mickey Mouse,
My Life in Pictures published by Disney Press; 1997.
A rather dull book with a couple of nice illustrations.
Schroeder, Russell: Walt Disney,
his Life in Pictures published by Disney Press; 1996.
This is a small book and most of the photos are well know. However, some of them are real
jewels.
Shale, Richard: Donald Duck
Joins Up, The Walt Disney Studio during W.W.II published by UMI Research Press; 1976.
Out-of-print book about a not-so-well-known period and cartoons. A fabulous book for
Disney historians.
Sherman, Richard M.; Sherman Robert B.: Walt's Time published by Camphor Tree
Publishers; 1998.
The long awaited autobiography of the famous and prolific songwritting team that gave us
the music of Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, It's a Small World,... A special edition has
also been released that includes a fabulous CD (The Merry Go Round of Life) with 10 songs
performed by the Sherman Brothers.
Show, Charles: Walt, Backstage Adventures with Walt
Disney published by Windsong Books International; 1980.
A good insider's testimony by one of Walt's directors in the '60s. Interesting and at
times funny.
Sibley, Brian (editor); Carroll, Lewis (author); Hall, David (illustrator): Alice's Adventures in Wonderland published by Methuen
Children's Books Ltd.; 1986.
This amazing book is illustrated by more than a hundred of David Hall's fabulous
inspirational drawings drawn before the war for the Walt Disney Studio. A must have for
concept art lovers.
Sinyard, Neil: The Best of
Disney published by Twin Portland House; 1988.
One more book about Disney. Not the worst, not the best.
Smith, Dave: Disney A to Z,
the Official Encyclopedia published by Hyperion; 1996.
A must have. Very good encyclopedia by the Grand Master of the Disney archives. Dave
really outdid himself and promises to update this book with all of the missing names and
concepts soon.
Smith, Dave: Disney A to Z:
The Updated Official Encyclopedia published by Hyperion; 1998.
This "must have" reference book by the utmost authority on Disney's history,
first published in 1996 is updated with more names, more films and more information that
ever.
Smith, Dave; Neary, Kevin: The Ultimate
Disney Trivia Book published by Hyperion; 1992.
I heard that a lot of persons within Disney were using that book to create their
competition questions. So you might want to learn the answers by heart. On a more serious
note: this series of books is extremely enjoyable.
Smith, Dave; Neary, Kevin: The Ultimate
Trivia Book 2 published by Hyperion; 1994.
More difficult than the first one, a good training for Disney trivia quizzes
"professionals".
Smith, Dave; Neary, Kevin: The Ultimate
Disney Trivia Book 3 published by Hyperion; 1997.
And one more in a great series !
Smoodin, Eric: Animating
Culture published by Rutgers University Press; 1993.
Not the worst of those sociological books that flourished about Disney in the early and
mid '90s.
Solomon, Charles: The Disney
that Never Was published by Hyperion; 1995.
To know more about the bed building scene in Snow White, the Hansel an Gretel musical or
what Fantasia could have contained. The art reproduced is almost always
"never-seen-before", unfortunately one would have hoped for the book to be
bigger, richer. The part about Destino, the Dali project is especially disappointing as it
does not feature any illustrations.
Solomon, Charles: The History of
Animation, Enchanted Drawings published by KNOPF; 1989, updated 1994.
A masterpiece about American animation.
Solomon, Jack Jr. (editor): Walt Disney's Snow White
and the Seven Dwarfs published by Viking; 1979.
A beautiful book about the making of the movie. Reproduces 400 paintings, drawings,
sketches and storyboards. The limited edition (10 000 copies) contains four additional
cells and was published in 1978 by Circle Fine Art Press.
Sotheby's: The Art of Aladdin published by Sotheby's; 1993.
The catalog of the Sotheby's auction dedicated to the movie. Fabulous artwork.
Sotheby's: The Art of Beauty and the Beast published by Sotheby's;
1992.
The catalog of the Sotheby's auction dedicated to the movie. Fabulous artwork.
Sotheby's: The Art of Hercules published by
Sotheby's; 1998.
The catalog of the Sotheby's auction dedicated to the movie. Fabulous artwork.
Sotheby's: The Art of Hunchback of Notre Dame and James and the Giant Peach
published by Sotheby's; 1997.
The catalog of the Sotheby's auction dedicated to the two movies. Fabulous artwork.
Sotheby's: The Art of Pocahontas published by Sotheby's; 1996.
The catalog of the Sotheby's auction dedicated to the movie. Fabulous artwork.
Sotheby's: The Art of The Lion King published by Sotheby's; 1995.
The catalog of the Sotheby's auction dedicated to the movie. Fabulous artwork.
Sotheby's: The Art of The Little Mermaid published by Sotheby's; 1990.
The catalog of the Sotheby's auction dedicated to the movie. Fabulous artwork.
Sotheby's: The Art of Mulan published by Sotheby's; 1999.
The catalog of the Sotheby's auction dedicated to the movie. Beautiful artwork.
Sotheby's: The Art of Who Framed Roger Rabbit published by Sotheby's;
1989.
The catalog of the Sotheby's auction dedicated to the movie. Fabulous artwork.
Steff, Thierry: Bon Anniversaire, Mickey ! published by
Dreamland; 1998.
A very small book that contains a couple of interesting documents, especially strange
parodies of Mickey. Also included is a day to day reconstruction of the period when Mickey
was created and pictures of Mickey look-alikes from the '30s. Written in French.
Taylor, Deems: Walt Disney's Fantasia published
by Simon and Schuster; 1940.
One of the first and most beautiful art-book about a Disney full-length animated feature,
written by the man who influenced most of the musical choices of the movie and hosted the
film. Hard to find but really worth finding.
The Legend of
Mulan - A Folding Book Inspired by the Disney Animated Film published by Hyperion;
1998.
According to Tomart's Disneyana: "This folding
book opens in an accordion format. The ancient legend of Mulan is written both in English
and Chinese and full-concept art from the film provides the illustrations." This book
is not the same as The Art of Mulan by Jeff Kurtti.
The Little Mermaid by Disney Archives (illustrator) and Hans Christian Andersen published by Disney Press; 1997.
Thomas, Bob: Disney's Art of Animation published by Hyperion; 1991: It contains a very interesting section about the making of Beauty and the Beast.
Thomas, Bob: Disney's Art
of Animation published by Hyperion; 1991, updated in 1997.
It contains a very interesting section about the making of Beauty and the Beast.The 1997
updated version contains 60 pages that are completely different from the original version
and that focus on the making of Hercules.
Thomas, Bob: Walt Disney,
An American Original published by Simon and Shuster; 1976, revised 1994.
The "official biography" or "The Absolute Minimum there is to know about
the man who, together with The Mouse, started it all". The must have. If you only buy
one book about Walt history, you should buy this one. If you have to buy three, buy this
one plus Storming the Magic Kingdom and The Disney Touch.
Thomas, Frank; Johnston Ollie: Bambi, the
Story and the Film published by Stewart, Tabori and Chang; 1990.
Marvelous art-book, very interesting anecdotes by two of Disney Studio's geniuses.
Thomas, Frank; Johnston Ollie: Disney
Animation: The Illusion of Life published by Abbeville; 1981.
The Bible. Does not request any further comment. This is THE best book about Disney
animation. Period. Found on every animator's desk (even non-Disney ones) and in every
serious library about Disney.
Thomas, Frank; Johnston, Ollie: The Disney
Villains published by Hyperion; 1993.
The text is a bit weak but the sketches and illustrations are so powerful !
Thomas, Frank; Johnston, Ollie: Too funny for
words published by Abbeville; 1987.
Not the best book of our beloved geniuses but certainly their most entertaining.
Thompson, Frank: Tim Burton's
The Nightmare before Christmas published by Hyperion; 1993.
A very well illustrated book about the creation of an exceptional animated feature. The
text is a bit short to my taste, but will be sufficient for many.
Tietyen, David: The Musical
World of Walt Disney published by Harry N. Abrams; 1990.
The story of Disney's songs from Frank Churchill to the Sherman brothers, Ashman and
Menken.
Tytle, Harry: One of Walt's Boys published by ASAP Publishing; 1997.
An excellent insider's testimony by one of Walt's top directors. The book contains some
fascinating pictures, the organisation chart of The Disney Studios and a facsimile of a
memo by Harry Tytle to Walt. A good work, especially interesting for Disney historians.
Walt
Disney's Bambi (The Sketchbook Series) published by Hyperion and Applewood Books;
1997.
Beautiful series of original drawings and backgrounds by some of the best artists of the
movie: Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Marc Davis and others.
Walt
Disney's Lady and the Tramp (The Sketchbook Series) published by Applewood Books;
1998.
A splendid addition to the series.
Walt
Disney's Little Mermaid (The Sketchbook Series) published by Applewood Books;1998.
An other beautiful sketchbook in the series. Published solely as a limited edition (2500
copies).
Walt Disney's Peter Pan (The Sketchbook Series)
published by Applewood Books; 1998.Walt
Disney's Sleeping Beauty (The Sketchbook Series) published by Applewood Books; 1997.
The best original drawings and backgrounds of the movie are reproduced here. Only the
limited edition of this book has been released, unfortunately, making it very difficult to
afford. But fans of Evynd Earle or Marc Davis work won't mind.
Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (The Sketchbook Series)
published by Applewood Books; 1993 (original publication date 1938).
It was the reprinting of this excellent work from the'30s that started the Sketchbook
series.
Walt Disney's Treasury of Childrens Classics published by Harry N. Abrams 1978.
Nicely illustrated. A good tribute to the Disney Classics. Short, but good introductions
to each movie's story.
Walt
Disney's Treasury of Children's Classics, from Fox and the Hound to The Hunchback of
Notre Dame, published by Hyperion; 1997.
The sequel to the preceding book. As good as the first one.
Walt Disney's Treasury of Stories from Silly Symphonies published by Harry N.
Abrams; 1981.
Nicely illustrated, a perfect tribute to some of Disney's best shorts from the '30s. The
text is very short.
Waltz, Gene: Cartoon Charlie - The Life and Art of Animation Pioneer Charles
Thorson published by Great Plains Publications; 1998.
This book seems to contain interesting documents produced when Charles Thorson was working
for Disney, including his early sketches of Snow White and Elmer.
Wheeler, Jill C.: Bill Peet
published by Abdo & Daughters; 1996.
A very short biography for kids of one of Disney's best script writers. No real interest.
Books to come
Allan, Robin: Walt Disney
and Europe published by Indiana University Press; 1999.
Robin is one of the most respected European Disney historians. His name has appeared in
countless Disney books and his thesis is a masterpiece, full of new interviews and
documents. His book is a reprint of the thesis and should therefore be a must-have for
fellow Disney historians.
Canemaker, John: Paper Dreams -
The Art and Artists of Disney Storyboards; October 1999.
If this book is as fascinating than Before the Animation Begins, I can hardly wait to see
it.
Canemaker, John: The Nine Old Men; 1999.
Source: Marc Davis. This book would be fascinating. The information was confirmed by
someone who knows very well Canemaker. John has just started the interviewing process,
after finishing his manuscript on the Story Department book.
Culhane, John: The Making of Fantasia 2000 published by Hyperion; 1999.
John already wrote the book about Fantasia, it was only logical that he should write the
one about its sequel.
Deja, Andreas: Milt Kahl; 1998.
The long awaited homage by one of today's greatest Disney artists to his master, one of
the Nine Old Men.
Durand, Philippe: Disney Quizz published by Dreamland;
1999.
Written in French.
Finch, Christopher: Winnie the
Pooh - A Celebration of the Silly Old Bear published by Hyperion; September 1998.
This tribute to Winnie will contain some lavish artwork coming from the archives.
Green, Howard; Green, Amy: Remembering
Walt - Favorite Memories of Walt Disney published by Hyperion; July 1999.
According to Persistence of Vision: "Green,
the extremely likable Vice President of Studio Communications (or "Hype" as he
is fond of claiming), has put together what has to be the greatest collection of memories
on one person ever compiled. This book will be, in my humble opinion, second only to Bob
Thomas’ Walt Disney: An American Original."
Kenworthy, John; Iwerks, Leslie (Ub Iwerks' granddaughter): The Hand Behind the
Mouse; 1999.
The story of Ub Iwerks. According to Persistence of
Vision: "Authoritatively documented, thouroughly researched, and full of
interesting anecdotes - it is a book that is long overdue."
Lotman, Jeff: Animation Collectibles: A Price
Guide to Animation Art Limited Editions published by Shiffer; 1998.
A paperback reference guide listing more than 800 limited edition pieces from the middle
'80s to the present.
Roger Rabbit second sequel by Gary Wolf.
Rumored to have been written already but waiting for the release by Disney of the prequel.
This means we might have to wait quite a while...
Silly Symphonies
by J.B. Kaufman published by La Cineteca de Friuli; 1999.Walt Disney's Pinocchio (The Sketchbook Series) published by Applewood Books; August 1999.
Last updated June 29, 1999.