Way back in August I plugged this book, but now that I've got it in my hot little hands and have spent hours perusing its pages - I gotta demand you go out and buy it as soon as you can.
MICKEY AND THE GANG started as a simple collection of the famed Good Housekeeping monthly pages produced by the Disney studio for ten years (1934-1944) - pages which usually highlighted the latest Mickey Mouse, Silly Symphony or Disney feature-length release. If it were only that, the book would be well worth having as is. But author/editor David Gerstein supplements each GH page with a plethora of bonus materials: the film's complete story, commentary, movie materials (posters, press ads, etc.), model sheets, other print adaptations, merchandising - and much more.
This 360 page full color glossy book is a real treat. In a year of some great books (including Canemaker's WINSOR McCAY, Goldmark's TUNES FOR TOONS and something called THE ANIMATED MOVIE GUIDE) this one may top them all. My highest recommendation - at $29.95 ($19.79 on Amazon) it's a steal - and a must for any fan of Disney's classic characters, animation art and those interested in the history of the studio.