It’s rare for this website to promote a visit to Disneyland twice within the same week, but we’ve just recieved word from artist Kevin Kidney that, in addition to the Pirates of The Caribbean art exhibit (which Kevin is a part of), the park quietly opened a new exhibit in the Disney Gallery (above the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction) showcasing many of the great Disney Western Publishing book illustrations from the 1950s and 60s. The original paintings on display are among the cream of the crop of Disney book illustration–of any time–with so many of these images permanently ingrained in our memory from childhood. Kevin says:

Viewing these in person is a real treat. The artists represented include John Hench, Al Dempster, Retta Scott Worcester, Campbell Grant, Al White, Dick Kelsey, and several others. There hasn’t been much advertising for this exhibit, but the display is sure to excite a lot of artists who grew up with these beautiful books. In addition, many of the images are available for purchase as “print on demand” reproductions through the Disney Gallery.

Here is the link to Disneyland’s official site, though there’s not
much information on the artists and history, unfortunately.

Here’s a reason to visit Disneyland next weekend. Michelle and Amanda (aka The Girls Productions) will be doing a signing Sunday March 18th from 9-11:30 in the Disneyland Gallery above the Pirates Of The Caribbean attraction. This is to commemorate the 40th Anniversay of the ride. There will be some cool new merchandise available and one-of-a-kind art for sale. The Girls will be joined by artist Jeff Granito, and Disney Legends Alice Davis, X Atencio, Bob Gurr, Harriet Burns and Blaine Gibson.

Here’s a link with more info.

It’s all about marketing, I guess.

Bad enough that Cinderella III was hyped on those dividers at the checkout aisle, now we can take the Peter Pan hype home with us—on our produce! The Consumerist spotted this latest excercise in Disney corporate mind control.

(Thanks, Hiland Hall)

Yesterday’s New York Times featured an interview with John Lasseter and some interesting bits can be gleaned from the article. One thing I found quite telling is the fact that 60% of Disney’s upcoming Meet the Robinsons has been scrapped and redone in the past year. Most animated features are reworked heavily nowadays, but the extent to which this film has been revamped is a clear sign of how poorly managed the old Disney Feature Animation was; judging from the way Disney has barely been promoting the film, you get the feeling that they would have scrapped the entire film had it not already been so deep into production.

Another piece of info is that WDFA is planning to move out of their semi-iconic (and architecturally dysfunctional) hat building and into brand-new headquarters in Glendale. At first, I thought to myself, “Wow, that’s a huge and unnecessary expenditure to build another studio, even if the current studio does leave a lot to be desired.” But after giving it more thought, I realized what Lasseter and Ed Catmull were doing. What’s notable is not that they’re building a better animation studio, but that they’re moving the whole animation operation off the Burbank lot, far away from the studio’s acrid corporate culture, and creating a separate campus that will hopefully be dominated by passionate artists and storytellers. Looking at it from that perspective, it’s a daring and excellent business decision.

While Meet the Robinsons has a better-than-average chance of falling flat on its face at the box office, and Lasseter himself has raised eyebrows in recent months with some of his decisions, such as the dismissal of American Dog’s Chris Sanders, in general, I feel Lasseter is making smart decisions. I still have high hopes that Disney Feature Animation can be turned around under his stewardship.

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Continuing our Japanese theme today, David Gerstein led me to a Japanese website offering some very cool new Mickey Mouse and Disney Oswald vinyl collectible dolls and Kubrick mini-figures. I have no idea if these will offered in the U.S. but I know I want them.

Check out this sweet animation for a proposed videogame called Neo-Mickey. Apparently the project isn’t going forward at the moment which is a shame because it looks like it could be fun. Matt Cruickshank designed and boarded the piece, Barry Baker did the animation.

(Thanks, Stephane)

Here are a few more caricatures from Jules Engel’s estate, courtesy of USC’s Christine Panushka, Jules’s executor. Christine wants to share them with the animation community. Perhaps someone will recognize the style and can identify the artists who drew these. Click on each to see a full-size version.

These three caricatures, above, are of Jules Engel enacting part of a storyboard on Bambi.

Don’t strain your eyes. Click here to see a full size version of the first one, the second and the third. Christine Panushka, Professor of Animation and Digital Arts at USC, has been cataloging Engel’s archives and papers, and has been finding some amazing things. Christine says:

I have been carefully sorting through Jules estate trying to preserve any relevant materials. Besides these wonderful caricatures, the archive documents Jules’ artistic practices, his teaching processes, his time spent working in the animation industry, for Charles Mintz, Disney, UPA and Format Films, and his personal life.

CalArts and I have agreed that we will work to place the archive at an institution where the materials will be preserved properly for the future and be available for scholars.

Christine will keep the Brew informed as to where this material ends up. In the meantime, we’d love to know who did these sketches. If you have any idea whose work this may be, email us or post a comment below.