According to this article in Slate by Jeremy Stahl, up to half of Sweden’s population will be watching Donald Duck (or Kalle Anka) cartoons today, a Christmas eve tradition that dates back fifty years.

Christmas Card by Bill Hurtz

Here’s a collage of holiday cards by Disney artists that I guarantee you haven’t seen before. They are either from 1939 or 1940. Click on the image below for the full-sized version. The artists are, clockwise from upper left, Berk Anthony, Bill Hurtz, Walt Kelly, Marc Davis, Zach Schwartz (I think), Marc Davis again, Ernie Nordli, Ted Sears, and Frank Thomas.

Following his passing, I’m learning new things about Roy E. Disney. For example, musician Alexander Rannie pointed out to me that Disney wrote lyrics for the song “Sometimes” in his sailing documentary Pacific High (1979). It was set to music by Robert F. Brunner and sung by Christalee McPherson. You can listen to the song here. These are Roy’s lyrics:

Sometimes, there’s a moment
Sometimes, you’ll never know
Sometimes, it just happens and flows

Sometimes, there’s a moment
Fleeting — too soon gone
A moment overwhelms you like dawn

Once in a million times
Watching the thistles blow
You seek perfection there
Somehow the pieces fit

You’re just a thistle, too
Blown on a vagrant wind
But when it comes you’ll know
The moment’s there for you

Sometimes, there’s a moment
When it happens, you will know
Heaven in that moment
And heaven will touch you

So take it, just take it
Until it can touch you again

The Walt Disney Company announced today that Roy Disney has passed away. Click here for LA Times obit. Roy did his father and uncle proud. He was a true champion for the legacy of Disney animation — and he will be sorely missed.

UPDATE: The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences recorded this extensive (six part) interview with Roy for their Archive of American Television in 2007. Worth watching today.

Your comments are welcome below.

When Disney’s acquisition of Marvel first became news we did a post inviting artists to show off their best visions of the merger. Now, courtesy of artist John Waltrip, by way of T Campbell, comes this materpiece: Click Here to see the ultimate Disney-Marvel crossover!

(Thanks, Alex Rannie)

This is animator Peter Western’s desk during the production of Who Framed Roger Rabbit at Richard Williams studio in London. Note the model sheets of Donald, Goofy, Road Runner, Coyote and Woody Woodpecker.

This is one of 82 personal photos Western has posted on Facebook . They contain everyone who worked in or came through the studio, including Richard Williams, Nik Ranieri, Andreas Deja, Tom Sito, David Bowers, Raul Garcia, Don Hahn, Steven Spielberg, Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, and Robert Zemeckis - among many others. There are also a few memos and unused models. It’s fun to browse, even if you didn’t work there. Here’s the link.

After several weeks in special limited engagements, Disney’s The Princess and the Frog opens today all across the United States, Canada and many other parts of the world. Congratulations to all who worked so hard on this magnificent production.

We’d like to know what the rest of our readers think. Only those who have actually seen the film will be permitted to comment below.

Talk about your “D-23″ - here’s the real thing! The house Walt Disney lived in when he first arrived in LA is up for sale. It’s Uncle Robert’s place on Kingswell, two blocks from the building off Vermont where he made the early Alice Comedies. They are asking $769,000 - here’s the listing. However, the fabled garage that Walt and Roy worked in, once located on this property, has been relocated to Garden Grove. Here’s a recent photo of it.

For more information on Disney’s early L.A. studios and homes, click here.

(Thanks, George Maestri)