Book Preview: ‘Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men: Masters of Animation’ (Gallery)

This October, Walt Disney Family Foundation Press will publish Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men: Masters of Animation, an exhibition catalog of sorts for the show of the same name currently on view at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.

The coffeetable book will feature artwork, family mementos, sketchbook drawings, caricatures, and photos from each of Disney’s Nine Old Men, the core group of animators who were responsible for the studio’s classic-era films from the 1930s through the 1970s.

The 160-page book, put together by former Disney producer Don Hahn and animation historian Charles Solomon will also include research based on Hahn’s interviews with the family members of each of the Nine Old Men: Les Clark, Woolie Reitherman, Eric Larson, Ward Kimball, Frank Thomas, Marc Davis, Milt Kahl, Ollie Johnston, and John Lounsbery. From the book description:

Personal art, paintings, sculptures, flip-books, and hundreds of original animation drawings are all faithfully presented, alongside pencil tests and final color scenes that showcase their genius.… The result of this collaboration is a spectacular collection of personal artifacts and ephemera that have never been seen by the public, all of which help tell each animator’s individual story and reveal how they collectively elevated animation to an art form.

The hardcover book retails for $50 and can currently be pre-ordered on Amazon.

Below, you can see a preview of the cover and some of the spreads from inside of the book.