Designer dominated Disney books

It should be said at once that two books from Hyperion, the Disney company’s new publishing house, Disney’s Art of Animation by Bob Thomas and The Art of Mickey Mouse, editors Craig Yoe & Janet Morra-Yoe, are disappointing and overpriced for what they purport to offer, writes Robin Allan. It is sad to be unenthusiastic … Read more

Book reviews The Disney Studio Story

The Disney Studio Story By Richard Holliss and Brian Sibley. Octopus Books 1988. Review by Robin Allan. This is a welcome addition to the growing number of books on animation in general, and on the phenomenon that was – and still is -Walt Disney in particular. It complements John Grant’s Encyclopedia of Walt Disney’s Characters, … Read more

Book reviews The Disney Studio Story & Animation

The Disney Studio Story By Richard Holliss and Brian Sibley. Octopus Books 1988. Review by David Williams. The standard pattern of the Octopus Studio Histories has been to have an introductory essay, a full listing of films produced with a brief description of each, (and where possible a still or stills), and some further essays … Read more

Book reviews Experimental Animation & Cartoons Il Cinema d’Animazione

Experimental Animation: Origins of a New Art Revised edition by Robert Russett and Cecile Starr, published by De Capo Press, New York Review by Pat Webb. Robert Russett and Cecile Starr begin their well researched anthology with a concise introduction to this ever-growing relationship between animation and art before they dip into the archives for … Read more

The Animator’s Bookshelf

Our reviewers look at some of the recently published books by film historians. Preface to a Review by Ken Clark Animated film history is now 92 years long in the sprocket. As with an unsolved Victorian murder mystery, the leads have gone cold. Long before this day, someone should have noticed the gradual loss of … Read more

The Animator’s Bookshelf – Page 2

British Animated Films Review by Ken Clark Denis Gifford has spread his net wide to include not only entertainment model and cartoon films but also representative advertising shorts; instructionals, and diagrammatics; amateur and student productions, and others. Regrettably, in drawing the readers attention to the great scope of the medium he has made obvious the … Read more

The Animator’s Bookshelf – Page 3

Four of Signal Films animated model films out of a known total of twenty are included, but I am puzzled by the absence of their most celebrated production promoting Rolex watches entitled The Story of Time. The film attracted great acclaim, won prizes and was even nominated for a Hollywood award. The unit’s first short … Read more

David Hall’s Wonderland – book review

Robin Allan has been reading a newly published edition of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It contains previously unpublished illustrations from the Disney archives by David Hall, and has an Afterword by Brian Sibley. Brian Sibley, Methuen and Justin Knowles are to be congratulated on the publication of a newly illustrated Alice; as Brian … Read more

David Hall’s Wonderland – book review – Page 2

The animator will note in particular Hall’s ability to capture movement in the still drawing. Apart from the rabbit hole, there are many other examples – Alice’s changes of size, Bill going up like a sky-rocket, the cook’s tantrums and Alice’s escape with the baby. Surreal colour, animation of inanimate objects in the Queen’s garden, … Read more