This is the title for a book that Marc Davis had been working on for many years. Unfortunately it was never published, but all of Marc's research still exists. Motion range as well as comparative anatomy among a number of species are top subjects. Also many studies of bone and muscle structure.  The book was intended for artists, animators and physicians. I will post Marc's initial sketches (he also produced final illustrations) from time to time, and I highly recommend studying them. Print them out and create your own Marc Davis Anatomy booklet! I believe some of this material dates all ..read more

It always fascinates me to see an artist's style change over the years or decades. Ward Kimball drew these caricatures of colleague Harper Goff sometime during the 1950s. Goff was a Disney story man/art director for the film 20.000 Leagues Under The Sea. Alongside Kimball he also played the banjo in the Disney artists jazz band Firehouse Five Plus Two. I just found out that later he would art direct the iconic, original Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Kimball's graphic style is very much - labeled as - mid century modern. Sort of non Disney,  experimental. But let's not forget t ..read more

Up until a few days ago I have never heard of Otto Dill. I don't know how that's even possible, since Dill is a German Painter who lived from 1884 until 1957. As soon as I googled him I fell in love with his work. He was known as the painter of lions, but his work includes a vast variety of animals as well as landscapes. I am still trying to analyze his impressionistic style, and who might have influenced him. I can see hints of Delacroix  and Daumier.  Dill started drawing and observing animals in zoos, before traveling to North Africa, Italy, France and Spain for further study an ..read more

Today, March 28, is Milt Kahl's birthday. I have posted many tributes to Milt over the years, so here is something different. As I pointed out before, Prince Phillip was his least enjoyable animation assignment. But as always he did a terrific job, the ay he brought him to life with subtlety and humor.  Years ago I was lucky enough to purchase all key drawings from a Phillip scene that ended up being cut from Sleeping Beauty. That scene has the Prince seated at the beginning, before he hears Aurora's singing in the forest. He gets up, walks screen left, then comes to a stop and looks to t ..read more

I remember years ago I just had to ask Marc Davis about his departure from Disney Animation after having animated the incredible character of Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmatians.  At that time he was at the peak of his craft, why didn't he continue his animation career?  It turned out Marc had high hopes for a future project he helped to develop called Chanticleer. It's story was based on a French folktale in which a rooster believed that his own crowing in the morning made the sun rise every day. Included were plenty of other anthropomorphic animals like a fox, an owl, a mole etc. W ..read more

  Ward Kimball was born 110 years ago. Here is another pic taken during my last visit to his house in 2002. At age 88 he was still curious, passionate and of course...funny. Disney was so lucky to have one animator among his crew who constantly thought outside of the box.  Here are a few visual reminders if his genius ..read more

This section from the 1938 short The Brave Little Tailor is often accredited to Fred Moore. Not so. Fred did work on later scenes where Mickey leaves the castle reluctantly, and when he is fighting the Giant. But this extraordinary performance by Mickey in front of the King and Princess Minnie was animated by Frank Thomas. At the start of the film Mickey had proclaimed that he "killed seven in one blow". The audience knows that he was talking about flies, but everyone else believes he meant giants. And so this misunderstanding gets Mickey in trouble as he tries unsuccessfully to rect ..read more

  Can't tell you how happy I am about MUSHKA's musical success. Richard M. Sherman kicked off our musical journey years ago by contributing the film's melodious theme as well as a beautiful song.  Richard is the most inspirational, generous, down to earth genius you could ever meet.  The Sword in the Stone, Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mushka ..read more

  I just found out by accident that my friend Patrick Mate posted this illustration on his blog in November of last year. At that time we had a nice chat after the MUSHKA screening at CTN. He added:   #1409 Bravo Andreas and Thank you!!!!! I absolutely love it! Patrick is such an amazing artist. Always full of ideas, and he is comfortable in just about any graphic style. Here is a link to his gorgeous art: https://patrickmate.blogspot.com ..read more

  You can't win them all. Recently Heritage Auctions offered this fine group of rough animation drawings of the character Angus McBadger from the 1949 film The Wind in the Willows. The auction item's description said that Bill Tytla drew these sketches and that they originate from the artist's estate.   The thing is...these are Milt Kahl drawings. This particular film was in and out of production during the early 1940s, and that's when Milt drew them. There is a short window of time between the start of animation on April of 1941 and the beginning of the Disney strike on May 29 ..read more