John Lounsbery animates Gideon and Honest John

I had long thought that animator Norm Ferguson was responsible for animating this scene which features the fox and the cat from Pinocchio. But the film's draft states clearly that this is the work of John Lounsbery. Gideon is trying desperately to free Honest John from the awkward predicament he had put the fox in. The scene description in the draft goes like this:EXT. CU - CAT biting fingernails - timidly reaches up -  lifts lid of hat...

Read More

Milt Kahl Fan Art

This is a sketch Milt Kahl did for a fan named Jane, a while after he had left Disney.I remember Milt talking about a lady he was corresponding with, who thought that the sun rises and sets with his animation. Obviously flattery goes a long way, not only did Jane get a Kahl original, but a drawing of Prince Phillip, the character he had abhorred animating many years earlier.This piece was offered at auction years ago, and I was lucky enough to pick...

Read More

101 Dalmatians, Sequence 2, Scene 54

Ollie Johnston animated this scene with Pongo as he growls and backs away from the approaching Cruella De Vil. The following rough drawings explore a pattern of how to get into that final pose, which, as you can see, has been given a lot of thought. There are several versions of it, drawn with different color pencils. I believe that Frank Thomas did these to help out his fellow animator Ollie Johnston.Frank is not even trying to come up with good...

Read More

Diane's Dad

In September of 1964 Walt Disney made a stop over on his way home from Washington in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was visiting his friend Donald S. Gilmore, who had invited a few guests.You can read about this visit on Mike Barrier's website :http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Home%20Page/WhatsNewArchivesJune07.htmIt's always great to see photos of Walt that are not staged, but of the moment.These photos are part of photographer Douglas Lyttle's album, which...

Read More

Diane Disney Miller 1933-2013

Most of you have heard or read by now of the sudden passing of Walt Disney's daughter Diane.My heart goes out to her husband Ron, her children, but also to the wonderful staff at the Walt Disney Family Museum.I met Diane years ago at the house of Marc and Alice Davis. Frank & Ollie's book on Disney Villains had just been published, and I brought a copy along with me. When I asked Diane to sign it, she politely declined. I remember her words: "My...

Read More

If Fred Moore had his way...

…Snow White might have looked like this. In his beautiful sketch the princess looks very young, and her appearance matches the design of the dwarfs very well. But Walt Disney felt that in order for her to feel real to an audience Snow White had to be drawn with more realism. A cartoony looking girl couldn't portray the dramatic as well as the romantic scenes the way he envisioned it.Live action reference was filmed, and thanks to animator Grim Natwick...

Read More

Missed Opportunity

This is one of those things, when a friend asks you to do some character design work. The funding for an animate feature would just be around the corner, blah, blah , blah.I actually thought the script had potential, so I came up with character designs for this new Arabian Nights Fairy Tale.There were Witches, a prince, a princess and a variety of animals.I did enjoyed working on the character concepts until I was told that funding for the originally...

Read More