Category Archives: Disney

This Year’s Books and Docs on Disney’s Golden Age

This year alone has seen the release of so many great works on Disney history.  Let’s take a look at some of the standouts! Behind the Magic: Snow White, produced for ABC How could I not start with this?  Besides … Continue reading

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Disney’s Life Drawing Classes Today

Many moons ago I did an interview with a writer for the Fast Company Magazine website about the origin of Disney’s life drawing classes within the studio, and Babbitt’s significance.  A lovely article was published about Disney’s classes in the … Continue reading

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How Babbitt Changed Animation Methodology – Pt 1 of 4

Film history has many great pioneers who were the first to try a new technique and elevate the entire medium.  In live action film, some of the most noted artists to do so are directors and actors.  In animation, it … Continue reading

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Wicked Queen Gif

Here’s a brief Snow White GIF of some Babbitt animation. This is Sequence 7A, shot 20A, as the Queen says, “Now begin thy magic spell.” As these thirteen images play on a loop, imagine Babbitt flipping the graphite drawings in his … Continue reading

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Feature Films and Screen Credits

Last fall and winter, I had the pleasure of helping out the storyboard department on the feature film Epic for Blue Sky Studios.  I was only on the project for a few months, but it was the first mainstream feature … Continue reading

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Disney on Unfair List

On this date in Disney history, the Walt Disney Studios was spotlighted for the U.S. government’s list of companies with Unfair Labor Practices (ULP).  As the Daily Worker trumpets, “Los Angeles Labor Council Places Products of Disney Firm on Unfair … Continue reading

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The Disney Strike Remembered: Cult of Personality

It was 72 years ago today that a picket line formed outside the Disney Studios in Burbank, and hundreds of artist went out on strike.  It was Day One of what would ultimately be the largest (and most dramatic) strike … Continue reading

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Technicolor sides with Strikers

Here’s an interesting handbill.  Dated July 11 (1941), it advertises the support of the color film processors’ union for the Disney strikers. Caricatured below is Walt, hiding behind Willie Bioff.  The company hired Bioff to represent the company during arbitration … Continue reading

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1931 Disney Staff Caricatures & Profiles – pt 8

In this, the final installment of snippets from the June 20, 1931 issue of Motion Picture Daily, I had to composite some various images together to doctor a complete caricature of Walt and Frank Churchill.  Enjoy this glimpse at Walt … Continue reading

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1931 Disney Staff Caricatures & Profiles – pt 7

Now, here are some people who worked especially closely with Walt: Carolyn Shafer knows Mickey a little too personally, Dick Lundy is a jack of all trades, and Wilfred Jackson is staying out of trouble.

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