THE RELUCTANT DRAGON

Among the first photos I e-mailed Didier Ghez a couple of years ago were behind the scenes photos from THE RELUCTANT DRAGON. I recently added this one to my collection, the snipe on the reverse reads:

"In 'THE RELUCTANT DRAGON', which Walt Disney is making for RKO Radio, the famed creator of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck uses live action actors for the first time. Robert Benchley, star of the film, and Disney are pictured here on Benchley's first tour of the cartoon studio where Benchley met artists and learned how animated movies are made. 'THE RELUCTANT DRAGON' relates Benchley's adventures in studio, including screening of cartoon he has seen in process of creation."

Incidently, Robert Benchley was the grandfather of JAWS author Peter Benchley, and was himself renowned for his own series of short films which satirized contemporary life at the time, see KINO Video's ROBERT BENCHLEY AND THE KNIGHTS OF THE ALGONQUIN.

ADDED JULY 1: Can anybody confirm that that is Ken Anderson on Walt's left?

MICKEY SUNDAY part 11

WALT & NORMAN ROCKWELL part 2

Over the weekend I picked up a small book about Norman Rockwell by Karal Ann Marling and published by TASCHEN books. Inside I found the very picture I was referring to in my post of May 22.

MICKEY SUNDAY part 10

I thought I'd put up two strips this week, I figured with the amount of strips I've collected it will take me 3 years to post all at a rate of one per week. I hope people are enjoying them.

These strips certainly are a product of their times, every now and then there is something politically incorrect by today's standards, as in the strip above. I doubt however there were any mean spirited intentions when the strip was created.

WALT'S PEOPLE vol.6

If like me you are a fan of the WALT'S PEOPLE series edited by Didier Ghez, then you won't want to miss ordering the latest installment Volume 6. It's up on AMAZON now, and I think will be one of the best so far. Clicking on the title of this post will take you straight there.

MICKEY SUNDAY part 9

Sorry I didn't post this last week, I've been quite busy lately with work, hence the lack of new posts.

MORRELL'S WALT DISNEY CALENDAR - 1942

Here are a few images from The Morrell Meat Co. calendar of 1942, see page 14 of Gemstone's MICKEY AND THE GANG.