"Duck Tales" - Mike Royer Commerical Art

More from "Duck Tales".....

What appears on the screen may be only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to animation artwork. There is a huge amount of material of original art that is developed for commercial, licensed use.  Here are some pieces drawn by the creative Mike Royer....

Citrus World Concept Art

"Launchpad" Art

Here's some background on Mike from his web site (MikeRoyer.com):

Drawn to Southern California, spring 1965, by the lure of a career in Comic Art, Mike spent his first 14 years in comic books, comic strips, and TV animation. Beginning as RUSS Manning's assistant on MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER and TARZAN comic books (at the end of their working relationship Mike lettered and inked the last 6 months of Russ's TARZAN syndicated Sunday strip and the first 4 months of the daily and Sunday syndicated STAR WARS, late 1970s) and then inking and pencilling for Western Publishing (Gold Key). Mike inked such West Coast talents as Sparky Moore, Mike Arens, Paul Norris, and Doug Wildley.

His drawing asignments were on TARZAN, SPACE GHOST, coloring books, puzzles, etc. for Western and doing layout on network animation series like SPIDERMAN. At Gold Key he wrote/adapted and drew SPEED BUGGY, BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KIDS, TARZAN, MAGNUS, and designed and executed covers for Hanna-Barbera TV ADVENTURE HEROES, etc. Mike contributed to James Warren's CREEPY, EERIE, and VAMPERELLA magazines and began drawing the comic panel CRUSIN' record album covers (over 2 dozen to date), many of which he's scripted.

For East coast firms, Mike inked artists Don Heck, Steve Ditko, Ramona Fraden and others, but during this period he is best known to comic fans for his decade as letterer/inker for legendary Jack Kirby at National and then Marvel.

From late Spring 1979, Mike spent the next 14 years on staff with the Walt Disney Company in the creative department of their Consumer Product/Licensing division, addressing the areas of book publishing, comic books and strips, and all forms of themepark and licensed merchandise as a character artist/product designer, performing as idea man, concept and final line artist, and sometime inker.

At Disney, Mike designed and art directed the DICK TRACY and 3-D ROCKETEER comic book Music Company read-alongs. He created the "new look" that launched the massive WINNIE THE POOH licensing program in late 1993. Featured in a 43 minute video "How To Draw Pooh" sent to over 40 licensees, Mike takes no small amount of pride in the fact that POOH soon (and still) outsold Mickey Mouse worldwide.

June 1993 Mike left his staff position to spend the next 7 years full time free lancing for The Disney Store's creative group, becoming their "Main POOH Man" and creating 3-D products utilizing Disney characters.

Since Spring 2000 Mike has functioned as an Art service doing pencil work on a wide variety of projects, including creating character Orthographic Turns and environment "floor plans" for computer game animators, DIGIMON products, on screen icons for FOX FAMILY CHANNEL and FOX KIDS NETWORK, READER RABBIT work books, RESCUE HEROES toy packaging, etc.

Spring 2001 found Mike and Laurie, his lovely wife and concept collaborater, returning to his birth state, Oregon, settling in Medford, and in the process returned to his career roots. And in the last few years he's found time to ink such luminaries as Steve Rude and Eric Larsen, to name a couple. Mike continues to create Disney character art for limited edition collector pin sets and does "recreations". He strongly believes that his passion, attention to detail and accuracy, and his commitment to integrity will keep him at the board for a long time to come.

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From “Duck Tales” (circa 1989).  On thin tracing paper. Suggestions for a variety of items that could be sold to kids in the Duck Tales theme. For Citrus World. Gyro, Scrooge, Webby, Launchpad, Doofus. Done by Mike Royer. [Item: 17-3/4"W x 14"H]  SeqID 0036

From “Duck Tales” (circa 1989).  An excellent watercolor of Launchpad running in his flight suit. Signed by Mike Royer. [Image: 8-9/16"W x 10-3/8"H]  SeqID 0035

"Dudley Do-Right" (circa 1990's) [Series] - Jay Ward Signed Publicity Cel

Sometimes it's nice to have a piece from a show you watched while growing up in front of the TV. The segment in "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show" (Rocky and His Friends [1959-1961 and The Bullwinkle Show [1961-1964]).  The reason we all remember the show was that it was rerun from 1964 through 1973 and then went into syndication.  Much like original Star Trek, the show had a larger-than-life impact that extended well beyond its production period.

This Jay Ward signed piece was a great reminder of Ward's over-the-top character development. Ward was a character in his own right and introduced a number of off-beat characters. Here's a brief bio from Wikipedia:

J Troplong "Jay" Ward (September 20, 1920 – October 12, 1989) was an American creator and producer of animated television cartoons. He produced animated series based on such characters as Crusader Rabbit, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, Peabody and Sherman, Hoppity Hooper, George of the Jungle, Tom Slick and Super Chicken. His company, Jay Ward Productions, also designed the trademark characters for Cap'n Crunch, Quisp and Quake breakfast cereals and made commercials for those products, among others. Ward produced the non-animated series Fractured Flickers that featured comedy redubbing of silent films.

Jay Ward Signed Publicity Cel

From Wikipedia:

Dudley Do-Right was the eponymous hero of a segment on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show which parodied early 20th century melodrama and silent film (by using only a piano as a musical background) in the form of the Northern genre. Dudley Do-Right was a dim-witted Canadian Mountie who was always trying to catch his nemesis Snidely Whiplash, more often succeeding by pure luck than anything else. He romantically pursued Nell Fenwick, the daughter of Inspector Fenwick, the head of the Mountie station. However, a running gag throughout the series was Nell's interest in his horse (called Horse), to the point that she scarcely noticed Dudley's interest.


In 1969, Dudley Do-Right was featured in his own show, The Dudley Do-Right Show, which consisted primarily of existing episodes from the series, produced by Jay Ward Productions and Total Television. In latter years, Jay Ward Productions created animation cells intended for sale and not for use in animation.


The Dudley Do-Right Show was an animated television series assembled by P.A.T. Film Services, consisting of cartoons produced by Jay Ward Productions and Total Television, which aired Sunday mornings on ABC-TV from April 27, 1969 to September 6, 1970. Each half-hour show included two segments each of Dudley Do-Right Of The Mounties and The World Of Commander McBragg, along with one segment each of Tooter Turtle and The Hunter. Dudley Do-Right was a Jay Ward production, while the other segments were products of Total Television. Both companies used Gamma Productions, a Mexico-based animation studio.


The U.S. syndicated version of the show, called Dudley Do Right And Friends, differs from The Dudley Do-Right Show, featuring most of the same recurring cartoon segments, but a different episode selection. The syndicated package features Dudley Do-Right Of The Mounties, The World Of Commander McBragg, The King And Odie, and The Hunter. The latter two originally appeared as part of King Leonardo And His Short Subjects, a series that aired between October 15, 1960 and September 28, 1963 on NBC-TV. Twenty-six new segments of both series were produced for CBS-TV's Tennessee Tuxedo And His Tales in 1963, and these later segments are included in the syndicated Dudley Do Right And Friends.


Actors (voice overs) included:


    * Bill Scott - Dudley Do-Right
    * June Foray - Nell Fenwick
    * Hans Conried - Snidely Whiplash
    * Paul Frees - Inspector Fenwick/Narrator
    * William Conrad did several (but not all) of the narrations.

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From “Dudley Do-Right: publicity cel” (circa 1990's).  Dudley Do-Right, Nell and Horse. Signed by creator Jay Ward.   [Image: 11-7/8"W x 9-3/16"H; Frame: 17-3/16"W x 14-3/4"H]  SeqID-0175 8/14/2005

"Fantasia 2000" (1999) [Series] - Five cel Set-up of Noah's Ark Sequence

More Fantasia 2000 items in the Cowan Collection...

A fantastic 5-cel set-up of the animals getting ready to get on the Art.  I'm afraid I couldn't get an image that really matched the wonderful quality of this large (25"x19").  In this segment, Donald is Noah's First Mate that has to deal with the detail of getting everyone on board...

5-Cel Set-up of Noah's Ark Sequence

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From “Fantasia 2000” (1999).  Noah's ark and the animals getting ready to get on.  This is a five cel setup, one of which is an underlay and two of which are overlays/underlays.  [19-3/8x24.75]  SeqID-0711

 From Sotheby's: The grand ark sits in the distance with heavenly rays shining down upon it as the animals approach it from all directions.  (Note: )  Sotheby's auction 7491, Lot 202.  BACK: "#1215081  SEQ 4  SCN 21"

wikipedia: Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance - Marches 1, 2, 3 and 4 – is a pastiche of the story of Noah's Ark, with Donald Duck as first mate to Noah. Donald musters the animals to the Ark, and misses, loses, and is reunited with Daisy Duck in the process; music arranged by Peter Schickele, including a wordless soprano solo by Kathleen Battle as part of the No. 1 March ('Land of Hope and Glory').

"Fantasia 2000" (1999) [Series] - Flamingo and Snotty 6 Cels

More "Fantasia 2000" items in the Cowan Collection....

This is one of my all-time favorites. There is something about about the nonconformist Flamingo that I liked (maybe all of us believe we are nonconformists).  This particular image seemed to be a great summary of the Flamingo and the Snotty 6 characters -- an aspect of the art I try to collect...  The piece consists of two cels: one of the Flamingos and another cel of the water effects.  The music is performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Levine.   Camille Saint-Saëns - The Carnival of the Animals: Finale.  Introduced by James Earl Jones.  Hope you enjoy it...

Flamingo and Snotty 6

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From “Fantasia 2000” (1999).  The Flamingo looking the other way with the Snotty 6.  A very contrary visual image of a nonconformist in the middle of the pack.   [ From Sotheby's: While the Snotty 6 are walking in unison, the Flamingo plays with his yo-yo.  (Note: This is a two cel setup.)  12.5x16-7/8 ]  Sotheby's sale 7491, Lot 193.   BACK: "#1215083  SEQ 6  SCN 4/7"  [Image: 15-1/8"W x 10-9/16"H]  SeqID-0710

The music is performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Levine.   Camille Saint-Saëns - The Carnival of the Animals: Finale.  Introduced by James Earl Jones

"Fantasia 2000" (1999) [Series] - Baby Whale and Parents Setup and Master Background

More "Fantasia 2000" items in the Cowan Collection...

An interesting segment in which the whales end up flying through the air.  This setup includes two cels (one of the whales and one of the bubble effects) on the Master Background.  This had a nice feel to it -- a flowing quality, curiosity and hope...

Two Cel Setup On Master Background

The entry in Wikipedia notes:

Ottorino Respighi's Pines of Rome – this segment features a family of frolicking humpback whales that are able to fly due to a supernova. At one point, the whale calf is separated from his parents when he's trapped in an iceberg, later finding his way out with his mother's help. The final section, the Via Appia gives the impression of the larger pod of adults in migration.

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From “Fantasia 2000” (1999).  Baby whale and parents near iceberg.  Note: This is a two cel setup on master background.  Notes:  BACK: "#123408  SEQ 10  SCN 49"  [Image: 15-7/8"W x 10-15/16"H; Frame: 25-1/2"W x 20-1/2"H x 2" deep]  SeqID-0709  8/4/2005

"Fantasia 2000" (1999) [Series] - Limited Edition Signed By Joe Grant

This is a great little piece...  This Limited Edition ( number 244 out of 300) of Mickey and Yen Sid (Disney spelled backwards) is signed by Joe Grant (1908-2005), who helped lead the development of Fantasia and also helped in Fantasia 2000.  Mr. Grant left the studio in 1949 to run a ceramics business, but returned to Disney in 1989 to work on Beauty and the Beast.  He worked four days a week and died while working at his animation board 9 days short of his 97th birthday.

Mickey & Yen Sid Limited Edition Signed By Joe Grant

Here is more information on Mr. Grant from Wikipedia:

Joe Grant (May 15, 1908 – May 6, 2005) was a Disney artist and writer.

Born in New York City, New York, he worked for The Walt Disney Company as a character designer and story artist beginning in 1933 on the Mickey Mouse short, "Mickey's Gala Premiere". He was a Disney legend. He created the Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He co-wrote Dumbo. He also led development of Fantasia and Pinocchio.

During World War II, Grant worked on war cartoons including the Academy Award winning Der Fuehrer's Face. He left the Disney studio in 1949 and ran a ceramics business and a greeting card business but returned in 1989 to work on Beauty and the Beast. He also worked on Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, Fantasia 2000, Monsters, Inc. and Mulan among others. The last film he worked on before his death Chicken Little, was dedicated to him.

Grant worked four days a week at Disney until he died, 9 days short of his 97th birthday. Grant's final project, "Lorenzo", for which he conceived the idea and helped storyboard, received an Academy Award nomination in 2005.

Joe Grant died of a heart attack while working at his drawing board in his studio. He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

A large collection of his caricatures is owned by the Smithsonian Museum.

Lady from Lady and the Tramp was based on a pet Springer Spaniel named Lady owned by Joe Grant, it is said by his daughter on the DVD (Lady and the Tramp) that Walt Disney thought the dog's long fur looked like a dress and suggested creating a story board featuring his dog.

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From “Fantasia” and “Fantasia 2000.”  Entitled: "A Lesson Learned" as Mickey hands back the magic hat to Yen Sid (“Disney” spelled backwards).  Limited edition (244/300) cel of Mickey and Yen Sid (Disney backwards). Signed by Joe Grant. From Sequence 7, Scenes 87 & 88. Certificate of Authenticity.  [Image:  13-1/2"W x 17-1/2"H. Frame:  23-1/4"W x 27-1/8"H]  SeqID-0449  8/3/2005

"Fantasia 2000" (1999) [Series] - Preview of Holdings

Items in the Cowan Collection from "Fantasia 2000"...

It seems like "Fantasia 2000" is often overlooked and is overshadowed by the focus on the innovative "Fantasia" piece.  We don't have many items from "Fantasia 2000," but they are nice, original pieces on the Master Backgrounds.

Items To Be Featured

Here is some great information on "Fantasia 2000" from Wiki:

Fantasia 2000, also known as Fantasia Continued in pre-production and concept, is a 1999 American animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. A sequel to 1940's Fantasia, the film is the thirty-eighth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics. It premiered in the United States on December 17, 1999. As with its predecessor, the film visualizes classical music compositions with various forms of animation and live-action introductions. Set pieces are introduced by a variety of celebrities including Steve Martin, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Penn and Teller, Itzhak Perlman, Quincy Jones and Angela Lansbury.

Most music is performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with James Levine conducting all numbers except The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Levine also arranged most scores, except two pieces arranged by Peter Schickele.

The plan for the original Fantasia movie was for it to be a kind of permanently running show, periodically adding new episodes while others would be rotated out. However, the film's failure to achieve success at the box office, combined with the loss of the European market due to World War II, meant that the plan went unused. Accordingly, Fantasia 2000 implemented this idea by retaining the sequence with Mickey Mouse as the sorcerer's apprentice, arguably the most popular segment from the original film.

Composer André Previn reports in his book No Minor Chords that he was approached by Disney to work on as a sequel to Fantasia. He declined the project when he learned that the soundtrack was, at that point, conceived of as an orchestration of Beatles songs.

Development for Fantasia 2000 began in 1990, and production began the following year. The music selections were made as a collective decision by Roy E. Disney, James Levine, and members of the production staff. Most were decisions driven by the musical preferences of the team; Roy personally chose the Pines of Rome. Other pieces were discovered long after the story ideas were set, such as the Steadfast Tin Soldier, where the visuals were based on artwork done for the original Fantasia, but the Shostakovich piece was presented to the team by an animator relatively late into the production schedule.

Fantasia 2000 was originally scheduled for a release in the mid 1990s with the name Fantasia Continued; it was later renamed Fantasia 1999 until the release date was moved into 2000. In order to tie Fantasia 2000 to the original idea of a rotating program, three sections from the original Fantasia were intended to remain in Fantasia 2000. However, only The Sorcerer's Apprentice made it into the final release. The late addition of Rhapsody in Blue replaced Dance of the Hours a year before release, and the Nutcracker Suite was a part of Fantasia 2000 until a few months before it reached theaters. After several test screenings and after much of the publicity material had already been produced, the Nutcracker Suite was removed to shorten the running time of the movie.

Rhapsody in Blue was a work already in progress by director Eric Goldberg (lead animator for the Genie in Aladdin, also inspired by Al Hirschfeld's art), when Disney approached him to complete the piece for the movie. This decision was ideal given the head start on the work and so that the film could include a work from an American composer. Taking on Rhapsody in Blue also allowed Disney to keep the animators assigned to their feature Kingdom of the Sun (later released as The Emperor's New Groove) busy while Kingdom went through an extensive rewrite. Some press articles written after the completion of Groove reversed the roles, saying that Goldberg first approached Disney for Rhapsody for Fantasia 2000 and was initially rejected, and later the producers came back to him as a result of the need find something to do with the animation staff while the Kingdom rewrite was going on.

One significant difference in the musical styles between the films is that in Fantasia 2000 the piano features prominently in more than half of the selections, while the original Fantasia did not have a piano in any segment.

Fantasia 2000 features many technical innovations that would later be utilized in the Disney studio's other animation works, particularly in the use of computers. Both Pines of Rome and The Steadfast Tin Soldier were primarily CGI pieces, completed before Pixar's landmark film Toy Story was released. The horns on the elk in The Firebird were CGI-rendered on top of hand-drawn animation (giving them a higher consistency, when compared to Bambi which was all drawn by hand), a technique that would be used in Treasure Planet for the character Silver.

The producers felt that some break between the musical segments was necessary to "cleanse the palate", so a series of "interstitials" were directed by Disney animation producer Don Hahn. Instead of using a single narrator as in Fantasia, the individual pieces are introduced by people from different areas of the art world. After the film opens with Beethoven's Fifth, Steve Martin discusses the history of Fantasia being a continuing concept and is immediately followed by Itzhak Perlman, who introduces Pines of Rome. Quincy Jones leads into the Gershwin number, and Bette Midler gives an introduction to the Shostakovich concerto, both featuring on screen the piano players for the respective pieces. James Earl Jones introduces Carnival of the Animals with director Eric Goldberg, and, appropriately enough, magicians Penn and Teller make an appearance before The Sorcerer's Apprentice. When this piece concludes with Mickey Mouse's conversation with conductor Leopold Stokowski from the original Fantasia, Mickey then moves on to chat with Levine before the latter introduces Pomp and Circumstance. The final sequence of The Firebird is introduced by Angela Lansbury.

"Fantasia" (1940;1991) [Series] - Video Tape Litho

More postings of Fantasia items in the Cowan Collection...


This litho came with the release of the Fantasia video tape set. A nice piece. An unknown number of lithos in the series...

Mickey Fantasia Litho

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From "Fantasia" (1940/1991), the Sorcerer's Apprentice sequence. A Litho that came with the release of the Fantasia video tape set. Dark image of Mickey stalking the sorcerer in the hall. He's getting ready to get the hat. Stamped "1991" on the certificate of authenticity. [14”W x 11”H] Acquired 1991. SeqID-0162
Reference: Featured in the Fantasia book on page 85. and in “Mickey Mouse” pg. 187.

"Fantasia" (1940;1990) [Series] - 50th Anniv. Limited Edition

A series of postings of Fantasia items in the Cowan Collection...

There are always some nice pieces that you run across that are just fun to have. Case in point, this graphite and colored pencil Limited Edition celebrating the 50th anniversary of Fantasia.

While the bulk of the items we pick up are pencils and cels, we tend to pick up other pieces as well. The nice thing about some of these items is that they hold up well to placement anywhere in our low-humidity house in Colorado. Good color. Good action. Just a great little piece. There are a few comments in the "NOTES" below that you might find interesting...

Pegasus and Unicorn Limited Edition (click to enlarge)

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From "Fantasia" (1940; 1990), the Pastoral Symphony sequence. Came as a gift from Animation USA. A graphite and colored pencil "308/500" "Pegasus and Unicorn from Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral), Ludwig van Beethoven" Appears to be a pastel concept of the figures. The characters were initially to dance/move to a different piece of music -- Cydalise. The unicorn stayed much the same in the final rendition. However, Pegasus was changed to be more stately and graceful. Print embossed with "Fantasia 50 Years Limited Edition" in lower right (1990 release). Similar images can be seen in the Fantasia book, pg. 144. [Item: 20"W x 16"H] Acquired 1998. SeqID-0397

"Snow White" (1937; 1998) [Series] - Marc Davis Signed Limited Edition

A series of postings of "Snow White" items in the Cowan Collection [click Here to see the contact sheets of items in the postings].

Here is a Disney Limited Edition (24/200) consisting of three hand-inked, hand-painted cels of the Wicked Queen, Snow White and the Prince along with Marc Davis' autograph. According to the material included with the piece it is a recreation of Sequence 2A, Scenes 25 and 27.

Marc Davis was one of the main animators at Disney and is credited for his work on many of the well known characters.

Marc Davis Signed Limited Edition

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From “Snow White” (1937; 1998) Snow White Limited Edition (24/200). Three images from Snow White -- Snow, Prince, Queen. Signed by "Marc Davis" Entitled "Spellbound" Disney sticker on front: "Spellbound Hand-inked, hand-painted, limited-edition, three-cel setup with hand-signed mat As the prince sings to the entranced Snow White, the Wicked Queen jealously watches the budding romance from her window. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) Edition size: 200" Back: "Spellbound/LA 12KHSNO130 Serial # 24" SKU 4 00156 15151 7" "Certificate of Authenticity" in sealed pouch. Recreation of Sequence 2A, Scenes 25 and 27. [3 images @ 9.25”W x 7.5”H] SeqID-0365
"Cinderella" was the first Disney animated feature to be completely shot and then edited in a live-action reference version before being committed to cel and ink.
Eleanor Audley, who performs the voice for Lady Tremaine, also voiced another truly wicked woman -- the beautiful Maleficent of "Sleeping Beauty" (1959).
William Phipps was the voice of the Prince Charming and Mike Douglas is the uncredited singing voice.
Marc Davis (1913-2000) was one of the most talented artists at and a main animator for Disney Studios. Some of the animated characters he designed were Thumper from “Bambi” (1942), Cinderella from “Cinderella” (1951), Tinker Bell in “Peter Pan” (1953), Maleficent and Briar Rose in “Sleeping Beauty” (1959) and Cruella De Vil in “101 Dalmatians” (1961).

"Snow White" (1937;1998) [Series] - Adriana Caselotti Signed Picture

A series of postings of "Snow White" items in the Cowan Collection [click Here to see the contact sheet of items in the postings].

Here is a nice little historical piece -- a Disney produced image of Snow White signed by Adriana Caselotti, the voice of Snow White.

Caselotti (1916-1997) has a very distinctive voice. So distinctive in fact that (according to Wikipedia) Disney went to great lengths to make sure that she was not heard in the media of the time (see the notes from Wikipedia below). Frankly, I was saddened by the story. Her parents were opera singers and I'm sure she was thrilled at her "big break" into the movies -- only to have her career cut short. Ah, well... The same situation exists today with the folks that provide the very distinctive voices for cartoons like "The Simpsons," etc.

Note that Caselotti died in 1997 and this item was purchased in early 1998.

Adriana Caselotti Signed Picture

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From “Snow White” (1937; 1998). A picture of Snow White signed by the voice of Snow White "Adriana Caselotti". Disney Certificate #1298000. [7.5”W x 9.5”H] Acquired 1998. SeqID-0367

Wikipedia: Adriana Caselotti (May 16, 1916 - January 19, 1997) was an American actress and singer. She was the voice of Snow White in Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In the mid-1930s, Adriana Caselotti was hired by Walt Disney to help cast parts in his new film. She was blacklisted by Disney after the film-he did not want her to appear in any other films following Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Jack Benny specifically mentioned that he had asked Walt Disney for permission to use her on his radio show and was told, "I'm sorry, but that voice can't be used anywhere. I don't want to spoil the illusion of Snow White." The only other work she did following her premiere was an uncredited role in The Wizard of Oz, as the voice of Juliet during the Tin-Man's song, "If I Only had a Heart".

She did, however, do a few promotional spots for Snow White, signing memorabilia. In 1973, she appeared on an episode of The Julie Andrews Hour saluting the music of Walt Disney, singing I'm Wishing with Julie Andrews. She also made a guest appearance on the syndicated Mike Douglas show. Later in her life, she sold autographs. She also made an attempt at an opera career. In the early 1990s, when the Snow White Grotto at Disneyland was refurbished, Caselotti re-recorded "I'm Wishing" for the Snow White Wishing Well at the age of 75.

"Snow White" (1937; 1994) [Series] - Commemorative VHS Tape Litho

A series of postings of "Snow White" items in the Cowan Collection [click Here to see the contact sheet of items in the postings].


While not necessarily "antique," this 1994 lithograph that came with the special "Snow White" video tape does reflect the early stages of Disney's interest in the animation art market. In the 1980's, Disney art was appearing in many of the larger auction houses and the art was pulling some pretty large dollars. In 1987, we picked up Disney's first "Limited Edition" (500 in the series) from "Fantasia." Other LEs followed. Then we saw the introduction of Sericels and production runs of 2,000+.

If I remember right, we had to order the tape in advance. Go to the store to pick it up. Then someone went into the back and returned with the Lithograph. It certainly gave the impression that it was "special."

This "suitable for framing" litho is actually quite nice looking -- very good color saturation, nice action and good character expressions.

"Snow White" Commemorative Lithograph

----- DATABASE NOTES -----

From “Snow White” (1937; 1994). A Litho of Snow White dancing with the dwarfs that was released along with the video tape. Notes: (c) 1994 Disney Store; Disney seal "exclusive commemorative lithograph." Acquired 1994. SeqID-0148.

"Lady and The Tramp" (1951;1991) [Series] - Harry Holt Sketch

Part of the "Lady and The Tramp" series.

"Lady and The Tramp" has appeal on a variety of levels. It seems like the classic "good girl meets bad boy" story with the kind of domesticated ending that doesn't happen too often in real life (human real life, that is...).

The Bella Notte Scene behind Tony's is probably the most discussed and collectible segment of the film. So, when Disney started its program of having an artist "custom draw" a classic Disney scene for a park visitor, this "Lady and The Tramp" scene was one of the templates that was used.

Harry Holt "Lady and The Tramp" Drawing

I was looking over some of the art when I realized that I had two drawings by Harry Holt -- one from "Lady and The Tramp" and one from "Little Mermaid." (Here's the link to the longer posting on Harry Holt.) These drawings were not actual representations from the movie, but rather provided a scene that represented the essence of the moment.

I was fascinated by the responses I received after posting the Harry Holt material (here's a link to all the Harry Holt postings). Many of these small custom drawing locations were staffed by competent artists that saw the job as a step into the Studio. Harry, on the other hand, was an accomplished animator that not only enjoyed drawing, but enjoyed meeting the people that stopped by his station. As I recall, his conversations were easy and friendly. And, if you showed some real interest, it was like a light switch was thrown on and Harry would shift into top gear to talk about the process and the people he worked with over the years. A number of folks wrote me to say that their encounters with Harry started them collecting animation artwork. And most were surprised to learn about Harry's extensive background at Disney.

While there is little monetary value in Harry's drawings, there a more personal link. One person wrote me saying that they framed Harry's piece and it always reminded them of the great time they had at the Disney World. Now that they know more about Harry, they see the piece as a much more valuable snapshot of their time at the Park and that they now realize that there is much more to some of the folks that work there than they had imagined. Much like the new media star Susan Boyle, you can't always judge a book by it's cover... or the person by their job.

----- DATABASE NOTES -----

From “Lady and the Tramp” (1951; 1991). Lady and the Tramp "sketch" that was drawn at Disney World. "With greetings & best wishes to our friends -- Jenny & Bob -- Lady and the Tramp -- Harry Holt” [Item: 12"W x 9"H] Acquired 1991. SeqID-0670 9/22/2005

Harry Holt, an influential Disney animator, died on April 14. Cause of death was not released. He was 93. In 1936, Holt applied for an artist position with Disney. During his try-out period, he wrote and illustrated stock Disney characters into comic strip storyboards. The company was so impressed with his talent that Holt was hired as an apprentice. He eventually worked his way up to designing several legendary scenes in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Lady and the Tramp." After 20 years with Disney, Holt took a brief hiatus to work in television production and art direction in Chicago. He returned to Los Angeles a few years later and joined Hanna-Barbera Studios to animate "Flintstones" and "Tom and Jerry" cartoons. In the 1960s, Holt rejoined Disney as a designer of sculptural forms. He sculpted the original models of characters for the Country Bear Jamboree and Haunted Mansion rides at Walt Disney World, and developed attractions at Epcot and Disneyland in California and Japan. Until his retirement in the early 1990s, Holt greeted guests and signed drawings at the Disney/MGM Studio Preview Center in Orlando.

Posted on April 26, 2004 11:06 PM http://forum.bcdb.com/forum/Disney_animator_designer_Harry_Holt_dies_93_P24316/

Harry Holt Images

It was one of those weird things. I saw a nice drawing of Ariel in DeviantArt and looked through some of my Little Mermaid images. I noticed a sketch that was done by an older gentleman while we were at Disney World. I looked at the signature and what I had written in my database. I realized that I had done my searching on the wrong name!

When I searched again, I was amazed to learn more about this man's great background. When we met him, he was unassuming, kind and interested in what we collected.

Harry Holt's "Little Mermaid" (1990)

So, I was reading his obit and then started reading some of the messages left by others. It was really amazing how many people trace their interest in collecting animation art to encounters with Mr. Holt.

Then I read one entry that talked about his "Lady and the Tramp" piece that they valued. "Wait a minute..." I thought. I opened my LadyTramp folder and saw another sketch. My jaw dropped... I had not realized that they were both drawn by Holt. The Lady and the Tramp piece was a year later -- evidently a few months before he left for a full retirement.

Harry Holt's "Lady and the Tramp" (1991)

Here's the entry from the The Big Cartoon Forum:

Harry Holt, who worked for over a half a century as an animator, designer and art director for Walt Disney Studios, has died at 93.

Holt, of Casselberry, Florida, helped design scenes for such classic Disney features as Snow White and Lady and the Tramp. He died April 14, said his wife of 27 years, Barbara.

"He was a very simple man, very quiet and modest, but he knew his trade," she told the Orlando Sentinel.

The many series for which he was an animator included Frankenstein Jr. and The Impossibles, The Herculoids, Challenge of the Super Friends, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo and Smurfs. He was also an animator for 1964's Hey There, It's Yogi Bear (Hanna-Barbera's first feature film) and the hour-long 1977 NBC special A Flintstone Christmas.

Despite Holt's extensive involvement with Hanna-Barbera, the lion's share of his career was with Disney, where he began in 1936 by applying as an artist. The studio tested his skills by asking him to write and illustrate a script for each major Disney character in comic-strip fashion.

Pleased with his work, animators tried him out. Holt trained for two weeks, then started as an apprentice and moved up the ladder quickly, helping develop Snow White. He was an animator for the Donald Duck shorts Donald's Diary (1954) and Chips Ahoy (1956).

After 20 years with Disney, Holt left to work in TV production and art direction. He spent two years in Chicago, then moved back to Los Angeles. There, he joined Hanna-Barbera Studios to worked on The Flintstones and Tom and Jerry cartoons.

In the 1960s, Holt came back to Disney, such as plans were starting to develop Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. He worked alongside the entertainment giant's founder, Walt Disney, and his "Nine Old Men" of longtime animators.
An unfinished work of art was the creation of Jungle Book sculptures to be set in the background for a promotional documentary narrated by Walt Disney. But Walt died before they were used.

Rising to the rank of chief designer, Holt had the job of interpreting and designing Disney World sculptures for the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. He sculpted "maquettes," the original models, of characters for such well-known rides and other attractions as Pirates of the Caribbean, Country Bear Jamboree, Snow White, Peter Pan and the Haunted Mansion. The sculpture department then used these models as references to make life-size animatronic characters.
Holt's responsibilities as art director and sculptor also led him to develop attractions at Disneyland in California and Japan.

While art director in charge of merchandising at Disney World, Holt was asked in 1979 to design for Goebel, the firm which makes Hummel figurines. He produced "Amerikids," a set of 32 figurines representing American children.

Holt retired in the early 1990s. His last job at Disney was greeting guests at the Disney/MGM Studio Preview Center in Orlando and signing replicas and photocopies of his Disney character sketches.

"Disney was his life. He used to show animators in the art department how to draw characters. It took 12 drawings to have a character raise an arm from his side to an up position," recalled Barbara Holt.

She remembers his talent as being natural: "He always drew. That was part of him."

Harry Holt is also survived by daughter Renee and son Craig, both of California, and by a grandson.

Collison's Howell Branch Funeral Home of Winter Park, Florida is handling the arrangements.

"Eyes and Ears" Bambi Cover (1995) - Don Williams Signed Cover

Merry Christmas and Season's Greetings!

Since I will be away for part of December, I thought this would be a good opportunity to post some Christmas/Holiday related art. To see other holiday related items, select "Category-Holiday" from the "Content by Category" list on the right.


Let's look at the cover of the December 21, 1995 issue of "Eyes & Ears" for more Christmas Cheer!

Here is a nice rendering from Bambi signed by Don Williams, Head Illustrator for Disney...

Don Williams' Cover Art for "Eyes & Ears" December 1995

I have a number of one-off items by Don Williams. Looking at the warmth of his images, you can understand why he is such a great illustrator.

----- DATABASE NOTES -----

From Don Williams’ recreation from “Bambi” (1939/1995). Bambi is featured on the cover of this "Eyes & Ears" publication (magazine for Walt Disney World). This is the December 21, 1995 issue; Volume 25, Number 51. The cover artwork is signed by Don Williams. [Item: 11"W x 17"H] Acquired 1997. SeqID-0261 11/29/2008

Actress Jane Randolph and Ice Capades star Donna Atwood acted as live-action references for Bambi and Thumper's misadventure on ice.

Don “Ducky” Williams (http://www.disneyguys.com/Ducky/) 12/2/2008:

Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Don "Ducky" Williams wrote his first letter to Walt Disney at age 10. His desire to be a Disney artist intensified as Don grew up, but had to be put on hold while he spent four years in the U.S. Navy. After his tour of duty, he returned to Massachusetts and became employed at a local savings bank, Don still yearned to be with Disney and spent much of his spare time drawing and painting the Disney characters. After much determination and perseverance, Don left the bank and moved to Florida to pursue his life long dream, which was realized in 1980. Now, after nearly 30 years with Disney's Yellow Shoes, The acclaimed Senior Character artist, Don "Ducky Williams has drawn literally thousands of Disney stars for books, lithographs, brochures, magazine ads, and television.

"Mandrake The Magician" [2 of 2] - 1998c NCS 29-Inch Poster Signed by Falk and Fredericks

As long as I'm talking about "Mandrake the Magician," I'll post one of the posters in a limited edition series (run of 100) published by the National Cartoonists Society circa 1998. All of them are 21"W x 29"H and signed. They are all fantastic items. Unfortunately, I've never had the real estate to frame and hang all of them!

"Mandrake" 29-Inch National Cartoonists Society Signed Poster Signed by Falk & Fredericks

Historical Notes

After posting the above, I did a search on "Mandrake the Magician" and found some interesting hits. Here are two of them...

From "Ask Yahoo" 5/3/2007:

Dear Yahoo!:
Who was the first superhero?
Kevin
Indianapolis, Indiana

Dear Kevin:
Definitions of superheroes vary widely. One person's hero is another person's Hercules. For the sake of simplicity, we're going to define a superhero as someone who fights crime in disguise and is blessed with superior strength, powers, or (in the case of Batman) gadgets.

This excellent blog entry from kottke.org offers up plenty of theories about who the first superhero was. The author concludes that "Mandrake the Magician" may have been the first true superhero. Toonpedia agrees, calling Mandrake "the first super-powered, costumed crime fighter in comics." [Bob: Bolding is mine] Created by Lee Falk, Mandrake made his debut in 1934, approximately four years before Superman landed on Earth.

So what sort of powers did Mandrake have? King Features Syndicate explains he was a master of hypnotism and illusion. Like all the great superheroes who followed him, Mandrake used his powers to combat evil. But unlike other superheroes, Mandrake appears to have been based on a real person, a stage magician named Leon Mandrake.

Eat your heart out, Superman (and David Copperfield).

From Wikipedia:

Mandrake the Magician is a U.S. comic strip created in 1934 by Lee Falk (also creator of The Phantom) and mainly appearing in syndication in newspapers. Falk soon gave the job of drawing the comic strip to artist Phil Davis, while continuing to write the storylines. Davis worked on the strip until his death in 1964 [Bob: see next posting for Falk & Davis]; Falk then recruited current artist Fred Fredericks. On Falk's death in 1999, Fredericks took over writing the strip as well. Mandrake is widely believed to have been the first bona fide superhero.

Mandrake was an illusionist whose work was based on an impossibly fast hypnotic technique. As the narrator informed us: "Mandrake gestured hypnotically" and the subject or subjects of this hypnosis would suddenly see the illusions he wanted. Mandrake fought criminals and other villains in his spare time. This would include common gangsters, mad scientists, and aliens from outer space or other dimensions.

After the series existing in cartoons, radio plays, and serials, a movie based on Mandrake with magician Criss Angel is set to start filming in 2008.

----- DATABASE NOTES -----

From “Mandrake The Magician,” a National Cartoonists Society poster by Lee Falk & Fred Fredericks (circa 1998). A National Cartoonists Society L/E signed Lithographs -- 93/100 (Circa 1998). Signed by Lee Falk & Fred Fredericks [Unframed Item: 21-1/8"W x 29-1/8"H] Acquired 1998. SeqID-0303 8/4/2005

"Love Is In The Air" - Sericel Signed by Russi Taylor & Wayne Allwine

I'm sure you are all tired of the airplane stuff, so this will be the last item for a while...

I really liked this item when I saw it in a Disney store. It's not a one-of-a-kind, but rather a "Limited Edition" sericel (edition size: 2,500). One of the "plus" marks for this piece is that it is signed by Russi Taylor (the voice of Minnie) and Wayne Allwine (the voice of Mickey). That makes it a little more special and provides another "talking point" when showing the artwork.

One of the other reasons I liked the piece is how it worked with my other plane-related art on display (e.g., the "Mail Pilot"). When you have a large grouping of pencils on a wall putting some color in the middle of the collection adds a little variation and visual interest -- at least to me!

"Love Is In The Air" - Signed by Russi Taylor & Wayne Allwine

----- DATABASE NOTES -----

"Love is in the Air" sericel. Mickey sky writes a symbol of his affection as the adoring Minnie marvels at his sentiment -- and aerial skill!" Edition Size: 2500. Signed by the voice of Minnie (Russi Taylor) and Mickey (Wayne Allwine). Autographed certificate on back. [Image: 11-7/8"W x 9-3/16"H] Acquired 1999. SeqID-0388

Linden Pewter Mickey & Minnie Airplane Clock

OK. While we're on the subject of airplanes and Mickey/Minnie, let's add a couple of others.

Here's a great looking pewter clock of Mickey and Minnie that looks great on the desk in the office.

Linden Pewter Mickey & Minnie Plane Clock

----- DATABASE NOTES -----

Mickey & Minnie Clock. A pewter clock of Mickey and Minnie in an airplane made by Linden. [Item: 4”H] Acquired 2000. SeqID-0216

"101 Dalmatians" (1961; 1996) - "Hopeful Pups" Sericel

Not everything needs to be "an original." When we run across a Limited Edition or Sericel that works with some of the other items in the collection, it will end up on our walls! Here in Colorado (as with other Western & Northern states) the low humidity can cause the paint on the cels to curl and flake off. In our case, the cels are all in the basement where we run humidifiers to keep the humidity at a fairly constant level. Naturally, this means that on the other floors we are limited to pencil sketches, model sheets and backgrounds. By purchasing a few sericels (which do not have some of the same humidity related problems), you can add some color to the walls.

1996 Disney "101 Dalmatians: Hopeful Pups" Sericel

These two images are framed together and represent how a pencil sketch is rendered for the actual movie. While I wished they would have picked frames that had a more similar "look," it does help those unfamiliar with the animation process see the progression from sketch to final product.

----- DATABASE NOTES -----

From “101 Dalmatians” (1961; 1996). A Limited Edition entitled "Hopeful Pups." Sericel and a sketch to match recreates Sequence 14, Scene 18 from 101 Dalmatians and the limited edition was produced in 1996. Disney Store. Walt Disney certificate with seal; edition size: 5,000. [Frame: 35.75"W x 18.25"H: Image: Left & Right: 13"W x 10"H] Acquired 1997. SeqID-0244

"Tarzan" (1999) [Series] - 7 Multi-cel Setups & Backgrounds

I was just posting some "Tarzan" comic items in my comic art blog (Tarzan: Hogarth Fan Card and Moriera Sunday Page) and thought this would be a good time to put in the items in our collection from Disney's "Tarzan" (1999).

The number of cels offered by Sothbeys was quite large and was the beginning of the end for these large animation auctions. Jenny & I liked the young Tarzan and some of the images from other scenes: my interest in astronomy, my years teaching at various colleges and Jenny's work on the School Board, and the image of Jane and her father reminded Jenny of the relationship she had with her father. As I've mentioned before, a "collector" tends to look at offerings a little differently than those that are buying for resale. For me, there are times when I'll pick up an item simply because of the personal emotion the artwork evokes.

What struck me about the "Tarzan" lot was that each item consisted for 2 or more cels and the images were not uniform in size. Normally, I put the Database Notes at the bottom, but here I'll put them below each item so you can read some of the detail and Sothebys description...


From “Tarzan” (1999). Tarzan and Jane are looking at a reading book together. Two cel setup (one is an underlay) on a production background. BACK: "#1215010 SEQ 18 SCN 25" [Image: 13-3/16"W x 8-5/8"H; Frame: 21-3/4"W x 17-1/8"H] SeqID-0700 8/3/2005

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From “Tarzan” (1999). A three cel setup, one of which is an overlay/underlay on a production background. BACK: "#1215070 Seq 18 Scn 22 [Image: 15.25"W x 12.25"H; Frame: 23-3/4"W x 20-3/4"H] SeqID-0706 8/3/2005

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From “Tarzan” (1999). Jane & Porter on the ship. A two cel setup, one of which is an underlay, on a production background. BACK: "#1215070 SEQ 28 SCN 24" [Image: 15-1/8"W x 9-1/8"H; Frame: 23.5"W x 17-5/8"H] SeqID-0708 8/3/2005

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From “Tarzan” (1999). A 4-cel setup, two of which are overlays of baby Tarzan and Kala. BACK: "#1215070 Seq 3.7 Scn 10" [Image: 14-3/16"W x 8-3/4"H; Frame: 22-5/8"W x 17-1/8"H] SeqID-0702 8/3/2005

A Lot 030. Kala and Baby Tarzan. [ From Sotheby's: Kala: "Just take my hand. I will protect you from all around you. I will be there. Don't cry." While the ape family settle in their nests, Kala cradles Baby Tarzan in her arms. (Note: This is a four cel setup, two of which are overlays). 12.5x17. ] Sotheby's auction 7491, Lot 30.

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From “Tarzan” (1999). Child Tarzan falling over falls. This is a six cel setup, four of which are overlays/underlays on production background. [Image: 22-1/8"W x 16"H; Frame: 31.5"W x 25-3/4"H] SeqID-0703 8/5/2005

Child Tarzan falling over falls. [ From Sotheby's: Terk: "Like I said, it's stupid. Right? Listen, take it from me. Go home. OK? Who needs this aggravation? Ya know, I'm probably gonna leave soon myself. You go. I'll catch up, alright? Ya, see, leave it to me. I told you … Tarzan?" As Terk walks away trying to convince Tarzan to forget about the elephant hair, Tarzan suddenly leaps off the cliff into the water. (Note: This is a six cel setup, four of which are overlays/underlays.) 19.5x25. ] Sotheby's auction 7491, Lot 35. BACK: "#1215070 SEQ 5.1 SCN 17" [Image: 22-1/8"W x 16"H] SeqID-0703

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From “Tarzan” (1999). A four cel setup on a production background of Tarzan and a hippo. BACK: "#1215070 Seq 5.1 Scn 21" [Image: 14-3/16"W x 10-1/8"H; Frame: 22-5/8"W x 18-3/4"H] SeqID-0704 8/5/2005

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From “Tarzan” (1999). A three cel setup, one of which is an overlay/underlay on a production background. BACK: "#1215070 Seq 18 Scn 22 [Image: 15.25"W x 12.25"H; Frame: 23.75"W x 20.75"H] SeqID-0706 8/3/2005