TASCHEN to Release Condensed $25.00 “Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse. The Ultimate History” – 40th Anniversary Edition

Hi everyone!

TASCHEN’s Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse. The Ultimate History – 40th Anniversary Edition is scheduled to release in early October for just $25.00!  It is available for pre-order. This is a condensed version of the $200.00 XL book, I asked and was told that it has everything but the ribbon bookmark. Even if you picked up the XL book, this more compact (6.1 x 8.5 in., 3.23 lb) 512-page version will be easier to read casually – more information is at the end of the article about this 40th Anniversary Edition.  And one other Disney book is scheduled – keep reading!

TASCHEN says of the 40th anniversary series, “The 40 series presents new editions of some of the stars of our program―now more compact, friendly in price, and still realized with the same commitment to impeccable production.”

I was told that The Walt Disney Film Archives. The Animated Movies 1921-1968 – 40th Anniversary Edition is still on track for December even though it is currently not on the TASCHEN site. I’ve actually been watching these books online for a couple of months now because it seemed unheard of to me for an incredible $200 book to be resized for $25.00.

About Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse. The Ultimate History – 40th Anniversary Edition:

On November 18, 1928, the world’s most famous Mouse made his very first public debut. Today, we celebrate 90+ years of Mickey in one of the most expansive illustrated publications on the Disney universe. Starting with the first sketches of a character who was almost named Mortimer, we trace the career of Walt Disney’s and Ub Iwerks’s most famous creation, one met with an explosion of worldwide popularity preceded only by the earlier successes of Charlie Chaplin.

With unlimited access to Disney’s vast historical collections as well as public and private collections, the authors bring Mickey’s success story to life: concept art, story sketches, background paintings, and animation drawings as well as historical photographs trace the origins and evolution of such timeless favorites as Steamboat Willie, The Band Concert, and Brave Little Tailor. They also follow Mickey as he builds on this legendary library of short cartoons by appearing in two historic feature-length films, Fantasia and Fun and Fancy Free.

Extensive archival research sheds new light on little-known chapters of Mickey’s career, the origins of the Mickey Mouse Club, and his use as a patriotic icon during World War II. Along the way, we encounter the work of all major Mickey artists in both film and comics, including such greats as Ub Iwerks, Win Smith, Ferdinand Horvath, Fred Moore, Floyd Gottfredson, Carl Barks, Manuel Gonzales, Paul Murry, Romano Scarpa, Giorgio Cavazzano, Byron Erickson, and César Ferioli.

Mickey Mouse has left an indelible mark on everyday culture as well as high art, becoming a favored subject for Pop artists such as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Roy Lichtenstein. As Walt Disney once said: “I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing―that it was all started by a mouse.” And an end to the success story is nowhere in sight. Today, 90+ years after his creation, Mickey remains as lovable and popular as ever. Let’s pay tribute to the little fellow, his legend, and his legacy with a monument to the one and only Mickey Mouse.

About The Walt Disney Film Archives. The Animated Movies 1921-1968 – 40th Anniversary Edition:

One of the most creative minds of the 20th century, Walt Disney created a unique and unrivaled imaginative universe. Like scarcely any other classics of cinema, his astonishing collection of animated cartoons revolutionized storytelling on screen and enchant to this day across geographies and generations.

One of the most expansive illustrated publications on Disney animation, this volume gathers hundreds of images as well as essays by Disney experts, taking us to the beating heart of the studio’s “Golden Age of Animation.” We trace Disney’s complete animation journey from the silent film era, through his first full-length feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Fantasia (1940), right up to his last masterpieces Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966) and The Jungle Book (1967).

With extensive research conducted through the historical collections of the Walt Disney Company, as well as private collections, editor Daniel Kothenschulte curates some of the most precious concept paintings and storyboards to reveal just how these animation masterpieces came to life. Masterful cel setups provide highly detailed illustrations of famous film scenes while rare pictures taken by Disney photographers bring a privileged insider’s view to the studio’s creative process.Each of the major animated features that were made during Walt’s lifetime―including Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, Bambi, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and One Hundred and One Dalmatians―are given their own focus chapter, without forgetting less familiar gems such as the experimental short films of the Silly Symphonies series and under-appreciated episodic musical films such as Make Mine Music and Melody Time.

Realizing the Disney style was a collective project and, as much as the master himself, The Walt Disney Film Archives acknowledges the outstanding animators and designers who influenced the style of the studio, among them Albert Hurter, Gustaf Tenggren, Kay Nielsen, Carl Barks, Mary Blair, Sylvia Holland, Tyrus Wong, Ken Anderson, Eyvind Earle, and Walt Peregoy.

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