Book Review: Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse – The Ultimate History, Taschen 40th Anniversary $25.00 Version
Hi everyone!
I ordered and received “Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse – the Ultimate History“, the compact, $25.00 40th anniversary version of the XXL Taschen book. For its 40th, Taschen is offering smaller and less expensive versions of over 20 books. The XXL version of “Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse – The Ultimate History” retails for $200, so $25 is much more affordable and the size for me more practical. I was told by Taschen that this version has everything but the bookmark. The book dimensions are 6.4 x 1.7 x 8.8 inches and it weighs just over 3 pounds.
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I don’t have the XXL version of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse to see how it looks side-by-side, and I knew the type would be small. While that is the case, even my imperfect eyes can read almost everything just fine. The smallest words are crystal clear (except on the inner book jacket due to the red color). I have had issues in some books where the small print – combined with what ever font is used – just makes for difficult reading. There is a LOT of text in this 500 page book. The binding seems strong, which has been an issue in a couple of recent books I have received.
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I have not read the whole book yet, it is going to take me weeks. But I have skimmed most of the pages. “Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse – the Ultimate History” feels like a Walt Disney Archives version of Mickey Mouse with lots of photos, artwork and more. The forward is by Bob Iger, and the chapters are “The Golden Age”, “The Silver Age” and “The Modern Age”. It starts at the beginning, with the birth of Mickey Mouse. Mickey’s films are detailed, there are pages with merchandise featuring Mickey, along with comics and so much more. This is really a great deal for a book with so much in it for those who are fans of Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney. The binding of “Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse – the Ultimate History” also has the 40 symbol on it for the 40th.
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Here is the official description from Taschen.
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.
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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 series:
TASCHEN turns 40 this year! Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible publishing, helping bookworms around the world curate their own library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia at an unbeatable price. In 2020, we celebrate 40 years of incredible books by staying true to our company credo. 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.
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