Denise's Corner

10 Disney Books I Look Forward to in 2017, From Don Hahn’s “Yesterday’s Tomorrow: Disney’s Magical Mid-Century” to “Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney’s Animation” & More

Denise
 
The latter half of 2017 offers a slew of promising Disney book titles. From the Don Hahn book Yesterday’s Tomorrow: Disney’s Magical Mid-Century to Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney’s Animation, there is something for every Disney fan. These are the ten books I most look forward to personally this year, spanning a lot of Disney history. While not in exact order of my interest, the list is pretty close. And I posted a snippet about each book from Amazon, but most or all have more info at the website. Everything here is available for pre-order.
 
Here are the ten titles! The dates of release can change (like Color of Pixar moved from August 1st through 8th).
 
Yesterday’s Tomorrow: Disney’s Magical Mid-Century – this looks fantastic and is by producer/writer Don Hahn, who we’ve interviewed numerous times over the years. I am a fan of his documentary Waking Sleeping Beauty as well as books like Before Ever After: The Lost Lectures of Walt Disney’s Animation Studio. Our last interview with him was about producing the new Beauty and the Beast movie, he was so instrumental in the animated one. (Our interview is here).
 
From Amazon: Yesterday’s Tomorrow is a valentine to an era of optimism, relaxed lifestyle, and innovative design; a large-format, general audience book, illustrated with rarely seen art and photography of the mid-20th century reflecting the unique style that Walt Disney and his artists contributed to the era.
 
Releases November 14th, 2017.
Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney’s Animation – the role of women in Walt Disney Animation has generally been more lightly touched upon, I look forward to reading more about it. (My review is now here).
 
From Amazon: In her latest landmark book, Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney’s Animation, author Mindy Johnson pulls back the celluloid curtain on the nearly vanished world of ink pens, paintbrushes, pigments and tea.

 

Releases September 5th, 2017.

Awaking Beauty: The Art of Eyvind Earle

From Amazon: And here, collected in Awaking Beauty – the official catalog for the 2017 Walt Disney Family Museum exhibition of the same name – is a definitive exploration of his life’s full work.

 Releases August 8th, 2017.

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit: The Search for the Lost Disney Cartoons

From Amazon: For anyone interested in Disney origins, fascinated by early cinema, or entertained by a feisty little rabbit, this engaging and accessible volume delivers an in-depth look at Walt’s first animated success and the journey to reclaim the lost Disney films. (My review is now here).

Releases August 29th, 2017.

Eat Like Walt: The Wonderful World of Disney Food
 
From Amazon: Eat Like Walt is a culinary tour of the park’s six lands. Every attraction has a story, and so do many of the menu items. Disneyland’s food transports us as much as it satiates us, or as Walt declared, “The food is as fabulous as the fun, too.”
 
Releases September 19th, 2017.

Windows on Disney’s Main Street, U.S.A.: Stories of the Talented People Honored at the Disney Parks – this book is an expanded version of the 2009 original.
 
From Amazon: Windows on Disney s Main Street, U.S.A.: Stories of the Talented People Honored at the Disney Parks offers a field-guide experience to better understand who are the people behind the names. Through short biographies and key imagery, this expertly-researched volume is sure it intrigue and inspire any dreamer to go out and do.
 
Releases October 10th, 2017.
They Drew as They Pleased Vol. 3: The Hidden Art of Disney’s Late Golden Age (The 1940s – Part Two) – I am looking forward to seeing this volume that follows up on They Drew as They Pleased: The Hidden Art of Disney’s Golden Age and They Drew As they Pleased: The Hidden Art of Disney’s Musical Years (The 1940s – Part One).

 

From Amazon: With vivid descriptions and passages from the artists’ journals, this visually rich collection offers a rare view of the Disney artists whose work gave rise to many classic Disney characters, and who ultimately rewrote the future of character creation in animation. (My review is now here).
 
Releases October 10th, 2017.

The Color of Pixar
 
From Amazon: Bound into a gorgeous volume, The Color of Pixar encapsulates everything there is to love about the studio: the attention to detail, the playful characters, and the sheer scope of their work in over 20 years of iconic feature films. (My review is now here).
 
Releases August 8th, 2017.

Walt Disney Animation Studios The Archive Series Walt Disney’s Nine More Old Men (Nine More Old Men: The Flipbooks) – this follows up on Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men: The Flipbooks.
 
From Amazon: There are nine flip books inside this box that pays tribute to Disney’s early animators. Legendary animators Ub Iwerks, Norm Ferguson, Billl Tytla, Ham Luske, Art Babbitt, Grim Gatwick, Freddie Moore, Hal King, and John Sibley are featured in this special set.
 
Releases October 17th, 2017.
 
The Art of Coco – I have purchased most “Art of” books, with some of my favorites being The Art of Moana, The Art of Ratatouille and The Art of Up. This isn’t higher on my list yet because I don’t know enough about the film, but I am guessing it will be another favorite to read through!
 
From Amazon: The creation of Coco’s mesmerizing world is explored in detail through colorful artwork, energetic character sketches, intriguing storyboards, and spellbinding colorscripts.
 
Releases October 10th, 2017.

 
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