On January 24 Xlibris (a print on demand online bookstore) released Walt’s People – Talking Disney with the Artists who Knew Him – Volume 1, the first volume of a series of books that aims to re-animate the field of Disney research. The Walt’s People book series, edited by Didier Ghez, is a collection of the best interviews ever conducted with Disney artists.
Business Week Online has an article with another look at the complex negotiations between Pixar and Disney for a future partnership. Of interest here is the theory that Pixar’s move to push Cars release date to summer signifies a step by Pixar into Disney’s traditional summer playground. As a negotiating tatic it’s bold saying that… Read More »Pixar vs. Disney: Negotiations In Progress?
With the CALpers administrator out the door, the search for a new CEO well underway (we hope), and Eisner’s departure scheduled for June 2005 (or shortly there after), there has been precious little news from Roy Disney’s SaveDisney.com campaign. And now we know why. It turns out they are mostly content with the changes that… Read More »No Choice Election 2005
I’ve been hearing rumors that 2-D Hand Drawn Animated Features are not completely dead at the Walt Disney Company. However, don’t get your hopes up. Computer generated animated features is the route the Disney company has chosen to take. And it looks to stay that way for the foreseeable future. To many it feels like… Read More »Suspended Animation
In manufacturing, this country already rules the textile world, the production of computer parts and countless other items that Americans all but take for granted. Now, with the sophisticated images coming out of this studio, China seems to be serving notice to the Disneys and Pixars of the world that its day is arriving in… Read More »China set to compete on world market with Animated Feature
Animation World Magazine has compiled a growing list of touching tributes to the animation legend Frank Thomas. This archive includes transcriptions of speeches given by John Lasseter and Andreas Deja as well as Leonard Maltin’s interview with Ollie Johnston from the company’s tribute to Frank Thomas, which took place at the El Capitan Theatre.
Was finally able to get my hands on the latest Disney themed game from Milton Bradley. The Game of Life – Pirates of the Caribbean edition, is a fun game where you can spend a couple hours climbing the ranks of Pirate-dom, attacking other ships, and gathering loot. Our game with three players lasted just… Read More »Pirates Game of Life
The Incredibles dwell in a kind of extraordinary dystopia, at once a celebration and an exaggeration of Eames-era modernism. Flanking either side of their suburban abode are split-level houses whose bland facades are punctuated by rows of tailored boxwoods: they’re robotic stand-ins, a kind of horticultural mutation of Stepford-wife stupor. Jessica at Design Observer takes… Read More »Incredible Design