Didier Ghez

This is the third volume of an extended series of gorgeous, coffee-table format books exploring the history of the Disney animation studs, with a focus on the artists themselves. I was fortunate enough to receive the second volume in this series about a year ago, and it was one of my favorite recent acquisitions. This volume is definitely a worthy successor to the second.

The books in the series follow a similar format, with separate chapters focusing on individual animators ... in this case six men whose names were unfamiliar to me, but whose work strongly evinced the charming and poignant Disney studio character of the era. I'm a fan of that period of animation, and I recognized some of the characters and drawings, but nowhere near all of them, since the book shows in-progress drawings to illustrate the creative process, and includes images that never made it onto a Disney cel. Enlightening stuff to a film historian, and thoroughly engrossing to a fan of classic Disney animation.

The volume itself is well-researched, beautifully laid out, and well printed. Page composition is lovely, allowing the art to shine without interference from the text, but keeping the words handy. I really can't find much of anything to criticize about this handsome and fascinating book. The artwork is a treat to experience, and narrative gives it an added depth and context that for me, was extremely rewarding.

Very highly recommended.… (meer)