Disney overload

March 22nd, 2007

Update: A few reflections on these shorts.

1) The character design for Mickey Mouse is truly elegant and timeless.
2) The character design for Pluto and Goofy is horrific and dated.
3) Donald Duck is a complex bird. His life is a series of tragic events endured with dignity and humour.

steamboat_willie_sm.jpg

As if the Once Upon A Time: Walt Disney exhibit weren’t enough, the Cinematheque Quebecoise is showing a slew of classic Disney shorts tonight (all 35mm prints) for free cheap.

  • Steamboat Willie, 1928, 8 min
  • Mickey’s Orphans, 1931, 7 min
  • Mickey’s Pal Pluto, 1933, 8 min
  • Mickey’s Fire Brigade, 1935, 8 min
  • The Band Concert, 1936, 9 min
  • Donald and Pluto, 1936, 8 min
  • Thru the Mirror, 1936, 9 min
  • Clock Cleaners, 1937, 9 min
  • Don Donald, 1937, 8 min
  • Modern Inventions, 1937, 9 min

I’m there.

Thanks to Emru at FPS Magazine for the heads up on this.

Comments (3 comments)

They should show that anti-Nazi film, seeing Donald Duck yell “Heil Hitler” is something one doesn’t soon forget…

Lyon / March 22nd, 2007, 8:00 pm / #

the original mickey design is fantastic. and these are some of the best drawings i’ve seen recently- http://www.animationarchive.org/pics/wds02-big.jpg

also, since i’m studying animation, i heard the story about oswald the lucky rabbit (about it being the first thing disney came up with, and how it was stolen from him because there were no good copyright laws and stuff, in short). i like him too. looks a lot like mickey, but also reminds me a bit of that matt groening’s guy with long ears- http://www.seriejournalen.dk/billeder/sjnyhed/oswald_the_lucky_rabbit.gif

cheers

tonci / March 23rd, 2007, 4:40 pm / #

ouch - that oswald character design is awesome. they have an oswald vinyl figure for sale at the museum exhibit here in montreal. so cool.

and that character sheet for mickey rocks. there’s so much life and expression - i’m noticing how the negative space is so much more interesting in animation than comics. definitely something i need to work on more.

matt / March 23rd, 2007, 5:13 pm / #

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