Most Popular Books by John Canemaker

Think of your favourite moments and characters in Disney films from the thirties to the seventies and chances are most were animated by one of Walt Disney''s ''Nine Old Men''. Through the span of their careers, these nine highly skilled animators, with widely differing artistic gifts, viewpoints, personalities and ambitions, exhibited an unparalleled loyalty to their employer. In this book, noted film historian John Canemaker brings to life the team whose combined individual genius defined the art of character animation. Illustrated in full-colour throughout.

Explores the interplay between personal creativity and the craft of animation storytelling through the lives and work of Joe Grant and Joe Ranft.

Born from daydreams, meditations on color, character and form, and sheer inventiveness, Disney''s pioneering animated films begin in the imagination of the "inspired sketch" artist. Now, for the first time ever, noted animation historian John Canemaker chronicles the lives and work of these artists, from the 1930s to the present, situating them in the history of modern art and analyzing their influence on the form. 300 illustrations.

A collection of "storyboard" images offers a retrospective of Disney''s animation, from "Snow White" to "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"

For more than a dozen years, a soft spoken, unassuming woman dominated design at The Walt Disney Studios with a joyful creativity and exuberant color palette that stamped the look of many classic Disney animated features, including Cinderella and Peter Pan. Favorite theme park attractions, most notably the "It''s A Small World" boat ride, originally created for the 1964 New York World''s Fair, were also among her designs. Now the story behind one of Walt''s favorite artists is celebrated in this delightful volume of whimsical art and insightful commentary. In her prime, Mary Blair was an amazingly prolific American artist who enlivened and influenced the not-so-small worlds of film, print, theme parks, architectural decor, and advertising. Her art represented and communicated pure pleasure to the viewer. Mary Blair''s personal flair was at one with the imagery that flowed effortlessly and continually from her brush for more than half a century. Walt Disney loved her art and championed it at the Studio. The two shared many sensibilities, including a childlike fondness for playfulness in imagery.

Felix the Cat was the first cartoon to exhibit an individual "personality" in moving pictures, preceding Mickey Mouse by a decade. From 1919 to 1933 Felix was as popular throughout the world as Charlie Chapman and Buster Keaton. Here is an engrossing account of the scandal and intrigue behind Felix''s success. 8 pages of full-color illustrations; black-and-white illustrations throughout.

The story behind one of Walt Disney''s favourite artists is celebrated in this delightful gift volume of whimsical art and insightful commentary. The designer behind such classic creations as Cinderella, Peter Pan, and the It''s a Small World'' theme park boat ride, Mary Blair was an amazingly prolific American artist who enlivened and influenced the not-so-small world of film, print, theme parks, architectural decor and advertising. Emulated by many, she remains unique: a dazzling sorceress of design and colour. In full-colour throughout.''

Such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Mask, as well as in television. Although warmly admired as a film genius by colleagues in the industry and adored by the international cartoon cognoscenti, Avery never shared in the tremendous expansion of the animation industry into television or feature films in a studio of his own, nor did he own the licensing/merchandising rights to the cartoon characters he created and brought to vital life. Original storyboards, character.

Vibrant, splendidly hued, and charming beyond compare, the work of Disney designer and illustrator Mary Blair is more than just acclaimed—it is adored. She has charmed generations with her whimsical creations, from stunning art direction for Cinderella and Peter Pan to the wowing and wonderful “It’s a Small World” ride at Disneyland. Magic Color Flair celebrates this Disney icon, tracing the evolution of her mesmerizing style and showcasing her work in gorgeous, full-color imagery. Curated by award winning animation director and designer, John Canemaker, the Magic Color Flair is an authoritative celebration of Blair’s life work. From her precocious paintings she made while studying at the renowned Chouinard Art Institute, to her concept drawings for Disney films, to her treasured Golden Books, delightful advertisements and large-scale installations. With annotations about her artistic process, Magic Color Flair gives readers an inside look to her bold and lively artistic process that yielded such loveable, and memorable work. While at art school, Blair developed a dynamic style that emphasized drama and emotion. Her gift for visual storytelling caught the eye of Walt Disney himself, who loved her bold graphics, sophisticated whimsicality, and eye-catching use of color and who became a lifelong friend and champion of her work. This book accompanies the Walt Disney Family Museum’s 2014 Mary Blair exhibit of the same title.

Step into the vibrant world of The Art of John Canemaker - An Animator''s Garden, a visually stunning memoir from Academy Award(R) - winning filmmaker and animation historian John Canemaker. From his turbulent childhood in upstate New York to an acclaimed career as actor, animator, scholar, and painter, Canemaker''s journey spans more than fifty years of creative reinvention. At its heart is the story of a garden-- a living, ever-changing muse cultivated with his husband, Joseph Kennedy, that blossomed into luminous paintings and the lyrical animated short Bridgehampton. Filled with full-color artwork, behind-the-scenes insights, and reflections on art, nature, and resilience, this book celebrates the transformative power of creativity and the quiet beauty that blooms when we nurture both soil and spirit.

Discover the secrets behind Fantasia, Pinocchio, Dumbo, and Bambi—all through the lens of early animation''s most enigmatic and fascinating character, Herman Schultheis. A technician at the Disney Studio in the late 1930s, Schultheis kept a covert scrapbook of special effects wizardry, capturing in photographs and text the dazzling, behind-the-scenes ingenuity of early Disney films. Later, when he mysteriously disappeared into a Guatemalan jungle, his notebook was forgotten ... and with it, the stories of how these beloved animated classics were made. Miraculously unearthed in a chest of drawers in 1990, Schultheis''s notebook is now available for all to see at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco—and in this compelling and beautiful book. Part annotated facsimile of the scrapbook itself, part biography of the complicated, overly ambitious man who made it, The Lost Notebook is a goldmine for Disney and animation enthusiasts and a vivid, riveting account of one man''s plight to make it big in early Hollywood.

"This volume is the only existing biography of one of America''s greatest and most influential cartoonists. Winsor McCay (1867-1934) is universally acknowledged as the first master of both the comic strip and the animated cartoon. Although invented by others, both genres were developed into enduring popular art of the highest imagination through McCay''s innovative genius. Included are new materials found since the previous publication of the book such as new comic strips of Little Nemo in Slumberland, and new sketches of Gertie the Dinosaur."--Provided by publisher.

La filmographie et les aventures de la première vedette du dessin animé américain, Félix le chat. Un hommage à son créateur Otto Messmer.