Authors and Disney Legends Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston signed this first-edition copy of their lavishly illustrated study of the villains in Disney animated cartoons and feature films. Two supervising animators for the Disney studios offer an inside look at the great Disney cartoon villains, from the evil Queen Maleficent to Jafar, featuring full-color portraits, scenes from the films, and discussions on how these characters were created. The latest such project is an oversize volume spotlighting memorable villains from more than six decades of the studio's animated films. The rogues' roll call begins well before the wicked queen in Snow White (1937), reaching all the way back to Mickey Mouse's early nemesis Peg Leg Pete, who actually antedated Mickey, and extending through The Three Little Pigs' Big Bad Wolf down to The Little Mermaid's Ursula and Aladdin's Jafar. All are depicted in hundreds of illustrations that include plenty of full-color frame enlargements and animators' sketches. Veteran animators Johnston and Thomas, there at the creation of most of the studio's masterworks, describe the characters' development and provide fascinating insights into the making of the films and the changes in Disney's approach over the years. The resulting volume is sure to appeal to audiences' fascination with villainy--especially when it's presented as frighteningly as Sleeping Beauty's Maleficent or as humorously as 101 Dalmatians' Cruella de Vil. Gordon Flagg
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Who is Ollie Johnston? Ollie Johnston's first major assignment for the Disney company was Pinocchio. Other famous character work includes the centaurettes in Fantasia (1940), Thumper in Bambi (1940), Mr. Smee in Peter Pan (1953), the three good fairies in Sleeping Beauty (1959), Mowgli and Baloo in "The Bare Necessities" sequence of The Jungle Book (1967) and Orville the albatross in The Rescuers (1977). Johnston was given the Disney Legend Award in 1989. This award was created by Roy E. Disney to honor individuals whose body of work has made a significant impact on the Disney entertainment legacy. Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston have co-authored four books about Disney animation and art. Disney Animation: Illusion of Life (1981) is considered a textbook of the art of Disney animation. Too Funny for Words (1987) covers the art of the physical gag in animation. Walt Disney's Bambi: The Story and the Film (1990) is a record of the making of the classic feature, and The Disney Villain (1994) is the decisive study of animated menace. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Who is Frank Thomas? Frank Thomas has had a long and distinguished career with Disney. He is credited with animating Thumper and Bambi on the ice in Bambi (1942), Lady and Tramp eating a romantic spaghetti dinner in Lady and the Tramp (1954), and Mad Madam Mim in the Sword in the Stone (1963). Thomas was given the Disney Legend Award in 1989. This award was created by Roy E. Disney to honor individuals whose body of work has made a significant impact on the Disney entertainment legacy.Frank Thomas is a native Californian. During World War II he was head of an Air Force Animation Unit, and from 1946 to 1966, in his spare time, was the piano player for the famous Dixieland Jazz group, The Firehouse Five plus Two. He lives in California with his wife of forty-seven years, Jeanette. They have four children and three grandchildren.
Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston have co-authored four books about Disney animation and art. Disney Animation: Illusion of Life (1981) is considered a textbook of the art of Disney animation. Too Funny for Words (1987) covers the art of the physical gag in animation. Walt Disney's Bambi: The Story and the Film (1990) is a record of the making of the classic feature, and The Disney Villain (1994) is the decisive study of animated menace. Passed away Sept 8, 2004 We'll miss you.