Introduction
The subpages of selected topics include books and other resources related to the study of Disney film, television, media, theme parks, and artists, including the study of representation on screen. While some newer content references media from properties that Disney has acquired at different times (Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm, etc.), the focus is primarily on classic Disney productions or works that specifically discuss other properties in the context of Disney ownership.
Selected Books
Debating Disney: Pedagogical Perspectives on Commercial Cinema by ISBN: 9781442266087Date: 2016-06-30In Debating Disney: Pedagogical Perspectives on Commercial Cinema, Douglas Brode and Shea T. Brode have assembled a collection of essays that examine Disney's output from the 1930s through the present day. Each chapter in this volume represents the conflicting viewpoints of contributors who look at Disney culture from a variety of perspectives. Covering both animated and live-action films as well as television programs, these essays discuss how the studio handles social issues such as race, gender, and culture, as well as its depictions of science and history.
Deconstructing Disney by ISBN: 9780745314563Date: 1999-12-20Deconstructing Disney takes issue with knee-jerk polarities, overturning classical oppositions and recognising that, just as the Disney 'text' has changed, so too must the terms of critical engagement. This book is a sharply focused deconstruction of the political culture - and the cultural politics - of the Disney canon in the years since the emergence of the so-called New World Order.
Demystifying Disney: A History of Disney Feature Animation by ISBN: 9781623567446Date: 2013-05-23Demystifying Disney: A History of Disney Feature Animation provides a comprehensive and thoroughly up-to-date examination of the Disney studio's evolution through its animated films. In addition to challenging certain misconceptions concerning the studio's development, the study also brings scholarly definition to hitherto neglected aspects of contemporary Disney.
The Disney Animation Renaissance: Behind the Glass at the Florida Studio by 
This link opens in a new window
ISBN: 9780252053825Date: 2022-11-22Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida opened in Orlando at the dawn of the Disney Renaissance. As a member of the crew, Mary E. Lescher witnessed the small studio's rise and fall during a transformative era in company and movie history. Her in-depth interviews with fellow artists, administrators, and support personnel reveal the human dimension of a technological revolution: the dramatic shift from hand-drawn cel animation to the digital format that eclipsed it in less than a decade.
Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia (Fifth Edition) by ISBN: 9781484737835Date: 2016-11-15Filled with significant achievements, short biographies, historic dates, comprehensive lists, and tons of trivia, this newly updated collection covers all things Disney--from A to Z-through about 8,000 entries and more than 800 images. Dave Smith, chief archivist emeritus of the Walt Disney Archives and the ultimate authority on all matters Disney, adds and enhances thousands of entries based on 10 years of historical perspective since the encyclopedia's last release.
Disney: The First 100 Years by ISBN: 9780786853809Date: 2003-02-01In the 100 years since the birth of Walt Disney in 1901, the world has undergone a spellbinding transformation - and has discovered the magic of believing. Now, in this updated paperback edition of DISNEY, readers will join in a nostalgic, year-by-year celebration of the birth, development and success of the Walt Disney Company, shown through the artistic accomplishments that have made an entertainment empire.
The Disney Book: A Celebration of the World of Disney by ISBN: 9781465437877Date: 2015-10-06Celebrate movie history and the world of Disney, from the animations and live action movies to the magical Disney parks and attractions, with The Disney Book. Go behind-the-scenes of Disney's best-loved animated movies and find out how they were made, follow Disney's entire history using the timeline, and marvel at beautiful concept art and story sketches.
Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara by - This link opens in a new window
ISBN: 9780760373620Date: 2022-09-20Featuring concept art, memorabilia, and original interviews, Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara explores the legacies of the princesses and what they represent today.- The Disney Studio Story by ISBN: 9780517570784Date: 1988-11-15Contents: Disney in cartoonland -- Enter the mouse -- The symphony works -- Disney's folly -- The golden age -- Disney and the dragon slayers -- Victory through animation -- Mashed potato and gravy -- Wonderland, Neverland and Disneyland -- True-life fantasies -- Riding the carousel of progress -- Practically perfect in every way -- Life after Walt -- Waltopia Inc. -- Touchstone of success -- Academy Awards: winners and nominees.
Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio by
ISBN: 1423121503Date: 2009-09-29Museum catalog for an art exhibit, Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio, at the New Orleans Museum of Art.
Enchanted Drawings The History of Animation by ISBN: 9780394546841Date: 1989-11-14Beginning with early attempts at creating the illusion of motion, Solomon covers the output of the Hollywood studios and the independents, including recent efforts such as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit." He also examines the effect of television, the hearings of the House Un-American Activities Committee, and World War II on the development of animation.
Fan Phenomena: Disney by ISBN: 9781789386776Date: 2022-12-19This collection of essays analyzes the fandom of Disney brands across a variety of media including film, television, novels, stage productions, and theme parks. It showcases fan engagement such as cosplay, fan art, and on social media, as well as the company's reaction to it.
The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by ISBN: 9780786860708Date: 1995-10-19Traces the development of Disney animation, explains what made Disney's style unique, and features original sketches and drawings revealing the origins of Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters.
Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts by Call Number: on orderISBN: 9781588397416Date: 2021-12-07How Walt Disney and the Disney Studios wove the aesthetics of French decorative arts into the fairy-tale worlds of beloved animated films, from Cinderella to Beauty and the Beast and beyond. Exploring the novel use of French motifs in Disney films and theme parks, this publication features forty works of eighteenth-century European design--from tapestries and furniture to Boulle clocks and Sèvres porcelain--alongside 150 Disney film stills, drawings, and other works on paper.
A Mickey Mouse Reader by - This link opens in a new window
ISBN: 9781628461039Date: 2014-09-30Ranging from the playful, to the fact-filled, and to the thoughtful, this collection tracks the fortunes of Walt Disney's flagship character. From the first full-fledged review of his screen debut in November 1928 to the present day, Mickey Mouse has won millions of fans and charmed even the harshest of critics. Almost half of the eighty-one texts in A Mickey Mouse Reader document the Mouse's rise to glory from that first cartoon, Steamboat Willie, through his seventh year when his first color animation, The Band Concert, was released.
The Mouse Machine: Disney and Technology by - This link opens in a new window
ISBN: 9780252033278Date: 2008-06-18Throughout Disney's phenomenally successful run in the entertainment industry, the company has negotiated the use of cutting-edge film and media technologies that, J. P. Telotte argues, have proven fundamental to the company's identity.
Teaching with Disney by ISBN: 9781433128820Date: 2016-05-04Teaching with Disney, the first comprehensive volume on Disney as cultural pedagogy and classroom praxis, explores what it means to teach, learn, and live in a world where many familiar discourses are dominated by The Walt Disney Company. The book analyzes the ways in which the powerful messages of Disney shape the way we teach and learn.
Walt Disney and Europe: European Influences on the Animated Feature Films of Walt Disney by ISBN: 0253213533Date: 2000-01-01Concentrating on the classic animated feature films produced under Walt Disney's personal supervision, Robin Allan examines the European influences on some of the most beloved Disney classics from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to The Jungle Book. This lavishly illustrated volume is based on archival research and extensive interviews with those who worked closely with Walt Disney.
The Walt Disney Film Archives. The Animated Movies 1921-1968 by ISBN: 9783836552912Date: 2016-09-25In TASCHEN's first volume of one of the most expansive illustrated publications on Disney animation, some 1,500 images and essays by eminent Disney experts take us to the beating heart of the studio's "Golden Age of Animation." This landmark book traces Disney's complete animation journey from the silent film era, through his first full-length feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and the pioneering artistic experiment Fantasia (1940), right up to his last masterpieces Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966) and The Jungle Book (1967). With extensive research conducted through the historical collections of the Walt Disney Company, as well as private collections, editor Daniel Kothenschulte curates some of the most precious concept paintings and storyboards to reveal just how these animation masterpieces came to life.
The Walt Disney Studios: A Lot to Remember by ISBN: 9781368051781Date: 2019-09-03Abundantly illustrated with behind-the-scenes photographs and artwork from the studio's ninety-plus years of productions, The Walt Disney Studios: A Lot to Remember celebrates Walt Disney's dream factory, which has always been and continues to be the heart of The Walt Disney Company.
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by ISBN: 9783836552844Date: 2018-10-30Starting with the first sketches of a character who was almost named Mortimer, we trace the career of Walt Disney's and Ub Iwerks's most famous creation, one met with an explosion of worldwide popularity preceded only by the earlier successes of Charlie Chaplin. With unlimited access to Disney's vast historical collections as well as public and private collections, the authors bring Mickey's success story to life: concept art, story sketches, background paintings, and animation drawings as well as historical photographs trace the origins and evolution of timeless favorites.
The Art of Coco by ISBN: 9781452156439Date: 2017-10-10The Art of Coco presents the story behind the making of Pixar's Academy Award-winning film Coco. Filled with concept art and insights from the creative team who worked on the film, this book overflows with insights into the process behind Pixar's unique and engaging vision. The Art of Coco explores the behind-the-scenes details about the making of the film and production art that brings the mesmerizing story to life in a brand new way.
The Art of Inside Out by ISBN: 1452135185Date: 2015-05-26The Art of Inside Out provides an exclusive look into the artistic exploration that went into the making of this vibrant film. Featuring concept art--including sketches, collages, colour scripts, and much more--and opening with a foreword by actress Amy Poehler and introduction by the film's writer and director Pete Docter, this is the ultimate behind-the-scenes experience of the making of this landmark film.
The Art of the Lion King by ISBN: 9780786860289Date: 1994-06-17Describes the making of the Disney film, including hundreds of production stills, sketches, animation drawings, & background paintings.
The Art of Pixar: The Complete Colorscripts and Select Art from 25 Years of Animation by ISBN: 9780811879637Date: 2011-11-02Over the past 25 years, Pixar's team of artists, writers, and directors have shaped the world of contemporary animation with their feature films and shorts. From classics such as Toy Story and A Bug's Life to recent masterpieces such as Up, Toy Story 3, and Cars 2, this comprehensive collection offers a behind-the-scenes tour of every Pixar film to date.
Disney's Most Notorious Film: Race, Convergence, and the Hidden Histories of Song of the South by ISBN: 9780292739741Date: 2012-12-01The Walt Disney Company offers a vast universe of movies, television shows, theme parks, and merchandise, all carefully crafted to present an image of wholesome family entertainment. Yet Disney also produced one of the most infamous Hollywood films, Song of the South. Jason Sperb skillfully traces the film's reception history, showing how audience perceptions of SotS have reflected debates over race in the larger society. He also explores why and how Disney, while embargoing the film as a whole, has repurposed and repackaged elements of SotS so extensively that they linger throughout American culture, serving as everything from cultural metaphors to consumer products.
Disney's Winnie the Pooh: A Celebration of the Silly Old Bear by ISBN: 0786863528Date: 2000-07-10A tribute to the wonder of Pooh, from his origins and literary success to his brilliantly animated career and popularity in a wide variety of forms. This is his story - but, moreover, it is his art. More than 200 illustrations cover his transformation - and that of his friends - from stuffed toys, to Shepard's original drawings to animated characters. Also includes early concept art, storyboards, rough animation, background art, and final cels. An exquisite collection of the old and the new. Illustrated in full-colour thoughout.
It's the Disney Version!: Popular Cinema and Literary Classics by ISBN: 9781442266063Date: 2016-06-24In It's the Disney Version : Popular Cinema and Literary Classics, Douglas Brode and Shea T. Brode have collected essays that consider the relationship between a Disney film and the source material from which it was drawn. Analytic yet accessible, these essays provide a wide-ranging study of the term "The Disney Version" and what it conveys to viewers. Among the works discussed in this volume are Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, Tarzan, and Winnie the Pooh.
Mary Poppins: Radical Elevation in the 1960s by ISBN: 9781138586406Date: 2023-01-13This volume examines Mary Poppins as a 1960s film reflecting and invested in its radically changing times, a largely but not unmitigatedly antiestablishment musical resonant with conditions and issues powerfully affecting baby boomers.
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit: The Search for the Lost Disney Cartoons, Revised Special Edition by ISBN: 9781368042079Date: 2019-08-27Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was created in 1927 by Walt Disney and his team through twenty-six successful cartoon shorts. At the end of that initial run, Walt lost the contract to Oswald, which prompted the creation of Mickey Mouse. Over the years, Oswald became a footnote in the Disney story until 2006, when The Walt Disney Company recovered rights to Walt's twenty-six shorts.
Pixar's America: The Re-Animation of American Myths and Symbols by ISBN: 9783319316338Date: 2016-09-05This book examines the popular and critically acclaimed films of Pixar Animation Studios in their cultural and historical context. Whether interventionist sheriff dolls liberating oppressed toys (Toy Story) or exceptionally talented rodents hoping to fulfill their dreams (Ratatouille), these cinematic texts draw on popular myths and symbols of American culture. As Pixar films refashion traditional American figures, motifs and narratives for contemporary audiences, this book looks at their politics - from the frontier myth in light of traditional gender roles (WALL-E) to the notion of voluntary associations and neoliberalism (The Incredibles).
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by ISBN: 9781838713508Date: 2012On release in the 1930s, Snow White became a milestone in animated film, Disney production and the US box office. Today its fans cross generations and continents, proving that this tale of the loveable, banished princess and her seven outstanding friends possesses a special magic that makes it both an all-time Disney great and a true film classic.
Walt Disney's Bambi: The Sketchbook Series by ISBN: 9780786863020Date: 1997-04-01In celebration of the spectacular 55th anniversary of this beloved film, Walt Disney's Bambi, The Sketchbook Series brings together for the first time high quality reproductions of beautiful animation drawings, inspirational sketches, and background paintings that display some of the best draftsmanship in the history of the medium.
Walt Disney's Little Mermaid by ISBN: 9781557093448Date: 1997-12-01Part of the Disney Sketchbook Series.
Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by ISBN: 9788886155274Date: 2007-08-01Launched by Walt Disney in 1929 as a "musical novelty" series to complement his recent success with Mickey Mouse, the Silly Symphonies soon became much more. This line of delightfully innovative, animated cartoons ran for ten years and produced such classics as Three Little Pigs, The Tortoise and the Hare, Music Land, and The Old Mill. Silly Symphonies won every Academy Award presented to animation shorts throughout the 1930s. From the authors of the prize-winning Walt in Wonderland: The Silent Films of Walt Disney, this richly illustrated volume is a complete history of the Silly Symphonies including detailed entries for all the Symphonies along with a lengthy critical analysis and production history of the series.
Walt in Wonderland: The Silent Films of Walt Disney by ISBN: 0801849071Date: 1984-12-01During the Roaring Twenties--from 1921 through 1928--Walt Disney and his friends made more than ninety silent cartoons, turning them out as often as one or two per month. Years before Mickey Mouse, the young entrepreneur recruited and nurtured an extraordinary array of talented people. Drawing on interviews with Disney's coworkers, Disney's business papers, promotional materials, scripts, drawings, and correspondence, the richly illustrated Walt in Wonderland reconstructs Disney's silent film career and places his early films in critical perspective.
A Wish Your Heart Makes: From the Grimm Brothers' Aschenputtel to Disney's Cinderella by ISBN: 9781484713266Date: 2015-02-10A Wish Your Heart Makes will trace the history and many incarnations of the Cinderella fairy tale, emphasising its strong ties to Walt Disney and his studio. The book will conclude with the making of the 2015 live-action film Cinderella directed by Kenneth Branagh, including interviews with Branagh, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham-Carter, Derek Jacobi and Lilly James.
All in This Together: The Unofficial Story of High School Musical by ISBN: 9781550227642Date: 2007-02-08When the Disney Channel aired its original movie High School Musical in January 2006, they were expecting a solid ratings response. What they got was a cultural phenomenon that not only launched the film into the stratosphere - it also turned its young cast into superstars.
Disney Channel Tween Programming by ISBN: 9781476681948Date: 2020-08-31In this essay collection, the attention is turned to The Disney Channel and the programs it presents for a largely tween audience. Since its emergence as a market category in the 1980s, the tween demographic has commanded purchasing power and cultural influence, and the impressionability and social development of the age group makes it an important range of people to study.
Disney TV by ISBN: 0814330843Date: 2004-07-31In Disney TV, J. P. Telotte examines the history of the Disney television series while placing it in context - the film industry's reaction to television in the post-World War II era, the Disney Studios' place in the American entertainment industry, and Walt Disney's dream to create the modern theme park. Telotte's guiding principle in this examination is to illustrate how Disney changed the relationship between cinema and television and, perhaps more importantly, how it affected American culture.
Girlhood on Disney Channel by ISBN: 9781138947986Date: 2017-03-10This book includes analyses of this Disney Channel programming, as well as Disney corporate reports and executive statements, together with Disney Channel stars' performances, promotional appearances, media production, philanthropic efforts, and entrepreneurism.
Official Mickey Mouse Club Book by ISBN: 9780786880423Date: 1995-03-23The complete Mickey Mouse Club story from the club's origins in 1929 to the show's worldwide syndication and the 25th anniversary show, and a behind-the-scenes look at how it all began: how Walt picked the first Mouseketeers, their first live appearance at Disneyland, and the ups and downs of being part of that unique fraternity.
Tweencom Girls: Gender and Adolescence in Disney and Nickelodeon Sitcoms by ISBN: 9781498550581Date: 2018-12-17Tweencom Girls analyzes the different ways character tropes are portrayed in media targeted at eight- to twelve-year-olds, particularly female characters, over the last twenty-five years. The book focuses particularly on sitcoms produced by the cable giants Disney Channel and Nickelodeon because of their popularity and ubiquity.
Why? Because We Still Like You: An Oral History of the Mickey Mouse Club by ISBN: 9780446545952Date: 2010-10-29An oral history of the Mickey Mouse Club show, featuring interviews with Mouseketeers and people involved with the show, along with commentary about how it became a pop culture phenomenon.
The Wonderful World of Disney Television by ISBN: 9780786863594Date: 1997-09-22Accompanied by black-and-white photographs and statistics, a unique chronicle follows all of Disney's television programs and includes complete schedules of all broadcasts, seasonal highlights, behind-the-scenes stories, plot synopses, and much more.
- As Seen on TV: The Intersection of WandaVision and the Impact of Family Depictions in Sitcoms
- This link opens in a new window
Dissertation--MA; Drexel University, 2022.
Family life has been a staple of the sitcom genre since its inception. Still, the ubiquity of the ideal suburban family that first appeared in the mid-1950s has stayed a part of the genre and continues to impact how viewers perceive the average American family. The increased availability of old sitcoms on streaming services has created a need to better understand the impact of these depictions. The Disney+ limited series WandaVision (2021) provides a perfect basis to understand this role. Through an in-depth analysis of this series, this study examines the evolution of the sitcom family, from the picture-perfect 1950s to the present day, the roles each depiction served for their contemporary audiences, and the effects they have on the viewers of today. Using the concepts of Media Effects and Social Learning Theory to analyze the character of Wanda Maximoff, this study addresses what can happen when sitcoms’ unrealistic idea of normalcy impacts the lives of viewers.
Disney Theatrical Productions by ISBN: 9780429023361Date: 2019-02-07Disney Theatrical Productions: Producing Broadway Musicals the Disney Way is the first work of scholarship to comprehensively examine the history and production practices of Disney Theatrical Productions (DTP), the theatrical producing arm of the studio branch of the Walt Disney Corporation. This book uncovers how DTP has forged a new model for producing large-scale musicals on Broadway by functioning as an independent theatrical producer under the umbrella of a large entertainment corporation. Case studies of three productions (The Lion King, Tarzan, and Newsies) demonstrate the flexibility and ingenuity of DTP, and showcase the various production models that the company has employed over the years.
The Disney Musical on Stage and Screen: Critical Approaches from 'Snow White' to 'Frozen' by ISBN: 9781474234160Date: 2017The Disney Musical: Critical Approaches on Stage and Screen is the first critical treatment of the corporation's hugely successful musicals both on screen and on the stage. Its 13 articles open up a new territory in the critical discussion of the Disney mega-musical, its gender, sexual and racial politics, outreach work and impact of stage, film and television adaptations. Covering early 20th century works such as the first full-length feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), to The Lion King - Broadway's highest grossing production in history, and Frozen (2013), this edited collection offers a diverse range of theoretical engagements that will appeal to readers of film and media studies, musical theatre, cultural studies, and theatre and performance.
