Animation World Network ranks
Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life as
the top book in the field. First published in 1981, it was written by Golden Age masters Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. The 576 page volume is loaded with information on the history of Disney animation. One chapter in particular explains what they call the "12 basic principles of animation". The book is overflowing with both color and B/W illustrations.
When the title was first published, a special edition was released which was signed by both authors. In addition, it contained a 12 inch strip of original film from a Disney classic. This one was from
Snow White.
Film images courtesy of the Kevin Hicks Collection.
Illustrations and text copyright Walt Disney Productions, 1981. Posted here for historical documentation purposes only.
I love this book. I got it as a Christmas present one year (though no, not one of the special first editions) and announced upon first lifting the wrapped gift, "Before I unwrap this, I just want to thank you for giving me a block of lead." It's a wonderful (and hefty) tome. :-)
ReplyDeleteI thought you might own this one, Sheryl. :) It is indeed a massive volume.
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