With the coming of summer, the most heavily attended season of the year at Disneyland, here comes a wonderful piece of Park-related art. There have been many coloring books centering on Disneyland published since 1955 but the delightful cover pictured here has always been one of my favorites. The interior drawings are by Golden/Whitman/Western/Dell comics favorite Frank McSavage so I assume this painted cover was penciled by him. Originally published in 1961 (this edition is a reprint from the mid 1970s, judging by the stylized Whitman logo the publishing imprint adopted in the late 1960s and the classic Mickey Mouse Club logo from the second round of local-channel syndication in 1975-1977), the cover mentions the four original lands, with New Orleans Square, Bear Country and Mickey’s Toontown still in the future. And what of Main Street, USA? Mr. Mouse and his Miss represent that nostalgic realm, charmingly dressed as they are in Sunday-best turn-of-the-century (and you know which century) costumes. Looking as happy and proud as they ever have in this slightly stylized portraiture, Mickey and Minnie are wonderfully portrayed in a very appropriate role, welcoming one and all to Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Mickey and Minnie Welcome You To Disneyland
With the coming of summer, the most heavily attended season of the year at Disneyland, here comes a wonderful piece of Park-related art. There have been many coloring books centering on Disneyland published since 1955 but the delightful cover pictured here has always been one of my favorites. The interior drawings are by Golden/Whitman/Western/Dell comics favorite Frank McSavage so I assume this painted cover was penciled by him. Originally published in 1961 (this edition is a reprint from the mid 1970s, judging by the stylized Whitman logo the publishing imprint adopted in the late 1960s and the classic Mickey Mouse Club logo from the second round of local-channel syndication in 1975-1977), the cover mentions the four original lands, with New Orleans Square, Bear Country and Mickey’s Toontown still in the future. And what of Main Street, USA? Mr. Mouse and his Miss represent that nostalgic realm, charmingly dressed as they are in Sunday-best turn-of-the-century (and you know which century) costumes. Looking as happy and proud as they ever have in this slightly stylized portraiture, Mickey and Minnie are wonderfully portrayed in a very appropriate role, welcoming one and all to Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom.
Wonderful find!
ReplyDeleteI have a WDW coloring book that I love. Just got to keep the kids away from it!