Mickey Mouse model sheets

On December 31, 2009, fellow blogger Michael Sporn posted several Mickey Mouse model sheets on his blog. I thought this would be a great time to showcase three Mickey Mouse model sheets that currently reside in the collection of my good friend and fellow researcher Dennis Books. Enjoy!

First up, an original, graphite, 1930 model sheet purchased from the estate of Les Clark:


Next, another original graphite Les Clark model sheet, this time of Mickey as the Sorcerer's Apprentice. Over the years, Dennis became good friends with Bob Jones, who worked closely with Joe Grant in the Disney Model Department from its inception. Dennis interviewed Jones extensively. Here's what Jones said about this next model sheet:

"Serious work on the Sorcerer's Apprentice had already been started when the Character Model Department got off the ground. However, the Sorcerer unit in another department had specialists doing the same work. They used a general purpose stamp - rather than the specialized one used solely in the Character Model Department. Since Les Clark was one of the authorities on Mickey Mouse, and was one of the head animators in this unit, his pencil initials would be required on the sheet before distribution."

Clark's "L.C." initials are visible in the lower right corner of the ink stamp. Here's the model sheet:


Finally, we have a change in artists for this last model sheet. This next one was executed by legendary newspaper strip artist Floyd Gottfredson, who titled the work, "Mickey Mouse Expressions and regular cast of characters." This huge piece was done in india ink and is signed by Gottfredson in the lower left corner. Dennis says this original was one of two Gottfredson created for the comics. Here it is:


Click this link to see more of my Dennis' outstanding collection.

Walt Disney caricature - artwork

Artist Thom Buchanan runs a very interesting blog titled The Pictorial Arts, where he posts and discusses magazine, newspaper, comic, and book illustrations. He has posted hundreds of examples of art, many of which are simply gorgeous in both their composition and use of color.

Occasionally Thom posts Disney-related material. The image in this post in one such item, which he coincidentally owns. In the accompanying post, Thom said he thought the art may have been created by the great Disney artist Floyd Gottfredson.


Do any of my readers have an opinion as to who might have created this art, or the premise behind it? Perhaps the art was created after Snow White's conclusion and just before the Studio strike?

I welcome your comments, and when you have a moment be sure to stop by Thom's blog, which can be accessed by clicking on this link.

As I was re-reading this post, I noticed Walt sports Mickey traits - he appears to have so-called "pie-eyes," and his hands only have four fingers, much like Mickey's four-fingered gloves.