If you love to collect books that give you rare looks behind the scenes of great films, brace yourself because Up and Monsters, Inc. director Pete Docter has a project coming out that is perfect for you. In his younger years, Docter was quite the fan of flipbooks, creating his own to satisfy his love of animation. He is still rather fond of them and is now collaborating with Disney to release a box set of nine flipbooks, each one portraying a classic Disney scene with original linework by the legendary Nine Old Men. Check out more details after the jump!
The official description of the set, which Cartoon Brew came upon, reads:
This box set of nine flip books pays tribute to Walt Disney’s original animators–the Nine Old Men: Les Clark, Eric Larson, Frank Thomas, John Lounsbery, Ward Kimball, Ollie Johnston, Mark Davis, Wolfgang Reitherman, and Milt Kahl. Each flip book features a scene from an animated Disney feature in its original line-drawn form, having been selected from among a wide range of films for great movement and classic characters. Such iconic clips from the reel of Disney animation history include: Lady and the Tramp’s moonlit spaghetti dinner; Sorcerer Mickey’s ordeal with a horde of mops; and Thumper’s announcement that a prince has been born! In addition to the flip books, the box will contain a booklet providing additional information about the artists.
I myself am a big fan of flipbooks, though I cannot remember the last time I purchased one. Yet, this one has my mouth watering. I really admire Docter and the films he has worked on, and Disney’s classic animated film line-up stands on a pedestal. Add in the concept of flipbooks showing classic scenes as they were originally drawn by Disney artists and you have a box set that is simply a must-have.
I am sure there will at least be a foreword by Pete Docter, but I wonder if he wrote up something else for the box set as well. Either way, I’m sold.
The Flipbook set is being published by Disney Editions and is due for release on September 18. While the suggested retail price is $60, you can pre-order it from Amazon for only $36.70 (about 40% off).