Original Ink & Pencil Drawing by Disney Animation Artist Jack Kinney

Original ink & pencil drawing by Disney animation artist Jack Kinney for his book Walt Disney and Assorted Other Characters. An Unauthorized Account of the Early Years at Disney (Harmony Books, 1989), however this drawing did not appear in the book. The drawing depicts the end of WWII when people at the studio would return from war duty with the text, “Soon the Boys and Girls Returned.” It has “1946” and “PEACE” drawn at the center of the page with a cartoon chicken below the text for comic effect. Includes a signed letter of authenticity. With a 1 1/4 inch tear to the left edge, else near fine condition with just a trace of handling. Jack Kinney (1909 - 1992) was hired by Walt Disney in 1931, the early days of the Depression, to work at the Walt Disney Studio on Hyperion Avenue in East Hollywood. His beginning career includes his work on several shorts, including Santa's Workshop (1932), The Band Concert (1935), and Moose Hunters (1937). He went on to become a director of cartoons, working on the features Pinocchio and Dumbo, but he really shined in the shorts department, where his Goofy cartoons are among the best to come out of the Disney Studios. He received five Academy Award nominations and won an Oscar for the 1943 cartoon ‘Der Fuhrer’s Face,’ the only Donald Duck film to win an Academy Award. In 1959, Jack left Disney to start (with his brother Dick) Jack Kinney Productions, an independent animation studio. In his book ‘Walt Disney and Assorted Other Characters. An Unauthorized Account of the Early Years at Disney,’ Kinney recounts the highs and lows of daily life as a member of the creative department at Disney, where the staff referred to themselves as ‘inmates’ and the practical jokes and camaraderie provided rich material for the gags and scenes that they created for the screen. Working for Walt Disney could be as inspiring as it could be frustrating and his book presents an insider’s perspective with great humor and candor. He puts it best in his introduction: “These are my personal recollections of the Disney Studio where I worked for more than a quarter-century. It is the story of the little people, the strivers, the doers. It is about the pranks, the gags, the human foibles we remember so lovingly, and about the growing pains suffered by all involved. The Golden Age of Animation was a glorious experience.”. …