You know, sometimes you can’t fit all of the news into a single article.
Which is why I thought it might be fun to introduce a new feature at JHM. One that would then allow writers at the site to double-back, follow-up on earlier stories. See if anything significant has changed or/and if any new details have surfaced. Share information that might then color readers perceptions of the initial columns.
Take — for example — the piece I did earlier this month, “Disney junks junk food.” Which talked about how Disney Company officials were getting concerned about the sorts of food that its characters were being associated with. Which was supposedly one of the main reasons that the Walt Disney Company opted not to renew its cross-promotional pact with the McDonald’s fast food chain.
Yeah, from here on, the Mouse wants all of its characters to only be linked to healthy food choices. Not just because it’s the socially responsible thing to do. But also because Disney’s attorneys are hoping that this late-in-the-game maneuver will then prevent the corporation from being roped into all the pending Big Food litigation.
So — with this goal in mind — the first wave of healthy, low calorie products that prominently feature the Disney characters have just begun appearing on store shelves. First up are the “Little Einsteins” …
Copyright General Mills / Disney
… who now appear on the cover of “Kix” cereal boxes. These Playhouse Disney favorites seem to be celebrating that this General Mills product is supposedly “Kid-Tested, Mother-Approved.” But — in Disney’s attorneys’ eyes — the more important info on this box cover are those phrases “Good Source of Fiber,” “3 Grams of Sugar” and “110 Calories per Serving.” Which is what will then allow the company to say: “You see? Our characters are actually associated with healthy food choices.”
You’ll notice that this theme is continued on the packaging of the Disney MagicTime microwave popcorn that I’ve reproduced below. I mean, check out that Mickey glove that’s prominently displayed in the upper right hand corner of each box …
Copyright Disney / Quality Foods International
… Which is actually giving a “Thumbs Up” to the fact that this is “A Whole Grain Product” which has “No Artificial Preservatives” & “No Cholesterol.” Though — me personally — I wonder if Disney may be taking this whole make-sure-that-our-characters-are-only-shown-doing-healthy-things a little too far. Given that Donald (on the Butter Flavored package) is shown reading a book …
Copyright Disney / Quality Foods International
… While Mickey (on the Theater Butter Flavored package) is actually positioned so that he’s facing away from the television. So that we don’t get the impression that Disney’s corporate symbol just sits around in front of the tube all day, snarfing junk food.
Speaking of the Mouse … In that “Remembering a Truly Colorful Character” piece that I wrote back in February of 2004, I neglected to mention that the late John Hench was also Mickey Mouse’s official portrait artist. Below you’ll see copies of the paintings that John did for Mickey’s 25th & 50th birthday …
Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC
… as well as the portraits that Hench painted in honor of the Mouse’s 60th & 70th birthday.
Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC
In addition to this series of birthday portraits, John also did paintings of the Mouse that celebrated significant events in Walt Disney Company history. Lke the global reach of Disney’s theme parks (left) or the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney Imagineering (right).
Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC
The reason that I’m bringing up this series of paintings today is that something unusual has just surfaced on eBay. Which appears to be a preliminary pencil sketch for a seventh John Hench / Mickey Mouse portrait.
Copyright eBay
The story — as I understand it — is that the person who now owns this particular drawing acquired it at John Hench’s estate sale. That they purchased a roll of architectural drawings at that event, not realizing that this study for a seventh Mickey Mouse portrait was also included as part of that pile of drawings.
Looking at the sketch, I can’t help but wonder — given that the pose shown above is quite similar to the one Hench eventually used in his painting that celebrated the global reach of Disney’s theme parks — if this sketch was actually an early study for that portrait. A concept that John eventually abandoned in favor of doing a painting that then showed Mickey in his Sorcerer Mickey garb.
FYI: This isn’t an item that I myself have put up on eBay. To be honest, I don’t know who it is exactly who’s put this particular sketch up for bid. All I know is that — when I look at this seventh, unfinished Mickey Mouse portrait — I find myself once again missing Mr. Hench. All those great stories that John used to tell about the part he played in Disney Company history.
Mind you, Didier Ghez managed to collect some of Hench’s tales in his “Walt’s People” books. That excellent series of softcovers that features all of these amazing interviews with Disney Legends.
Now I know that I’ve previously talked up Volumes I & II of this series on JHM. But Volume III of “Walt’s People: Talking Disney with the Artists who knew him” has recently been released. And this particular softcover features some truly significant interviews. We’re talking about sit-downs with Disney Legends like the late Ward Kimball, Joe Grant & Bill Peet as well as the still-alive-and-kicking Bill Justice & Burny Mattinson.
Plus stories by JHM favorite Floyd Norman plus contemporary animation master Andreas Deja. Trust me, folks. If you’re a Disney history buff, Volume III of the “Walt’s People” series is definitely a book that you’re going to want & pick up.
Speaking of which, if you actually want to buy a copy of Volume I, Volume II and/or Volume III (Or some combination of the titles listed above), I suggest that you follow this link over to Xlibris.com and start clicking away.
Anyway … That’s my first pass at a “JHM Follow-Up” article. Sooo … Does this concept for a new column work for you folks? Creating a feature for the site that would then allow JHM’s writers to revisit earlier stories? If so, let us know.
Your thoughts?