Between Books - Marc Davis: Walt Disney's Renaissance Man

As I have become more and more familiar with those that make the magic, the late Marc Davis has become my favorite Imagineer.  His ability to mix fun with interesting designs continues to help The Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Haunted Mansion.  I have often said on my list of literary wants is a volume that captures all of his interests from animation to the theme parks and beyond.  And now we can finally say that title exists.

Marc Davis: Walt Disney's Renaissance Man provides an artistic biography of Davis' life.  The artist's journey is documented by numerous authors, including some who knew the man, including John Canemaker, Andreas Deja, Pete Doctor, Marty Sklar and Marc Davis (yes, I said Marc Davis).  Each author takes up an aspect of his career from his own early animal studies, Davis the art teacher, animation, Imagineering, Davis' fine art and more.  Davis' own chapter is an excerpt from an unpublished book in which he discusses anatomy and motion.  Author Mindy Johnson provides a chapter that will delight Disney fans, "The Divine Miss Alice", which provides a biography of Davis' widow Alice who is a legend in her own right.  The entire volume is wonderfully illustrated with Davis' work, much of it coming from the Alice Davis Collection.

First and foremost what strikes a reader is the art.  The book has over sized pages which show off a master artist and draftsman's efforts.  A common theme amongst the authors is Davis' flawless representation of movement, and his personal sketches of football games and dancers shows that clear ability to visually communicate movement with static pictures.  The inclusion of early drawings, including those done on Butcher paper are exciting, as one feels they are uncovering Davis' early works.  And the included Disney Theme Park images will delight.  My personal favorites include concept art for the Western River Expedition which show that Davis planned a ride full of puns.  But the concept art for the Haunted Mansion art gallery found on pages 138 and 139 made me wish the page was even bigger so the crease did not have to interfere with my view of the masterpiece. Speaking of masterpieces, the book provides something that Disney fans are not used to, numerous samples of Davis' fine art.  These pieces, be it a tree study or a spirit house from his Papua New Guinea trips show Davis' ability to work in numerous formats and styles.

The chapter text, usually 3 to 5 pages long, present Davis' well-rounded life.  My favorite chapters show a teacher, a man at play, and a husband.  "Marc as Teacher" by Bob Kurtz presents Davis the instructor.  One really can see the ease at which Davis could quickly form an image with expert lines.  And you get insight to his teaching style.  For me a highlight is seeing something I thought no longer exists, photographs of some of his chalkboards.  "Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands" shows a man looking to learn more about his world and his art.  But his sketches, including a canoe mishap allow us to see a man with a sense of humor.  And of course, his art from his trips is spectacular.  And along with his whimsy, the accompanying text shows that even in his later years he still had a vivid imagination.  Finally, "The Divine Miss Alice" gives us a biography of Alice Davis.  I have personally gotten so used to hearing Alice Davis talk about Marc Davis that it was refreshing to see her own work highlighted.  Additionally, the images help document a true romance.

Marc Davis: Walt Disney's Renaissance Man is a book I have wanted on my Between Book shelf for awhile, well before it even existed.  This volume is a must have for Marc Davis fans, Disney animation historians and Disney Parks enthusiasts.  In one volume Davis fans can reference his entire art career and see why Walt Disney considered Davis his Renaissance Man. 

 


Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Between Books - Epcot: The First Thirty Years

For three decades the Epcot theme park has been educating and entertaining guests at the Walt Disney World Resort.  Jeff Lange and Kevin Yee provide readers a visual tour of Epcot’s past and current attractions in Epcot: The First Thirty Years, An Unofficial Retrospective.  The authors walk readers through chapters on Future World, World Showcase, Entertainment, Events and Tribute Displays that are largely outside of the park.  Pages typically contain at least five photos with some text providing background to the attraction or area being featured.  The text is followed by a historical timeline of the park that ends with the 30^th anniversary event which occurred near publication. 

My chief complaint of Disney history books offered by smaller publishers are the photos.  The pictures provided in texts by smaller publishing houses tend to be black and white and lack clarity.  The pictures in Epcot: The First Thirty Years are all color and clear.  And there are 500 of them!  Many of them are of attractions that my Between Book library lacks visual references of.  The strength of the books is truly the pictures.  Every page overflows with pictures of varying sizes, though no one picture ever dominates an entire page.  For me a real highlight was the pages dedicated to the extinct World of Motion attraction.  I am big fan of Marc Davis’ work and seeing pages of photos of this attraction helped me understand how the World of Motion fits within Davis’ portfolio.  Davis’ humor pops off the page.  And the authors provide pictures of the train scene from Davis’ unbuilt Western River Expedition and adapted from World of Motion. 

If I could change anything, I would provide captions for the photos.  There are a number of photos on each page, but no caption specific to each picture.  Although the book text provides a good summary of the attractions that the pictures represent, there is no description of the photo contents themselves.  I am someone who did not visit Epcot during its first two decades, or as I have been told missed all the good stuff.  So though the text may let me know what attraction or area the picture goes with, I lack context to know what some of the specific items are.          

I do think that the $30 price could be an obstacle for some readers.  For me, someone who is not a rabid Epcot fan, it seems like a big bite from the wallet.  I have debated with myself if I would pay $30 for Epcot: The First Thirty Years, I have come to the decision that I could see scenarios where I could do it.  First I would consider paying because of the high number of photos that I do not have in other books.  Second the retrospective of World of Motion which was a real highlight for me personally and worth the money.  In fact I assume it is the picture quality that has most impacted the price of the book.  I did pass my copy over to a friend who is a rabid Epcot fan and asked him if he would pay the $30 price tag.  He stated absolutely.  There are two alternatives for those that think the price too high.  Instead of color pictures, for half the price one can purchase a Black and White version of the book.  If I had to choose between the options of color versus black and white, I would pay for the color to have the full experience.  Another color option at third of the price is a Kindle version.  I think this is a good option, especially for those who typically read in this format.  Though for me I still like feeling the paper in my hands.     

Jeff Lange and Kevin Yee’s Epcot: The First Thirty Years, An Unofficial Retrospective will delight Epcot fans, putting pictures of their favorite attractions in their hands.  For the Disney history fan, the book will provide visual references of Epcot’s past.  Overall, it is fitting tribute to thirty years of Disney history by two fans.   

Review Copy Provided by Authors