Book Review: The Art of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse

The Art of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse was released in September 2018 to celebrate Mickey’s 90th birthday in November.   The book is divided into three parts.  The first is a listing of Mickey’s Animated Filmography.  Part two shares many of Mickey’s Milestones and then part three is called Mickey’s Gallery and features original artwork from Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media artists.   In addition there is a four panel fold out with 90 cells featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse moments.

Based solely on the title of the book I was surprised at what I found. I was expecting to find a book featuring more official art from projects especially during Walt’s time.  Instead I found a book with over 100 pages of of Mickey inspired artwork from a couple of Disney teams then a highlights tour of Mickey’s history.   I thought some of these creations were really well done and interesting, others not so much to my taste.  Each page features a single piece of art with the artist and medium listed. There is no other text throughout this section.

The first section featuring the filmography had some still images to compliment the text which was a simple list of titles with type of release and date chronically from Steamboat Willie through Mickey and the Roadster Racers (180 entries).  This is a pure by the numbers/fact list and a nice quick reference if you prefer print over digital.

The second section features just over 30 pages of key milestones from Mickey’s career spanning film, merchandise, comic, themepark and more.  I always find these types of listings interesting to see what was selected and the backup material to it.  This section contains a lot of text with some key images.

Before reaching the final section there is a four panel fold out featuring 90 pieces of art depicting Minnie and Mickey Mouse together including never-before-seen animation drawings, classic comic book panels, theme park pictures, tickets, and more.  I found this to be a highlight of the book.  Many great memories and some new to me art too.

If you are a Mickey art fan and enjoy seeing different interpretations you will really enjoy the Art of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse.  If you want to learn a little about the mouse and his history you may find the milestones section interesting.