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Monday, 8 July 2013

The Imp Press - Part III

Some ten years ago or more there was an eBay auction that caught my eye. A lot featuring items that once belonged to Disney artist Bill Wright. And not just any items. Proofsheets and tearsheets to Mickey dailies + sundays and most interesting: A set of proofs to the Uncle Remus sundays drawn by Paul Murry and later Dick Moores. My friend and colleauge Germund had also spotted the lot so we decided to go "all in" on it. We just had to have it.
And we won!

Here are a few snapshots of what was in that lot, focusing on Bills own stuff. Enjoy!

Two late Mickey Mouse sundays drawn by Bill:


The "cover" to a collection of Brer Rabbit tearsheets.




Two "books" of Mickey Mouse dailies by Gottfredson numbered 49 and 56. I wonder where the other books ended up.

The first Brer Rabbit sunday proof. Drawn by Paul Murry.



This scan is courtesy of Bill Peckmann. 
Also: Check out the story "Temporal Displacement", published by the Imp Press and posted HERE.

Bonus:
Here's something I found in my drawer while looking for the above Bill Wright items. An envelope addressed to Frank Reilly - Bill's old boss at the Comic Strip Dept.
Question: what does the following codes stand for?
WDP-173
R-3
68-A
228-S
Any Disney Studio expert out there who can enlighten the rest of us? :)

More from the Bill Wright collection and some snapshots of the True Life Adventures proofs found in the ablove envelope can be seen by clicking HERE.
/Joakim.
kl.

2 comments:

  1. Alberto18 July 2013 at 00:09

    Hello Joakim:

    Excellent posts on Bill Wright & Co.

    As for the codes on the envelope... I know that "228-S" stands for "Comic Strip Department - Room 228". Frank Reilly headed Disney's Comic Strip Department from 1946-75. In 1967 he was in room 230-S, Gottfredson was in 221-S, Gonzales in 227-S, Bob Grant in 223-S, George Wheeler in 225-S, and so on.

    Best,
    Alberto

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  2. Joakim Gunnarsson19 July 2013 at 06:25

    Thanks for the info Alberto!
    I always imagined the comic strip dept as an "open landscape" office. Now I've learnt that they had separate rooms. I wonder if anyone took snapshots of the comic strip dept back in the days. There are tons of photos from the animation building, but I've seen very few of Gottfredson and his co-workers at work.

    BTW: Dean Day added the following in a comment on Facebook: "WDP-173 means Walt Disney Productions, January 1973."

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