Yes, we have indeed arrived at the launch of yet another of John Canemaker’s excellent tomes. This one centres on two extremes of the Disney animation universe, Joe Grant and Joe Ranft. Two fellows who are surprisingly similar despite their differences (mainly their age).
Both Michael Sporn and Mark Mayerson have posted details of the book, as have Cartoon Brew who posted a brief interview with Mr. Canemaker. Suffice to say, I did not need them to tell me to be excited about this book.
It centers on two animators who worked at Disney over different periods and gives an account of their experiences, noth good and bad. While I have not yet read the book, those who have espouse that it is yet another book that is required reading for anyone with a remote interest in animation.
John Canemaker is one of those people who are unique for a very good reason: they are emphatic about their chosen subject and put supreme effort into everything they do. he has written numerous books on animation history before and there is no reason to doubt that this will be any different.
The book launches today (August 3rd) and can be had over on Amazon.com for a tidy discount. I’ll publish a full review in due course.