Customer Reviews

The Art of Mickey Mouse: Artists Interpret The World's Favorite Mouse (Disney Miniature Series)

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3 star:		(1)
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This is a delightful little tome that every artist and wanna be artist would enjoy. Only about the size of a small paperback, but the book is chucky jam full of wonderful art. Mickey, that ever loving mouse as portrayed by the world's best artists. My favorite is Andy Warhol's painting. I like Mark Newgarden's drawing of Mickey on line paper and I also like Ben Verkaaik's oil on wood of Mickey. Heck I like 'em all. I'm a huge Mickey and Disney fan and if that description fits you, you'll enjoy this book.

For this review, I am discussing the 1991 edition. The 1995 edition seems to be more readily available on the second-hand market and is much less expensive.

Craig Yoe has been a toy designer, VP for the Jim Henson Studio, animator and studio owner. He was part of the creative team that created The Muppet-Vision 3D attraction. Janet Morra-Yoe is a photographer, sculptor and fashion designer. The book originated from the Yoes when they thought about Mickey's popularity in pop culture. They took their adoration of Walt's mouse and began asking world-famous artists to contribute unique interpretations of Mickey.

Author John Updike provides the seven-page introduction to the book. Mr. Updike discusses his love of Mickey and shares his thoughts on the Mouse's enduring popularity. The introduction provides the only academic reference in the text--the artwork is really what is important.

It is obvious to the casual observer that the first edition, published in 1991, is really centered on contemporary pop artists. A lot of the artwork contains colors that reflect the times; it is obvious that popular tastes change over the years, especially dealing with pop artists. Much of the artwork is representative of the artists during the late 1980's and early 1990's. What is obvious to me, is that the artists in question have a deep and abiding love for Mickey Mouse and his affect on culture. They have created some amazing pieces of art that showcase our favorite mouse. Yes, some of the art might seem dated, but they still honor Mickey.

Beyond discussing my favorite pieces, there isn't much else to say about the work. About 25% of the art is astounding and looks good over 15 years later. The rest are political, extremely 80's or just strange. Artistic expression abounds! A few of the artists included: Andy Warhol, William Steig, Charles Schultz, Maurice Sendak, R. Crumb (Rolly Crumb) and Peter Max. Over 100 pieces of art are presented.

Bottom Line: This is a fun book, but offers little for the theme park or animation fan. If you are a hard-core Mickey fan, a fan of 1991 artwork or the artists featured, then you must have this book. If you can find a cheap copy of the book, I could almost see buying a few copies and framing some of the pieces. There are several editions available, make sure you order the large format one.

un libro straordinario, che mostra l'immortale fascino del personaggio disneyano che dai cartoon ha invaso - come icona globale - il mondo intero. ironia, sarcasmo, un pizzico di delirio nelle opere riprodotte, che rivisitano luoghi altri della Cultura, dalla politica (Ronald Reagan) alla pittura (van Gogh) alla psicoanalisi (Sigmund Freud), in un caleidoscopio poliedrico ed irresistibile.

Would that this book were still in print. It is a marvelous collection that made a fabulous gift for anyone enamored with Mickey and his friends.

are you planing a new ediction of that book?I got one, but it is writen in spanish and it isfrom 1995 - I need an updated one - best way:in german. Please inform me, where I can get thelatest version as soon as possible. Thanxs!

Most of the illustrations are rather weak interpretations of the mouse. There are, however, several excellent ones especially "Vincent Van Goghs to Disneyland" by Bob Buccella