Customer Reviews

Two Guys Named Joe: Master Animation Storytellers Joe Grant & Joe Ranft

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Length:: 0:44 Mins

This book's a nice tribute to two of the best animation storytellers. It's written by John Canemaker, very well researched, filled with stories and little anecdotes from even before these two storytellers started in animation. Now you can know all about the background stories, how they work, the influence and contribution they made, how friends and colleges felt about them and how much they were missed.

These two storytellers are very fascinating characters. It's interesting to see how they changed over the years, particularly with Joe Ranft from his turbulent childhood, or not when Joe Grant came back after a mysterious 40-year hiatus. I've seen their names mentioned many times in other books and videos but their background stories are nothing that I imagined.

The book also provides many references to the work they have done, particularly the story sequences in movies such as the early ones from Pixar where Joe Ranft was involved in much of the storytelling, and for Joe Grant the character designs for classic Disney films. You might remember the army men sequence in Toy Story, the witch from Snow White or the dancing broomsticks in Beauty and the Beast. There are some of their storyboards, caricatures, photos and drawings from other artists who share the same work with them.

It's an interesting read, recommended to those who are curious to know more about their style of storytelling. You might even pick up some storytelling or storyboarding tips.

(There are more pictures of the book on my blog. Just check my Amazon profile for the link.)

I recently finished reading Two Guys Named Joe. While I found the first half -- the Joe Ranft story -- to be a bit fawning and one-sided (understandable, considering the man's recent and tragic death), the second half, the half about Joe Grant, was AMAZING.
The way that Canemaker tells the tale, you both admire and shake your head in frustration at the man. While an undisputed genius, he clearly was an ass to his co-workers at times. When his co-workers respond with blatant anti-Semitic remarks, you start to veer back towards Grant's side...only to have Grant take the credit for someone else's ideas while in a meeting with Walt.
If only more animation biographies were written with such a well-rounded and honest approach to their subjects, perhaps we'd finally get that long awaited, 3D mo-cap biopic of Walt Disney and his 9 Old Men!

I love the Canemaker titles. He does a great job at narrative and I'm never disappointed in his work. This book is no exception. Add it to your Disney library before it's out of print.

Interesting contrast between two formidable "Joe"s at Disney over a period spanning 75 years. Insight into Disney organization, politics, etc.
Wonderful artwork and great story telling by Canemaker. Enjoyed it very much.

This book is awesome for all the DisNerds like me out there. It pays proper homage to two great men. Definitely worth reading.