Animation Art Continues to Make Profits for Disney
by Kirk Bangstad
kirk.bangstad@animationschoolreview.com
Animation School Review Columnist
Mickey Mouse is as popular today as he was when he made his debut in Steamboat Willie back in 1928. For art collectors, early Mickey Mouse animation can be a coveted prize.
One thing Disney knows how to do is market Mickey Mouse. They marketed him into American popular culture, and history has shown how pop culture can be a big hit in the field of visual art. Just like Andy Warhol’s depictions of Campbell’s soup became iconic, so has early Mickey Mouse animation art.
Pencil Sketches Become Valuable Animation Art
In the early days, creating 2d animation was a multi-step process. The first step usually consisted of sketching a cell with a pencil. There could be thousands of these sketches for a single cartoon. These early pencil sketches of Mickey Mouse can often sell for thousands of dollars. Important 2d animation sketches from early Mickey Mouse animated films that have been autographed by Walt Disney himself have been auctioned off at six figure prices. Completed 2d animated cells are also popular because they have more color detail. As animation art, they can also be sold for many thousands of dollars.
2d Animation Extinction Creates Collector’s Items
Because 2d animation is quickly going the way of the Dodo, many more animation relics such as sketches and colored cells will probably become collector’s items. Old animated cells sitting in a Disney warehouse somewhere might eventually sit over a fireplace in some wealthy home someday, and the folks at Disney will only be able to shake their heads at what an old collector was willing to pay them.
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About the Author
Kirk Bangstad is a singer living in Chicago, IL. Having received his B.A. in Government at Harvard, Kirk previously worked as a management consultant.
