Delightful new illustrations capture Disney's 100-year history
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The Walt Disney Company is celebrating its 100th anniversary this week, and everyone from Mickey to Wish's Asha is here to celebrate. The Disney Archive has released a series of illustrations summing up the highlights of every era of the animation giant's history.
The six illustrations span from the 1920s to today, featuring characters and products from the company's history. They run from beginnings of the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in 1923 to modern-day streaming via theme parks, major acquisitions and an array of well-known characters on the way (see our guide to the 12 principles of animation for an insight into Disney's success).
The Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio was founded on 16 October, 1923. To mark an incredible 100 years in animation, visual artist Sam Carter worked with senior Disney designer Melanie Lapovich to create anniversary artwork representing milestones from the 1920s, 1930s-40s, 1950s-70s, 1980s, 1990s-2000s, and 2010s-20s respectively. The pieces were unveiled for Disney fan club D23's Royal Anniversary Ball at The Walt Disney Studios.
The illustrations feature plenty of well-known characters, but there are also some who younger fans may not be familiar with. In the comments on the Walt Disney Archives' Instagram account, people seem particularly pleased to see the Alice Comedies from the 1920s referenced since Alice seemed to have been forgotten in other anniversary pieces. However, some fans have lamented the absence of The Muppets. Disney bought the franchise in 2004.
It's not the first delightful piece of anniversary content that we've seen from Disney. Last month, it released the Once Upon a Studio film, which brings together classic characters with a blend of hand-drawn and CGI animation. Also see our roundup of the best Disney logos and the best entertainment logos.
