Mickey Mouse - Society Dog Show

Society Dog Show  - Mickey & Pluto

Released:  February 3, 1939      

Disney started his business building successful short films on subjects that brought out the humor in everyday life.  He did this effectively through his own creation Mickey Mouse.  Mickey became immensely popular after the success of Steamboat Willie and continued to entertain audiences with theatrical short features into the early 1950’s.  He’s a lovable guy who found himself in tricky, funny and sometimes dangerous situations, but he always managed to come out on top in the end.

In this wonderful short from 1939, Mickey enters Pluto into a dog show only to find that he got more than he bargained. This wonderful 12 field animation drawing shows great emotion between these two lovable characters.  Mickey has just been called to the judging table when Mickey discovers that Pluto has found a love interest he is reluctant to leave.  Mickey looks back with a wonderful scowl to entice Pluto to cooperate. You will notice the style of Mickey shows his solid eyes, Society Dog Show was the last Mickey short before his updated look for the film Fantasia. 

12 Field clean-up drawing, acquired: February 16, 1993

This drawing above was my first piece of vintage animation art.  It is a great representation of the heartfelt emotion that is so often found in Disney animation.  A work colleague in the early 90’s had heard about this new art collecting genre on a public radio program.  Considering she knew I had purchased a couple of animation cels for fun from Disneyland when I was in college, she gave me a phone number to call and learn more about animation art.  From that initial contact to a gallery in California, I discovered a new world that rekindled my childhood love of imagination and discovery.  Life was never same after acquiring this wonderful drawing.

Mickey & Pluto Statue, circa 1990, Disney Park Limitied Edition

My initial collecting in animation started with Mickey Mouse and early on I loved the expressiveness of drawings.  Not only that, production drawings were much more affordable and allowed me to own a piece of the magic early on in my career.  A number of years later, I also acquired this cute drawing of Mickey and Pluto from a different scene earlier in the short where Mickey and Pluto first arrive at the show find their prep table numbered 13.  Pluto is about to hop onto his table where Mickey encourages, "Up you go champ!"

12 Field clean-up drawing, acquired: March 15, 2007

If you anyone knows who the animator/artist of these drawings are, I would love to know!