Sunday 27 July 2008

Pen and Ink #2, Part V

Here's the final post of scans from Pen and Ink no. 2.




Notice this drawing on page 13:

Hardie Gramatky (1907-1979) went on to be a successful painter and writer of childrens books. Most famous for his creation "Little Toot" (six books written between 1939 and 1979) wich was animated at Disneys and also featured in the Disney comic books.

Check out the website devoted to him at http://www.gramatky.com/
There I found this quote in the section about his Disney years:
"Hardie began working at the Walt Disney Studio in 1929, two years after the Studio began. He went to Chouinard art school at night and to the Studio during the day. His first job was to do a Disney comic book, but he finished six months of drawings in three days when Walt asked him, 'Gee, Hardie, what would you like to do now?'"
Now, what I wonder is what comic book that would have been? In 1929?

/Joakim.

2 comments:

Linda Smith said...

Hi there,
I'm Hardie Gramatky's daughter and thanks for referencing the www.gramatky.com website. (We also have www.littletoot.org about his Little Toot books.) I always presumed that Dad's first work at Disney around 1928-1929 would have been a Mickey Mouse comic book, because I believe Disney started making shorts in 1927 as well as "Steamboat Willie". I'd love to know more if you know that there were NOT comic books done when Disney started. But that was how I always heard it! Best to you, Linda (Gramatky Smith)

Linda Smith said...

Joakim, I forgot to say that my mother (Dorothea Cooke) and her best friend (Dorothy Feldman) also sent in submissions to the Los Angeles Junior Times, so they knew "of Dad" before Mom and Dad met at Chouinard's Art School. Sometimes the artwork of Mom and Dorothy were chosen for prizes, but they would often say, apparently, "Darn it, that Hardie Gramatky won another cover!" IF you ever find any illustrations in Pen and Ink that show my mom's work, I would love to see it. Thanks!

Best to you, Linda (Gramatky Smith)