Preview
  • The Life and Times of Ward Kimball

  • Maverick of Disney Animation
  • By: Todd James Pierce
  • Narrated by: Al Kessel
  • Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (66 ratings)

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The Life and Times of Ward Kimball

By: Todd James Pierce
Narrated by: Al Kessel
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Publisher's summary

In this engaging, cradle-to-grave biography, award-winning author Todd James Pierce explores the life of Ward Kimball, a lead Disney animator who worked on characters such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Jiminy Cricket, and the Mad Hatter. Through unpublished excerpts from Kimball's personal writing, material from unpublished interviews, and new information based on interviews conducted by the author, Pierce defines the life of perhaps the most influential animator of the 20th century.

As well as contributing to classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Pinocchio, from the late 1940s to the early 1970s, Kimball established a highly graphic, idiosyncratic approach to animation alongside the studio's more recognizable storybook realism. In effect, Ward Kimball became the only animator to run his own in-studio production team largely outside of Walt Disney's direction.

Through Kimball, the studio developed a series of nonfiction animation programs in the 1950s that members of Congress pointed to as paving the way for NASA. The studio also allowed Kimball's work to abandon some ties to conventional animation, looking instead to high art and graphic design as a means of creating new animated forms, which resulted in films that received multiple Academy Award nominations and two awards.

©2019 Todd James Pierce (P)2019 Tantor
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What listeners say about The Life and Times of Ward Kimball

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Wonderful!

As a Disney animation fan, I've heard of Ward Kimball and thought of him as a puckish character who would pop up from time to time in accounts of Disney history.

This book reveals that he was a genius in his own right. The narration was pleasant and the story never drags.

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Loved it!

I really enjoyed this book and as a huge Disney fan, I highly recommend it!

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Very informative

Lots and lots of information on Disney studio and Walt Disney as well. Good read.

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Loved it

Been waiting for this book for years!!! Did not disappoint. Recommended for any Disney animation fan

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Good read for the Disney nerd

I enjoyed this book , even learned a few things I didn't know. I highly recommend you check it out.

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Great for Disney fans

A great review of one of Walt’s key men in creating the Disney brand that was so influential.

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Best Written Representation of Ward Kimball Ever!

What I really did like about this audiobook recording is how it captures the humor and feeling of Ward Kimball’s life, career and legacy though Todd’s writing. So there’s nothing I totally dislike, but otherwise, Luske is pronounced Luhsk. Please change the sub II byte for me and is. The reason why is because I think and feel is that Disney animation director Ham’s last name is supposed to be pronounced this way. Thank you.

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