Jack of All Trades: Conversations with Disney Legend Ken Anderson

Ken Anderson, a very versatile artist, worked for Disney for over 40 years. He told very interesting stories about every day life at the studio and the many projects that he was involved with.Historian Paul Anderson recorded hours of oral history as told by Ken. This book is a compilation of those tapes. A transcript of one of those tapes previously appeared on Walt's People vol. 1. I was delighted when Didier Ghez announced that the entire oral history was getting its own book.In it, Ken covers some familiar ground, such as his start at the studio, his relationship with Walt, etc. He goes more into depth on so many other topics.Its always interesting, and sometimes saddening, to read about the personalities of the Disney artists and how they got along. Ken, like many of the other artists, describes the studio politics among the artists.Given that it's a long oral history, spread out over 21 tapes, not everthing is told chronologically. The only thing that could have made this already great volume better is an index, so certain topics can be gleaned easier.Next to the ongoing series of Walt's People, this is one of the single best primary sources that Theme Park Press has released.Now there needs to be a big coffee table book on Ken Anderson's art. Didier has said that he will be featured in volume 5 of They Drew As They Pleased. Hopefully that chapter will cover his entire career.Ken Anderson sure was a great correspondent.

This book is for Disney history enthusiasts who want to learn more about Ken Anderson. It starts off a little slow spending a lot of time on his life prior and outside of Disney. It gets more interesting after that with more on what he did at the studio, like moving to Xerox drawings vs the old inking by the ink and paint girls. It left me wanting to hear more from Ken. Of particular interest to me were his thoughts on fellow Disney employees.

I am not a Disney enthusiast, and yet I found this too be an amazing, fascinating book. Paul Anderson, through this detailed recorded interview, was able to capture a lifetime of experiences that are very different from what most people experience. This is a well-written book that is gripping, and will temporarily carry you into the Disney Universe.

While these interviews contain a wealth of information, the formatting of the book made for an uneven read. The jump from one topic to another was often as abrupt as running into a brick wall. If you can get by the structural problems, there’s much to be learned from these interviews.

BOOKS ABOUT THE DISNEY LEGENDS ARE ALWAYS DONE WITH TASTE AND POLISH...HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND DISNEY FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE

A must read for all fans of Disney

Interesting set of stories from Walt Disney's "10th" Old Man, Ken Anderson - A Disney Legend in animation.