As you can see from the cover, our exciting second issue congratulates the lovably unintelligible Donald Duck on 75 years of humor, heartache, and pure heart! Perennially feisty, frustrated, and fun, Donald receives the diamond anniversary treatment this summer, even though we know we’re only exploring the tip of the duck-berg on a career that’s far from fowl. From Donald’s unpublished theme song to our very own celebrity “duck roast,” we hope you’ll join us in wishing Donald a very happy 75th!
But that’s just the start of the issue’s summertime fun. Going from featherweight to heavyweight, we also catch up with Hollywood mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer, whose remarkable canon of blockbuster Disney movies is perhaps second only to the master himself, Walt Disney. Jerry takes us behind the scenes of some of his upcoming films, including The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and shares the triumphs and tribulations that come with living life on location.
And to satisfy the curiosity of the Disney fan in all of us, we’ll also take you inside Walt Disney Animation Studios to meet the directors of, and get an early look at, the upcoming animated feature Rapunzel, as well as explore the hallowed halls of Walt Disney Imagineering and hear firsthand what’s on the horizon and behind the construction walls at Disney’s California Adventure theme park.
And what’s summer without the perfect blue-sky-and-sun songs? Disney producer Randy Thornton takes us behind the scenes of the making of the boys: the sherman brothers’ story, a documentary, out this month, about the legendary songwriting brothers whose unforgettable work, from the finger-snapping “Tall Paul” to Mary Poppins, from “You’re 16 (You’re Beautiful and You’re Mine)” to Winnie the Pooh, exemplifies songwriting at its pinnacle.
So grab a glass of ice-cold lemonade, find a spot under a shady tree, and enjoy your summer — and the second issue of Disney twenty-three!
Steven
