Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Milt Kahl Pics

I recently discovered this scene from Disney's Hyperion days. Artists taking a break.  Except for one person at the bottom of the photo, and that person has to be Milt Kahl.






Milt at the studio, mid 1950s. Possibly during production of Lady and the Tramp. 
Kids...smoking is bad for you! Milt was not a smoker anymore when I met him in the early 1980s.



Here he is answering questions posed by Mike Bonifer for Disney Chanel's "Disney Family Album."
Around 1983. Milt was the only animator who drew character sketches for his episode. 
This was filmed at his home just north of San Francisco, after he had left Disney.



Just a few years prior, Milt had sketched character designs for The Black Cauldron. Stunning drawings of Princess Eilonwy. 



As I mentioned recently, the oversized book on Milt Kahl is in the works. I got Disney's verbal approval, and I am determined to make this one of the best books on Disney Animation ever.
As Milt said: "You got to have high standards".


8 comments:

  1. what a great post, milt really was the disney style.. even the black cauldron sketches are full of appeal even now this recording i heard of one of his lectures is just full of golden tips that you find hard pressed to hear these days... so cant wait to see how this book turns out (love the cover art) do you have any kind of idea how long this milt kahl book would take? its already on my list (^ _ ^)

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  2. Super Cover Auswahl! 👍🤩
    Was die obigen Fotos betrifft: Ich schreibe da aus eigener Erfahrung: Es gibt Menschen, die können sich nur schwer "einfach nur mal hinlegen"! 😂
    Um den Kopf frei zu bekommen hilft da besser Bewegung! 😃 Und das tut Milt Kahl ja! 😁
    "You got to have high standards" Wenn ich mit einem T-Shirt, auf das diese Ansage gedruckt ist, in die Gesprächstherapie ginge, würde ich als untherapierbar hinaus dirigiert. 😂😉
    Aber als schön gestaltetes Firmenlogo wäre das Spitze! 👍😄

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  3. OH my GOD! That cover!!!!! Amazing, Andreas! It will be the best animation book ever, and I can't wait for it!!!!

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  4. The world may be coming apart but you've given us a reason to hope. Nothing bad can happen to anyone who buys two or three copies of "The Art Of Milt Kahl" & holds them close to their heart 24/7.
    On a slightly different note ---and you know how much I hate bringing this up in a post in which you've gone to the trouble of warning kids about smoking --- what is going on with Eilonwy's hand in her interaction with our hero? Should they both be smiling?
    [btw, I'd say your "verbal approval" just got upgraded a couple degrees courtesy of this Blog announcement].

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  5. I think I've been waiting for something like this my whole life. Maybe in addition to Milt Kahl's art, it would be great to delve into his 'thought process' when drawing. I was always fascinated by the fact that Don Bluth mentioned in one of his books that Milt would sometimes start with the character's silhouette and then fill in the inside, although I have seen many sketches with more 'typical' constructions. I believe this could be the best Disney art book, along with the one by Frank and Ollie.

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  6. Thank you so much, truly, for continuing to share Milt’s legacy with such passion and care. Your posts always remind me why I fell in love with the medium in the first place — not just because of the drawings, but because of the people behind them. The way you bring Milt’s genius, character, and influence to light means a lot. It’s inspiring, moving, and it fuels the admiration so many of us feel for this incredible artist. I can’t wait to see the book — I know it will be something special.

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