71 Books Like The Hidden Art of Disney’s Golden Age, the 1930s

This is the book- the one that helped me to understand why animation is and always will be important.

Maltin is thorough and impartial, explaining the strengths and weaknesses of classic animated films with clarity and skill. He has been the standard I have always sought to emulate in my own animation writing.

An Academy Award®-winning animator in his own right, John Canemaker has combined his firsthand knowledge of the craft with superior writing skills to produce a series of outstanding books on animation history. You can pretty much close your eyes, pick any one of Canemaker’s books at random, and come up with a winner. But I’m highlighting this one as the definitive study of the “Nine Old Men,” the Disney artists widely recognized as the leading masters of animation. For each of the nine, Canemaker provides a detailed biography and a cogent analysis of the artist’s work, heavily illustrated. It’s a fitting testament to a royal legacy of talent.

During the 1960s, a wonderful periodical called Funnyworld began to chronicle animation history with unprecedented depth and eloquence. It was the work of Michael Barrier, and as it continued, it offered glimpses of the research he was conducting for a book to be published by Oxford Press. The book was finally finished and published more than three decades later, and reflects Barrier’s depth of insight, the thoroughness of his methods, and his dogged perseverance; his research included interviews with literally hundreds of artists from every American cartoon studio. Hollywood Cartoons stands as a definitive study of its subject, an essential reference (and enjoyable read) for any lover or serious student of classic animation.

Ordinarily I don’t believe in “greatest” comparisons, but this book is different. Animation historian extraordinaire Jerry Beck surveyed more than a thousand historians and animation professionals to ascertain their picks, compiled the results into a list of fifty “greatest” cartoons, and then created this book with a separate entry for each film. It’s both informative and an endless delight, with well-illustrated celebrations of classic cartoon gems from the Disney, Warner, Fleischer, and MGM studios as well as the smaller, more obscure companies. You may disagree with the rankings or the choices, but this is undeniably a deep dive into a cornucopia of treasures. And Jerry didn’t stop there; fifteen years later he followed up with a similar but more specialized volume, The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes.

I had the pleasure of going to Disneyland as a child and working at Disneyland for many years in high school and college. It was an honor to create artwork for Disney Castmembers (employees), such as t-shirt designs and a giant cartoon mural when there was an attendance record one summer day. Anything Disney/Pixar-related from the 1990s to the early 2000s is near and dear to my heart, such as the movies Toy Story, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo. We took our children to see these movies when they were young, and I still watch them today. This book covers everything, from teaching Disney/Pixar fans how to draw Lightning McQueen from the movie Cars to Elastigirl from The Incredibles. The drawing exercising section is also a nice touch. Snap out of it, Buzz, and buy this book!

This biography of Walt Disney is the first that I read. It is the official biography of Disney, and it gave me the foundational knowledge I needed to start digging deeper into the subject of Disney history.

I find it well-written, extremely clear, and easy to read. I also feel that it is extremely lively as the author relies on a great number of interviews to enrich his work with relevant anecdotes along with important facts about Disney’s life and career.

I recommend it as the perfect starting point for learning about Disney history. Soon after reading this one, I recommend reading The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney by Michael Barrier.

If there is something I love outside of writing it is Disney. I won’t try and convince anyone these are great works of literature, but they do an amazing job of making the Disney magic come to life.  

Ever since I went to Disney World for the first time I imagined what it would be like to work there. To see the park at night with no one in it. To be alone in all that magic. So, when I read Disney After Dark I felt like a little kid having his ideas put to paper.  

This is a book for animation aficionados who really want to think about the nuts and bolts of animation. As someone with a tendency to revel in the world building of the finished product of animation, be it a Miyazaki movie or a Disney film, this book re-orients me to the materiality of the medium itself. And yes, traditional animation is a material medium! Frank looked at thousands of animation cells, literally frame by frame, and in her book provides us with a glimpse of the enormous labor, expertise, and occasional mistakes that go into creating even a seven-minute short subject. She brings back from the past the many women who were the inkers and in-betweeners in American animation studios and makes us realize the enormous effort (and tedium) that went into producing the fluid and flexible cartoons that Hollywood is known for.

Along the way, Frank touches on the… show more.

This book is filled with artwork and sketches that are filled with energy. I love that Mark Davis offers a variety of different styles and development roughs that are so inspiring and make you want to sketch. The value I received from acquiring this book was giving me a greater sense of appreciation for playing with different mediums.

I couldn’t put this book down because it spoke directly to the struggles and triumphs of building something entirely new. Disney’s story isn’t just about cartoons or theme parks—it’s about relentless vision, persistence through bankruptcy, and the refusal to give up when the world says “no.” In difficult times, I find myself looking to Disney’s optimism, which still echoes in places like EPCOT, where innovation and hope define the landscape.

This book resonated deeply with me because my own work involves inventing something new—something that could be world-changing and massively valuable. I’ve spent years pushing through barriers, and every time I hit a wall, the same question arises: pivot or persist? Disney’s journey reminds me that great things are built through unwavering belief and perseverance. If you’ve ever wrestled with a big idea or felt like giving up, this book will light a fire under you.