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The Ryman Centennial: Herbie Ryman, Or Two Years With A Circus

Herb Ryman with one of his paintings of the circus, 1953

It seems so strange today how great a hold the circus held on the psyche of young Americans in the last century. For Herb Ryman, it was no different; he, too, was drawn to the romance of sawdust and greasepaint and the open road. […]

The Ryman Centennial: Herb Ryman And The Myth Of Walt Disney

If you’re reading this site, then Jeff Kurtti will probably need little introduction. Disney fans like myself will most likely have an entire shelf filled with books that Jeff has authored, magazines with articles he has written, and DVDs that he has produced.

Jeff worked with Walt Disney Imagineering from 1987-1995, after which he became […]

The Ryman Centennial: A Foxy Interlude

Story sketch for Anna and the King of Siam by Herb Ryman, 1946

The adventures that Herbert Ryman had in his world travels were translated into paintings and sketches, which helped him get his position at Walt Disney Productions. But after eight years with Disney, those same travels would lead to Ryman’s departure from the […]

The Ryman Centennial: Walt’s Elephants

This is a fun story that I’ve been holding on to for a while; thankfully, our recent discussion of Disney legend Herbert Ryman presents the perfect opportunity to print it. The following tale was presented in the May 14th, 1982 edition of the WED-MAPO Imaginews, an internal publication for Disney Imagineers.

Walt’s Elephants Are […]

George McGinnis, Walt Disney, And The Underground Train Of Tomorrow

Odds are that if you’re reading this, you’ve put together a school project at one point or another. Maybe it was your elementary school science fair, or maybe it was your doctoral dissertation in particle physics. Either way, you’ve spent some time working one one of these projects. Maybe you won a blue ribbon for […]