75 Years of Disney Comics

Earlier this month, gemstone Publishing released Walt Disney Treasures. Subtitled Disney Comics: 75 Years of Innovation. This first Walt Disney Treasures TPB is a chronological 160-page retrospective of the form in general, with an emphasis on material that's never been reprinted before. From their birth in 1930 through a 75-year evolution, Disney comics have entertained us with imaginative stories, exceptional artwork, and a family of outrageous characters memorable enough to withstand the test of time. Walt Disney Treasures is a collection of stories carrying us through the generations of an artform, presenting tales by the greatest writers and artists the comics industry has to offer.
I have loved comics as long as I can remember and still visit my local comic shop every week to pick up my favorites including; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Scooby Doo, Patty Cake, The Tick, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and many more. When I saw the solicitation in Previews for Walt Disney Treasures, I was immediately drawn to the cover which looked like the Walt Disney Treasures DVD tins that I have been collecting for many years now, and the idea of a comic TPB with rare comics and special features (much like the DVDs of the same name), it seemed like a great idea. When it finally arrived at my local comic shop, I was not disappointed. This collection is 160 pages of comics and features. It starts off with a quick 2 page history of Disney in comics, and then jumps right into some of the earliest printed Disney comics, starting with a 1930 King Features Syndicate comic strip, and ending with the 2003 Mickey Mouse comic "With Friends Like These", and there is a little bit of just about everything else in between.
As for the look of the comics themselves, they are amazingly sharp and colourful, especially when you consider the age of some of the material. There is a great interview with David Gertein of Gemstone Publishing where he talks about the work that went into restoring the source material for this collection. The work was certainly worth it, as this is a great package and well worth the $12.99 cover price.