Volume 1 focuses on the 1930s (Albert Hurter, Ferdinand Horvath, Gustaf Tenggren and Bianca Majolie).

Says author Ghez, "Eighty percent of the 400+ illustrations in Volume 1 have never been released before and the text is filled with new information which comes from humdreds of pages of never seen before documents, including the recently discovered diaries and correspondence of Ferdinand Horvath, the correspodence of Gustaf Tenggren, etc."

From the publisher:

As the Walt Disney Studio entered its first decade and embarked on some of the most ambitious animated films of the time, Disney hired a group of "concept artists" whose sole mission was to explore ideas and inspire their fellow animators. They Drew as They Pleased showcases four of these early pioneers and features artwork developed by them for the Disney shorts from the 1930s, including many unproduced projects, as well as for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, and some early work for later features such as Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. Introducing new biographical material about the artists and including largely unpublished artwork from the depths of the Walt Disney Archives and the Disney Animation Research Library, this volume offers a window into the most inspiring work created by the best Disney artists during the studio's early golden age.

They Drew as They Pleased is the first in what promises to be a revealing and fascinating series of books about Disney's largely unexamined concept artists, with six volumes spanning the decades between the 1930s and 1990s.

About the Author

Didier Ghez is the author of Disney's Grand Tour and Disneyland Paris: From Sketch to Reality, and the editor of the Walt's People book series. He lives in Florida.

"Didier Ghez has brought to light numerous discoveries, from early Jiminy Cricket designs by Albert Hurter to documents by Gustaf Tenggren for The Sorcerer's Apprentice With material culled from personal letters, journals and anecdotes from friends, family and coworkers, this unprecedented portrait of these artists comes to life, revealing how they helped shape the Walt Disney Studio, and how they continue to inspire us to this day." -Animated Views

"Now, indefatigable Disney chronicler and aficionado Didier Ghez has dug even deeper for the first in a series of books, focusing on four key figures: Hurter, Ferdinand Horvath, Gustaf Tenggren, and Bianca Majolie. Their sketches, doodles, drawings, and paintings are inventive, whimsical, and sometimes breathtaking. Ghez sets their work into context with his informative essays. This is not the kind of book to be swallowed whole but savored." -Leonard Maltin

This came from the library of Burny Mattinson (1935-2023), an animator, director, producer, and story artist for Walt Disney Animation Studios, from 1953 until his death in 2023. Mattinson directed Mickey's Christmas Carol and The Great Mouse Detective. He was named a Disney Legend in 2008 and was the longest serving employee of The Walt Disney Company, with a career that spanned almost 70 years. His extensive library included numerous subjects and especially large collections of books on Disney, animation, and classic comic strips.