“Daily Disney: Walt Disney in the Funny Pages,” a new exhibition at the State Historical Society of Missouri in Columbia, gives visitors a look at the role comic strips played in the origins and evolution of the Walt Disney company.
The young and young at heart are sure to enjoy the State Historical Society of Missouri’s most recent exhibition. Daily Disney: Walt Disney in the Funny Pages celebrates the 100th anniversary of The Walt Disney Co., which was founded by Missouri’s own Roy Disney and Walt Disney.
The display includes national syndicated comic strips, including a large selection of Disney cartoons, as well as photographs and other images that illustrate the strong hold Disney’s had on American culture over the years.
“Disney is especially close to our hearts since he spent his formative years in Marceline, Missouri, and Kansas City,” says Dr. Joan Stack, Curator of Art Collections at the historical society’s Center for Missouri Studies. “Though born in Chicago, he considered himself a Missourian! Our exhibition is small, but it shows aspects of the Disney company that most people don’t know about.”
While it’s not uncommon for exhibition curators to work with other institutions to procure artworks and artifacts, Stack says everything in this exhibition comes from SHSMO’s permanent collection. Indicative of Disney’s enduring influence is the mix of old and new imagery.
“The animation cells from Lady and the Tramp and the original artwork for Disney Comic strips have been in the art collection for over 40 years. The photo of Thomas Hart Benton at Disney Studios was donated during the last decade by an old friend of Benton’s,” Stack says. “Also donated in the last decade was the editorial cartoon by [the Columbia-based, internationally syndicated cartoonist] John Darkow inspired by Disney’s Three Little Pigs. The large watercolor that contains a “cameo” by Donald Duck is a recent donation. This painting was created by an interesting and well-known ‘outsider’ artist from Springfield, Missouri, the late Robert Smith.”
While it’s well-known that today’s Disney films are worth their weight in gold when it comes to merchandising—just ask any parent who’s shelled out for Frozen-themed clothing, bedding, decor, toys, backpacks, bicycles, party supplies, and so on—it’s interesting to observe the role Disney’s early comic strips had in boosting the brand.
“Most people under the age of 50 will not remember how visible the Disney brand was in American newspapers between 1930 and the 1970s,” Stack says. “We have 11 examples of original artwork for five different Disney comics that ran in America’s newspapers during that era. Disney was an entrepreneurial genius who used the nation’s newspaper comic pages to cross-promote his animated cartoons and films. Many Americans saw Disney artwork every day in these comic strips, hence the name of the exhibition, ‘Daily Disney.’”
But it’s not just the Brothers Disney who should get credit for building the House of Mouse.
“I hope people learn a bit more about the complexity of the Disney corporation and the many ways that people came in contact with the productions of the company during the 20th century,” Stack says. “We also want to make people aware of a few of the many artists who worked on Disney cartoons and films. We have short biographies for many of the artists who created the original artwork we have on display. These artists are not generally known because they signed their cartoons with the Disney corporate name. People will likely come away from the exhibition with a new understanding of the ways in which Disney productions were a team effort.”
To facilitate deeper conversations and exploration of this topic, SHSMO will host a series of events in early October. These include:
- Curator’s Talk with Joan Stack in the SHSMO Art Gallery — noon Tuesday, October 1
- Walt Disney’s Marceline program with Kaye Malins, founding board member of the Walt Disney Hometown Museum in Marceline — noon Wednesday, October 2
- Walt Disney: Read All About It, presented by Jeff Kurtti, Disney historian and Presidential Fellow at Chapman University in Orange, California — noon Thursday, October 3
- Learn how to draw cartoon animals while watching classic Disney cartoons; fun for all ages and abilities — 10-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m. Friday, October 4
All Daily Disney events are free to attend and will be held at the State Historical Society of Missouri in Columbia. Daily Disney: Walt Disney Cartoons in the Funny Pages runs through March 29, 2025.
For hundreds more events, visit Missouri Life’s Event Calendar.
All photos courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri
Related Posts
Inside Walt Disney’s Life in Marceline
Walt Disney spent his boyhood years in Marceline, years he referred to as the best time of his life. Although the Disney family moved away in 1910, many of Walt's most beloved characters were inspired by his Marceline memories.
Debut of Mickey Mouse
November 18, 1928, was the debut of Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney was quoted as saying, “I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing—that it was all started by a mouse.” He was talking, of course, about Mickey Mouse, who made his debut in Disney’s first sound-synchronized animated film, Steamboat Willie. Disney’s impact on generations of children is impossible to measure, and his career started in Missouri.