Disney Artist Ralph Kent Collection in Several Sales Ralph was an Art Director for the Walt Disney Company, and worked for Walt himself beginning back in the early 1960s. Ralph was a friend of many in the collecting world of Disneyana and Comic Art.
News-Antique.com - Sep 01,2008 - Disney Artist Ralph Kent Collection in Several Sales
Ralph was an Art Director for the Walt Disney Company, and worked for Walt himself beginning back in the early 1960s. Ralph recently passed away and he has left a gap in the humor of the world and a seat at the bar of the Big Bamboo in Kissimmee Florida.
Ralph was a friend of many in the collecting world of Disneyana, a star in the world of Disney Art, a mentor to countless Disney artists, a chess master, a master artist, a master craftsman and a smart, funny and kind human being.
Ralph was a collector of various segments of his own interest. He had accumulated a large collection of Disney books, animator’s autographs, animation art, and character merchandise drawings by many of the best in the business. He received artwork from his peers including Bob Clampett, Harvey Kurtzman and Johnny Hart which are included in the auction. Ralph also collected comic strip art from the turn of the century and the auction includes a 1954 Charles Schulz “Peanuts” 8 panel daily strip and a couple of Ernie Bushmiller “Nancy” strips, among many others.
The collection will be selling in several upcoming sales:
Sept. 14 - Philip Weiss Auctions, Oceanside NY
Lots 1482 thru 1511 - Philip Weiss Auctions
Oct. 3 - National Fantasy Fan Club (NFFC) Convention, Orlando FL
Saturday afternoon, Live Auction,
NFFC News - Florida Adventurer 3rd Annual NFFC Florida Convention - NFFC
http://www.nffc.org/news/newsdetail.asp?id=101
Featuring many signed Books signed by Disney Artists and Animators, Original Artwork & Photographs of Walt Disney
See List Below
Oct. 4 - National Fantasy Fan Club (NFFC) Convention, Orlando FL
Sunday, Show and Sale, Lots of other Disney Available,
NFFC News - Florida Adventurer 3rd Annual NFFC Florida Convention - NFFC
http://www.nffc.org/news/newsdetail.asp?id=101
Oct. 26 - Philip Weiss Auctions, Oceanside NY
Details to be announced
www.prwauctions.com
Disney Legend
Ralph Kent (Imagineering & Attractions) 1939-2007
While growing up in New York, Imagineer Ralph Kent fell "hopefully" under the spell of Disney animated motion pictures, particularly "Pinocchio," he said, because he identified with the puppet's sense of awe, wonder, and magic, an attitude Ralph still holds today.
By age 10, he transformed the basement walls of his home into a giant mural of Disney characters ranging from Alice in Wonderland to Cinderella. Fixated on working for Disney, young Ralph decided to send a letter to Walt Disney, receiving a courteous reply.
In 1963, Ralph's dream came true when he arrived at Disneyland as a marketing production artist. One day, Ralph gained the courage to personally ask Walt if he remembered receiving a letter from a kid in Buffalo.
"I had changed my name legally because nobody could pronounce it - Kwiatkowski," Ralph recalled. And "Walt said, 'That was a Polish kid with a long last name.' I said, 'I know; I changed it.' The eyebrow went up and he said, 'Well, why didn't you tell me [sooner]?' I said, 'I was just in awe of
