Mickey’s Engine-ears
What is it about Disney and his cronies and trains? Walt had a miniature train ride in his backyard that was reportedly the inspiration for Disneyland. Ward Kimball, when I visited him, always showed me his incredible TOY train collection and his LIFESIZE backyard train and track and station collection. Ward even did a self portrait of himself as a train engineer for the intro that he wrote to my book Weird But True Toon Factoids. I’ve just discovered another Disney train man, Carl Fallberg. Fallberg worked on Snow White, Fantasia and Bambi. And Carl wrote the GR8 Mickey Mouse serials in the backs of the comic book Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories that were illustrated by Paul Murry. A number of those stories prominently featured trains as I recall. Yes, Fallberg was also a train nut and even created his own fictional train line in these delightful cartoons for Railroad Magazine. The cartoons were collected in a 1960 book Fiddletown and Copperopolis. I’ve posted some for your enjoyment. Let me know if you want to see more. All aboard!
Walt Disney
Ward Kimbell
(click for a closer look)
Carl Fallberg
— C. Yoe (in the funny papers)
Funny you should mention it, but Ward Kimball will be spotlighted on a future Tuesday for his other interest, jazz. In addition to being train men, several of the Disney animators were also musically inclined, and were part of Kimball’s combo, The Firehouse Five Plus 2 jazz band. There’s just something about trains and tubas that goes well with drawing Mickey Mouse.
Once when I had dinner at Ward’s house he sang songs to me between bites about Walt Kelly from back in the day. I WAS amused!
Ollie Johnston also has a miniature train running around his backyard. It is an interesting phenomenon.
I met Ward Kimball just once, at MOMA in NYC, at a Disney exhibition opening. He drew Jiminey Cricket for me in my Art of Walt Disney book - the OLD one. Why didn’t you invite me to come with you to Ward’s house? I’d have killed for that! Not knowing me at the time is no excuse.
[...] [Comic] Craig Yoe presents a collection of Carl Fallberg railroad cartoons. (Above: one of the cartoons, copyright information unknown.) [...]
Hi Craig!
Thanks for letting your readers know of my dad’s work. The drawing of the woman with her umbrella on fire, holding the hand of a little girl is my mother, Becky Fallberg and me.
My dad is on the caboose platform.
The book is still in print, and I own the copyright for all images.
Originally dad received about $800.00 for publishing rights for all the drawings. Twice a year I receive a royalty check for around $20.00. MUCH too low!!