Q: I really like Will Rogers, and as he was a good friend of Walt’s, I’m wondering if the animators made Pecos Bill after Will? Pecos Bill looks like Will—the same hair, face, and love of the lariat! Who was the animator for that short?
Kelly, Hollywood, California
A: The Pecos Bill story about a cowboy hero comes from the folklore of the Old West and was first printed in a magazine by Edward O’Reilly in 1917. (Some have suggested that O’Reilly made up the stories.) There was probably no connection in the minds of the Disney artists with Will Rogers. The character was animated in Melody Time by Ward Kimball and Milt Kahl.
Dave Smith