Q : Do you have a favorite Disney villain?
Joseph, Nevada City, California
A: This might seem like a strange answer, because the character is not that well known, but I would say the Horned King in The Black Cauldron. For years before that film came out, many Disney animated villains tended to be funny villains; one would tend to laugh at Captain Hook or Cruella De Vil or Madam Mim or Prince John or Madame Medusa. The Horned King was the first in ages who was truly evil.
Q : My grandmother received two Snow White cel prints and one Pinocchio print and a box of hand-painted glass movie slides from the original Snow White release. These were given to her by a fellow USC classmate who worked for the studio in late 1930s or very early ’40s. We’d like to know if these have any value or should be kept as mementos? If you could, please let us know something, even maybe direct me to someone who can assist me with getting the answers we seek.
Brenda, San Dimas, California
A: You might contact a dealer in animation art, such as Howard Lowery.
Q : I have two questions. The first is… today I was playing Kinect Disneyland and, this is going to sound kind of stupid, but I overheard one of the guests ask his father, “Goofy’s a dog, right?” I couldn’t help but wonder what Goofy really is. Is he a dog, or something else? My other question is what was Sleeping Beauty Castle called before Sleeping Beauty was released? Seeing as the film Sleeping Beauty was released in 1959, and Disneyland was opened four years prior.
Katy, Sherwood, Oregon
A: Goofy is portrayed as a human character with doglike features; his original name was Dippy Dawg. Sleeping Beauty Castle has always had that name, as the film was in production when the park opened, and Walt obviously wanted to promote his upcoming animated feature. (Before the park was built, Walt did once mistakenly refer to the castle as Snow White’s Castle on a television show, but that was never its name.)
Q : I’d love to talk with you about my grandfather, Bob Jackman, who was the head of the music department for many years. We just visited the Archives at the Disney Studios and came across an email in his file that mentioned you remembered him and he was working when you started working at Disney. If at all possible, I’d love to ask what you remember of him and his career there!
Molly, Tiburon, California
A: I did not know Bob Jackman well, though I met with him several times. Mainly, I worked on music matters through his knowledgeable assistant, Flo Daniel. I recall Bob as being very friendly and helpful to a young man just getting started with the Archives. It always impressed me that he had been the voice of Goofy in some cartoons in the 1950s when Pinto Colvig was unavailable.
Q : I have had the opportunity to see a few of the World War II patches that were designed by the studio artists during that war. Is there by any chance one document/book that might show pictorials of the numerous insignias, artist renditions that were created during that period? Thanks again for all you do!
Keith, Port Orchard, Washington
A: There has been no book that shows them all, but many can be seen in Walton Rawls’ book, Disney Dons Dogtags: The Best of Disney Military Insignia from World War II (Abbeville, 1992).
Q : I’ve just received three old Disney posters featuring Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy in World War II-type clothing, and Red Cross emblems and hats. They are loading sandbags, carrying Red Cross relief boxes, and saluting under a Red Cross Flag. The Walt Disney copyright is at the bottom. Do you know anything about these?
Cindy, Holly Hill, Florida
A: During World War II, the Disney Studio was asked to help contribute to the war effort by designing propaganda and promotional posters for the military, the Red Cross, government agencies, and other entities. There were many of them. In addition to the posters, Disney artists designed more than 1,200 insignias for military units.
Q : Has Mickey Mouse ever presented at the Academy Awards®?
Matthew, North Hollywood, California
A: The Disney parks’ costumed Mickey helped present an award in 1978 with Jodie Foster and Paul Williams, and an animated Mickey interacted with Tom Selleck as a presenter at the 1988 Academy Awards ceremony and with Jennifer Garner in 2003. Those were the only times for Mickey, though other Disney characters appeared in the 1990s. Mickey did, however, appear in a short special cartoon, made by Disney for the 1932 ceremony, in which he led a parade of caricatures of that year’s award nominees.
Q : Thank you for all the time you take answering so many questions sent in by your fans and Disney devotees. I wanted to ask you about the song “Minnie’s Yoo Hoo.” It is my favorite of all Disney songs. It’s the song that plays on my alarm clock and it’s my ringtone, yet I have no idea of its history. Can you please enlighten me on the story behind this clever and whimsical little tune? I’d be most grateful.
Leo, Santa Maria, California
A: “Minnie’s Yoo Hoo” was actually the first Disney song to be published, in 1930, on sheet music—both for general sale and as a giveaway at Mickey Mouse Club events in theaters (it was the club’s official theme song). Listed authors were Walt Disney and Carl Stalling. The song originally appeared in the Mickey Mouse cartoon, Mickey’s Follies (1929).
Q : Dave, you are such a wealth of Disney knowledge. Do you ever present your own symposiums or provide Disney Lectures anywhere? I would love to listen to any presentations you might have.
Keith, Port Orchard, Oregon
A: I occasionally do lectures at Disney events, fan conventions, and on Disney Cruise Line ships.  You just missed, in March, a short lecture at a luncheon at the Ronald Reagan Library in conjunction with the Disney exhibit, which closes in April, and another for annual passholders at Disneyland.