By Courtney Potter
“Togetherness, for me, means teamwork,” said Walt Disney. This ideal can often been seen at the heart of the stories we tell across the worlds of Disney… as well as in the camaraderie and support shown by (and to) fellow cast members, employees, and fans—especially in times of hardship—from all corners of the company.
Case in point: As part of its ongoing commitment in helping its hometown recover from the devastating wildfires earlier this year, The Walt Disney Company joined its animation industry colleagues at ASIFA-Hollywood in participating in AnimAID—a fundraising campaign to support those impacted. This incredible initiative looks to provide critical funds to artists and professionals working within the animation industry, many of whom lost their homes or faced displacement due to the disaster. The campaign kicked off at the 2025 ASIFA-Hollywood 52nd annual Annie Awards—and this week, AnimAID begins its next chapter, with an amazing online auction in partnership with Sotheby’s.
Featuring a veritable treasure trove of rare and one-of-a-kind pieces of animation history tied to some of the most beloved films and TV classics, the AnimAID auction includes items from Snow White, The Simpsons, Inside Out, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Wild Robot, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and more! The lots include original drawings, paintings, animation cels, signed posters, maquette figures, and even some once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as voicing a character in an upcoming feature—all donated by animation studios including The Walt Disney Company, Warner Brothers, DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures Animation, and Paramount, among others.
The pieces, many of which are being seen by the public for the very first time, are now available for bidding online via Sotheby’s, through April 30. Proceeds will directly benefit multiple animation families who have been affected by the disaster.
Every animation studio within Disney—including Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Disney Television Animation, Marvel Animation, and Lucasfilm Animation—contributed to this campaign.
“I have a lot of friends who lost their homes in the L.A. fires,” says Pete Docter, Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer, “and it felt like the least we could do would be to contribute some of what we love doing anyway to those who need it. It is very unique and rare to be able to own some of the pieces that Pixar is donating. And I think this is the first time that every major animation studio—including Disney and Pixar and DreamWorks and Sony and Warner Brothers, et cetera—has come together to support a cause like this.”
Adds Meredith Roberts, executive vice president, Disney Television Animation, “Los Angeles is our hometown and the heart of the animation community. Many members of the Disney Television Animation family—and of neighboring studios—suffered catastrophic losses in the fires. Rallying the creative community to donate artwork felt like the most meaningful way we could support our own.”
The historic Walt Disney Animation Research Library not only helped locate items, but they’re also offering up the chance at an exclusive, in-person tour! So, what’s in store? “[The winning bidder will] get to see artwork that not too many people get to see,” Fox Carney, ARL research manager, tells D23. “They’ll get to visit our dimensional objects vault… Essentially, they’ll see how we identify, organize, and rehouse artwork every day, from the 100 years of our animation history; how we catalog it, photograph it, and digitize it so everybody within The Walt Disney Company can reference it and make [future work] as true to the originals as possible.”
Among the Walt Disney Company-related items available for bidding are a cel from the 1988 TV special Here’s to You, Mickey Mouse!; a cel from The Simpsons; and Frozen maquettes signed by directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee.
“Here at Pixar, when we announced this, so many people came out of the woodwork to do anything they could to support the cause,” says Docter. “For example, if you like Elemental, that film’s director, Peter Sohn, has entered a drawing of Wade and Ember. If you like Inside Out 2, the artist who designed the character of Anxiety has a beautiful collage in the auction. We have Turning Red artwork from director Domee Shi. I can keep going. Just tons of great artwork.”
But that’s not all—items are being specially created just for this auction. For instance: “From me, I’m going to draw whatever the winner wants me to,” Docter adds. “Whatever they want, full color. That’s what I’m contributing, and I couldn’t love it more.”
On the Disney Television Animation side, “we donated one‑of‑a‑kind production artwork—from hand‑painted cels and backgrounds to original character designs and storyboards,” Roberts says, “spanning fan‑favorite series such as Gummi Bears (our very first show), Chip ’n Dale Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck, DuckTales, Kim Possible, Sofia the First, and our current hit series Big City Greens. We also contributed exclusive, signed pieces created just for AnimAID by acclaimed artists including Bruce Smith (The Proud Family, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder); Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh (Phineas and Ferb); and Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers (Prep & Landing).”
“This company started with animation,” Carney explains. “Animation is in our DNA. And the people who create animation made us who we are. I think this auction is our way of not only giving back and providing support and relief—but also honoring them and honoring that legacy.”
For more information on all the truly incredible items and experiences up for bid through ASIFA-Hollywood’s AnimAID fundraising campaign—and to make a bid yourself, for an extremely worthy cause—visit https://www.sothebys.com/AnimAID.