Hello family, friends, and Disney buddies! I hope that you enjoy this little Disneyland "backstory" about one of the park's lesser known original owners and the relationship that lasted nearly 70 years.......Bill
Embedded Files
WESTERN PUBLISHING CO.
The story of Walt Disney’s struggle to finance the construction of his new park and how he and Herb Ryman created a last minute visualization for Roy Disney’s presentation to east coast television network executives is well known Disneyland history. Also well documented is Roy’s success in securing a $500,000 investment and a $4.5 million guaranteed bank loan from fledgling ABC in return for a weekly Disney television series. Other initial investments included $500,000 from Walt Disney Productions and $250,000 from Walt Disney himself, but what’s not as well known is the $200,000 investment from Western Printing and Lithographing (often referred to as Western Publishing) for nearly 14% ownership of Disneyland. Western Publishing, a Racine, Wisconsin commercial printer that published and printed Little Golden Books and children’s books under the Whitman imprint was one of Disney’s earliest licensees with exclusive book rights to Disney characters dating all the way back to 1933. Western took over the production and publication of Disney’s popular Mickey Mouse comics in 1937 and along with other other Western licensees, Warner Brothers (Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig), MGM (Tom and Jerry), and Walter Lantz (Woody Woodpecker), created a highly successful line of comic books distributed by Dell Publishing. Western’s assistance with the joint financing and partial ownership of Disneyland also provided the opportunity to be the vendor for much of the new parks printed materials including press kits, brochures, premiums, menus and the Disneyland iconic souvenir park maps. Western Publishing Co. also operated the Story Book Shop located in the Crystal Arcade on Main Street USA behind the Upjohn Pharmacy beginning on opening day in 1955 and at it’s peak offered a wide range of Western Publishing Co. publications, Dell comic books, Disney print products including coloring books, sticker books, story books, Little Golden Books, activity books, puzzles and a host of specialty titles featuring the adventures of Disney characters at Disneyland. The Story Book Shop was ultimately squeezed out through the years by continuing expansions of the Emporium.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse