Book covers all of Disney's Silly Symphonies - VIDEO

Awhile back, cartoon historian Jerry Beck mentioned the upcoming book Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman. Beck was able to get his hand on an advanced copy, not a small feat considering the book isn't even available in the United States yet (keep an eye on the Indiana University Press site, though).

As some of you know, I loves me some classic animation, but I've always been more of a fan of Warner Bros. and Hanna-Barbera than Walt Disney. Nevertheless, I don't think one can ignore that Disney helped open a lot of doors for other animators and studios, many of which went on to carve out their own niche far removed from the Disney aesthetic.

The book covers every "Silly Symphony" created by the studio in great detail, or so says Beck, who, unlike me, has actually seen the book. I've always enjoyed Beck's writing, not to mention his audio commentaries on the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection" DVDs, so when he says this book is a "must have" for animation fans, I take him at his word.

And speaking of "Silly Symphonies," I've placed one of my favorites, "The Skeleton Dance" after the jump. Enjoy.