How to Be a Disney Historian: Tips from the Top Professionals

This is a fascinating book. I particularly love the tempering chapter on "Why You Won't Get a Job at the Disney Archives." It isn't meant to be discouraging, but give a realistic perspective on the chance of securing a position in the very small (less than 20 people) department within the giant that is the Disney Corporation.I appreciate that Mr. Korkis emphasizes that being a Disney historian is not a job title, but a passion. It emphasizes that anyone with the right heart and the right discipline can be a Disney historian, and a good one.A sobering section for me thus far has been how the author emphasizes the difference between the "Disney Brand" (the magic we all think about, the parks, the music, the characters, the lovely memories) in contrast to the "Disney Business," which is just as cutthroat and stockholder-driven as any other major corporation. An aspiring Disney historian should be able to recognize and interpret these sometimes conflicting narratives and be able to be an historian first (with all the accompanying rigor and investigative effort) and an enthusiast or fan (not necessarily a fanatic) of the Disney Brand.I'm still working through the book, but if the rest of the book is as solid as the first half, this is a few bucks well spent for a fan of Disney and a "trained" historian.

I love Jim Korkis' books on Disney and this is yet another outstanding book by him. Although I have no desire to be a Disney Historian, I much enjoyed this book for the information shared by three writers I consider to be REAL Disney Historians - Jim Korkis, David R. Smith, and Leonard Maltin. I enjoyed the BASICS section - especially What is a Disney Historian, The History of Documenting Disney History, and Thou Shalt Not Steal: Plagiarism and You. Over the several decades I have been a Disney fan, I have been sickened by the posers who have self-proclaimed themselves to be Disney Historians when mainly they're just PLAGIARISTS who steal the work of others and claim it as their own. I enjoyed the GOOD ADVICE section - mainly for the info on Disney Historians that I previously knew little to nothing about. I enjoyed the RECOMMENDED RESOURCES section - mainly for the information on the publisher Bob McLain and his Theme Park Press, who has published all of Jim Korkis' Disney books the past few years and numerous other excellent Disney subject books. This book is a very special and unique book with loads of information that just cannot be found in any other book. Although I will never be a Disney Historian (at best I'm a knowledgeable fan of some areas of Disney), I'm so glad I bought this book. This book is just filled with interesting Disney information - much of which I never thought about before. I think that most Disney fans would love and appreciate this book. Great job, Jim!!!

Pros: Recommended readings, "Dark Prince" book debunked, features some of my favorite toon experts (Jerry Beck, Maltin, etc)Cons: Michael Barrier's article, while a great read, can feel ambiguous in final paragraphs (no, he wasn't anti-Semitic)

Another amazing book by Jim Korkis! Reading this book is like receiving a personal mentorship session from the person who coined the term "Disney Historian" as well as advise from 15 others who hold that title! It's a treasure trove for aspiring future Disney Historians, like me...or any Disney fan who has an interest in what it takes to tell those stories that we love to hear!I love that when I bought my paperback copy I also received a Kindle version so it can always be at my fingertips!

In the intro of this book, the author laments he doesn't know the intended audience of this book. I cannot speak for any larger demographic, but if you stumble upon the title of this book and relate to it in anyway, know the author has presented the best information from the most respected names in animation archiving, as well as hard earned personal anecdotes of the author's path to publishing this book.As the intended audience for this book, I cannot recommend it enough.

Halfway through ... excellent resource for Disney enthusiasts who dig beneath the surface to learn more about the man, the company and its products.

Great for the Disney geek

Anyone that wants to write on Disney history, needs this book