Posted at 12:55 p.m. - Tuesday, June 9
It was on this day seventy-five years ago that an ill-tempered and cantankerous duck in a sailor suit would debut on the silver screen. Yeah folks, it's Donald Duck's birthday!
To celebrate the occasion, Disney is offering a special once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a piece of history. From D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans :
"For the first time ever,
Disney is turning to fans to create an official portrait of one of its biggest
stars. Finalists in the Donald Duck 75th
Anniversary Portrait Contest will have their work unveiled and displayed at the
inaugural D23 Expo, which will be held September 10-13 at the
The contest is hosted by D23: The Official Community for
Disney Fans, and is open to all D23 Members who are 18 or older. Full-length
oil, acrylic or watercolor canvas portraits of Donald Duck, no larger than 24” W
x 36” H, are eligible. Artists must
first submit an original sketch, in any medium or size, of the planned
artwork. The submission form, as well as
full contest rules and additional details, can be found at the official D23
website, http://www.disney.com/D23. All finalists selected to have their works
displayed will be eligible for two complimentary, four-day admission passes to
the D23 Expo.
The creator of the winning portrait will receive an authentic “Duckster” – an award that Walt Disney personally commissioned in 1960 and which has been presented fewer than two dozen times to people who made significant contributions to the Walt Disney Studios. The last time a “Duckster” was awarded was nearly 20 years ago, and only a few of these rare, bronze statuettes of Donald Duck remain in the Walt Disney Archives. Among the past recipients of the “Duckster” are Clarence Nash, the original voice of Donald Duck, and famed Donald illustrator Carl Barks."
Now, I've always been partial to the fowl-mouthed (get it? 'fowl'? LOL!) Donald myself, preferring his hot-tempered antics to the comparatively cool-as-a-cucumber Mickey Mouse. As a matter of fact, the Noah's Ark sequence of FANTASIA 2000, starring Donald as the legendary ship-builder is my all-time fave. Although, can someone explain to me why Mickey, Minnie and Goofy ALL WEAR PANTS but DONALD DOESN'T?
