Walt Disney is an American hero. From Mickey Mouse to Disneyland, he changed the face of American culture. His is a success story like no other: a man who developed animated film into an art form and made a massive contribution to the folklore of the world. After years of research, respected Hollywood biographer Bob Thomas produced this definitive biography of the person behind the legend of Disney: the unschooled cartoonist from Kansas City, Missouri, who—though his initial studio went bankrupt during his first movie venture—developed into a creative spirit who produced unmatched works of entertainment that have influenced generations. • Special essays by Christopher Miller, Jeff Kurtti, Marcy Carriker Smothers, and Rebecca Cline and an updated index from the 2023 edition • Preface by Bob Thomas from the 1994 edition • Foreground, 28 chapters, and sources by Bob Thomas from the 1976 edition • Endnotes excerpting 15 books that have furthered Bob’s research from the 2023 edition • 32-page photo insert with more than 60 behind-the-scenes images from the 2023 edition