Blackwing Pencils in the Wild! Disney Animator Pencils

Photo courtesy of Ricky Brigante of Inside the Magic.

Blackwing Pencils – The Disney Animator’s Choice

If I were a pencil-pushing superhero, I like to imagine that I would have a dedicated phone line solely for alerting me as to the presence of Blackwing pencils in the vicinity. If that phone existed, surely it would have rung about two weeks ago; in reality, however, it was my cell phone that chirped merrily with a call from my sister.

“I’M AT THE RONALD REAGAN MUSEUM AND YOU’LL NEVER GUESS WHAT I’M LOOKING AT!” said my sister – at least, that’s what I finally understood after instructing her to inhale, exhale, and repeat herself a couple of times.

For anyone with a passion for Disney who might be in Southern California from now until March, I urge you to stop by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library and check out their “Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives” exhibit. Chock full of costumes, props, animatronics, models and rarities like the original script of “Steamboat Willie,” the exhibit is an unparalleled journey through the development of the elusive, alchemical substance known as “Disney magic.”

However, my sister wasn’t just calling to tell me about seeing the original storybooks that open the animated films of “Sleeping Beauty,” “Cinderella,” and “Snow White,” or about visiting the costumes from movies like “Enchanted” and “Pirates of the Carribean.” No, she was calling with a far higher purpose in mind.

“Annie…Annie…they have a replica of an animator’s office in the exhibit and…and…THERE ARE BLACKWING PENCILS!” she hollered triumphantly (the phone was approximately eight feet away from my ear at this point).

And yes indeed, with photos from the lovely and obliging Ricky Brigante of Inside the Magic to illustrate this discovery, you can see Blackwing pencils scattered about the animator’s desk (judging from the sketch on the desk, circa 1953/”Peter Pan”). While the connection between Blackwing pencils and great animators has always been clear, it’s nice to know that, according to those who painstakingly crafted these replicas, Blackwing pencils have been a part of Disney’s magic as well. A dream may be a wish your heart makes, but the right pencil can sure help make it a reality.

(Thanks to Amy for her super-sister-sleuthing and Blackwing radar – do I have an awesome sister or what?)

Photo courtesy of Ricky Brigante/Inside the Magic