The Walt Disney Co. is going quackers over Donald Duck.
The Burbank entertainment and media giant earlier this month kicked off its 90 years of Donald Duck celebration.
The company released a brand new short on June 9 highlighting the storytelling behind the beloved character to commemorate the anniversary of Donald’s first appearance in the 1934 Silly Symphony short cartoon, “The Wise Little Hen.”
The cartoon short, “D.I.Y. Donald” from Walt Disney Animation Studios, is the studios’ first Donald Duck-starring short since 1961.
Debuting on Disney+ as well as at the Walt Disney Animation Studios’ YouTube channel, Disney Channel and Freeform, this short finds Donald trying his hand at some home repairs which begin with the replacement of a light bulb and quickly turn into a series of comic catastrophes, according to a release from Disney.
The short also pays tribute to Disney legend Clarence “Ducky” Nash, who originated the voice of Donald for his first 50 years, and who delivers the character’s vocal gestures and assorted “wise quacks” by way of archival voice recordings, the release added.
Also on June 9, two restored Donald-centric shorts were uploaded to Disney+ for streaming.
In “Crazy Over Daisy” from 1950, Donald attempts to get back at chipmunks Chip and Dale for wrecking his bicycle while on his way to Daisy’s house. In “Out on a Limb” from the same year, Donald discovers the tree home of the chipmunks – disrupting it with a tree pruner which they believe to be a monster, according to the Disney release.
Donald Duck has been featured in more than 150 short films – more than any other Disney character.
On June 7, the ABC show “Good Morning America” showcased new Donald Duck-inspired products.
This campaign will look back at the journey of this iconic character and the role he has played in Disney’s storytelling legacy, the Disney release said.
“His popularity and accomplishments both on and off screen have earned him numerous accolades, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and having his webbed footprints immortalized in cement outside the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood,” the Disney release said.
At the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, Donald Duck started his birthday celebrations early by making some “quack-tastic” changes across the historic space, including a Donald-centric reimagining of the Walt Disney Archives logo based on Donald Duck’s designs through the years; the classic Mickey Avenue sign originally seen in the 1941 short “The Reluctant Dragon” transforming into Donald Avenue; and other activities.
