Early Walt Disney drawing up for auction

Posted November 28, 2011 7:00 am

Associated Press

RENO, Nev. — An original, autographed drawing by Walt Disney, believed to have been made about 1920 before he hit it big in the entertainment world, will go up for auction in Reno this week.

The whimsical drawing of a cigar-chomping man wearing a derby hat will be among 1,400 items up for sale at the two-day auction set to begin Tuesday at the Atlantis Casino Resort.

Titled “Fill Up My Can,” the illustration has an estimated value of $35,000 to $50,000. It’s believed to predate Disney’s Mickey Mouse, which made its cartoon debut in 1928.

“Real pieces signed by him (Disney) are really rare,” said Fred Holabird of Reno-based Holabird-Kagin Americana, which is staging the auction. “This is one of the earliest known signed Disney pieces, if not the earliest.”

The drawing was once owned by Disney’s sister, Ruth Disney.

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