Art of Disney-Friendship Stamp First Day of Issue Ceremony
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Peter Emmerich (l) and David Pacheco, Disney artists who created stamps
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An Interview with David Pacheco and Peter Emmerich: Disney Artists Designed the Art of Disney-Friendship Stamps
Disney artists David Pacheco and Peter Emmerich were on hand to greet the crowd who had assembled for the first day issue of the Art of Disney-Friendship stamps. After working on the project literally for years, they were understandably proud to finally see them before an eager public. David Pacheco did the initial design work, coordinating with the USPS and Disney Marketing. Together, they determined which characters to feature, and he created concepts for their approval. Peter Emmerich did clean up drawings of the selected designs, and after final approval did the finished art and color renderings.
When asked if they had ever done government work before, Emmerich joked that his previous "G� jobs had been limited to "government jobs� for the Walt Disney Company. These, he explained, were pieces created to honor long term employees on their retirement.
A question about the restrictions imposed on their work elicited a lively response. Emmerich immediately pointed out that the diminutive scale of the stamps created limitations. Pacheco then chimed in that not only the scale, but the specific format of the stamps, as well as the selected theme, created quite a challenge. This was especially true, he said, in coordinating the scale between Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket. Emmerich said of the tiny cricket, "I prayed that he would show up.� Pacheco explained that by dropping Jiminy into the foreground, they were able to keep him in scale, and in view.
Pacheco then went on to the stamp depicting Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. How could they show all three faces on such a tiny stamp? Pacheco's solution was to think of the stamp as if it were the product of a photo booth. Naturally, the three friends would good naturedly push and shove to get their faces in. And so Mickey ended up at center, with Goofy and Donald peeking in from the sides.
Emmerich then pointed out the difficulties in coloring the stamps. In such a small area, color was critical in separating and defining each character. This was especially true in the stamp with Simba and Mufasa. Because they are essentially the same color, it was important that there was no overlap between the two lions.
When asked how long they had worked on the stamps, Emmerich stated that he and Pacheco had put in two and a half years. The work was slow at first, he said, and then came together rather quickly. Pacheco explained the selection of the four subjects. Mickey and his friends were the first, natural choice. Then came a personal favorite of Walt's, "Bambi.� "Pinocchio,� said Pacheco, was Walt's masterpiece. The four were then rounded out with a contemporary piece, "The Lion King.� Fifteen or more concepts were created for each, Pacheco said. The hardest of the group was "Bambi.� The final inspiration was seeing how babies meet-how they wobble up to each other and touch noses. Emmerich agreed that "Bambi� was, indeed the hardest of the group. He pointed out that blue highlights behind the characters were important in making the successful composition.
Pacheco was clearly proud of their work. He asserted, "After 24 years, this is the highlight of my career.� Emmerich concurred, saying that Pacheco's concepts made it a pleasure to see the project through to completion. He added that even Pacheco's corrections were always right. Pacheco laughed, "You may quote him.�
When asked about the other color choices made for the stamps, Emmerich pointed out that the colors were first, and foremost, based on the films. Textures had to be taken into consideration, and then shading. Pacheco stressed the desire to make the characters look as soft as possible, since all would be painted in flat colors.
He pointed out that he and Emmerich had worked together on a best selling poster, "Mickey Salutes America.� The image, created in the aftermath of 9-11, used carefully chosen colors to best advantage. Simplifying the image, and muting the palate, resulted in a powerful image. Emmerich recalled Pacheco's final suggestion, "Don't make Mickey any stronger than the flag.�
The pair has been hard at work at two more sets of Disney themed stamps. When asked what was next, Pacheco warned that the choice of subjects was a government secret. But, he did reveal, "They are absolutely beautiful.�
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