Del Connell was a multi-talented individual who excelled in various creative fields, including writing, art, and sculpture. As a charter member of the Walt Disney Studios in 1939, he began his career in the Character Model Department, where he sculpted three-dimensional models to serve as references for animators in iconic films such as "Fantasia," "Dumbo," "The Reluctant Dragon," and "Lady and the Tramp."
Connell's artistic skills soon transitioned to writing, as he penned shorts like "The Pelican and the Snipe" and was assigned to work on "Alice in Wonderland" alongside another writer before World War II. During his time in the Army, he wrote "The Cold-Blooded Penguin," which was featured in the film "The Three Caballeros."
After the war, Connell rejoined the "Alice in Wonderland" team and also wrote the short "Ben and Me," as well as contributing to an abandoned version of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin." In 1955, he wrote and sketched the initial drafts for the first Disneyland souvenir guide.
Connell's career in comic books at Western Publishing Company spanned decades, during which he wrote and edited thousands of stories for various studios, including Disney, Warner Bros., Hanna-Barbera, MGM, and Walter Lantz. He created beloved comic book characters such as April, May, and June, Daisy Duck's nieces, and Super Goof, Goofy's superhero alter ego.
Other notable creations include Mighty Knight, Wacky Witch, and The Close Shaves of Pauline Peril. One of his most popular creations was the comic book series "Space Family Robinson," which was later adapted into the successful television show "Lost in Space" and a 1998 feature film.
As editor-in-chief of the west coast office of Western Publishing, Connell continued his relationship with Disney by writing the popular Mickey Mouse newspaper strip for over 20 years until his retirement in 1988. His original pencil drawings and proof sheets are housed at the UCLA special collections at the Charles E. Young Research Library.
Connell passed away at the age of 93, leaving behind a legacy of contributions to classic Disney films and thousands of books and comic strips that entertained and educated generations of youngsters around the world.
