Al Konetzni, Disney Legend

Al Konetzni

Classic Disney lunch box

Disney Donald Duck pencil sharpener

Posted: Tuesday, Mar 19, 2013 5:58 pm

Bradenton male designed Disney sell for 30 years

0 comments

Posted on
Mar 19, 2013

• 
  
  
  

  by
  
  Linda Carson
  

BRADENTON, Fla. – Since a Suncoast is such a magnet for retirees, we shouldn’t be astounded that we have some unequivocally important neighbors vital among us – including a Disney Legend.

Al Konetzni is an artist. You can see his work in a Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and his story and many of his designs have been featured in renouned photography and many other publications. And we might have appreciated some of a equipment he combined when we were a kid.

Konetzni is a Disney Legend, an respect bestowed on those who’ve finished unusual contributions to a Walt Disney Company.

Drawings he finished when he was 18 got him his initial job. He’d been an art executive for 18 years when he was hired by Disney. “I was hired as an thought man. we had to come adult with ideas.”

And he was hot over with ideas; for toys, clothes, jewelry, we name it. And he was good during offered those ideas.

He used one of those ideas, a Disney impression conduct on tip of a Pez candy container, to sell an thought for a night light. “I pennyless a conduct off Pez, and put it on a small thing that GE had…it had like a 1-watt night light for children. And we snapped a Pez thing on it, and we pronounced we wish this works, I’ve never attempted it. we plugged it in a wall, it illuminated up, and we got a contract.”

The impulse for his many famous origination came on a approach to work one day. “I saw a propagandize bus; we pronounced nobody ever finished a fondle out of a propagandize bus.” Then it strike him…how about a propagandize train lunch box?

“I finished a pleasing pastel sketch of a propagandize bus, and put all a characters in a windows. And we presented it to Aladdin Industries in Tennessee. Bang, they took it right away.”

9 million of those lunch boxes sold.

He also came adult with a Donald Duck pencil sharper, and many others.

And he says for him, a Magic Kingdom hasn’t mislaid a thrill. “Oh we adore it. we adore to go see a children’s faces and parent’s greeting with a children. we consider that’s so interesting.”

Al will shortly applaud his 98th birthday, though he’s not finished yet. “For 30 years we come adult with ideas, and we know what? I’m still entrance adult with ideas.”

Al was married for 61 years until his mother Adeline upheld divided several years ago. He has 4 children, a oldest son is a late Vice Admiral, and 27 grandchildren.

Hats off — or in this case, rodent ears off — to a Disney Legend, and a good life he has led.

• 
  Discuss
  
• Print
  
  
  

Posted in
Manatee newsroom,
Local

on

Tuesday, Mar 19, 2013 5:58 pm.