Walt Disney called him "the greatest animator in the world." Fans of classic American animation will not want to miss this evening celebrating the legendary animation and special effects pioneer Ub Iwerks (1901-1971), best known for his original design of the character Mickey Mouse for Disney in 1927. The "man behind" Mickey also gave Disney's product its distinct style and rhythms, and his own technically brilliant, surreal cartoons like Flip the Frog, Willie Whopper, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and the Comicolor Series pretty much defined animation in the 1930s. The innovations of this visual effects wizard laid the groundwork for much of the special effects work we see today, on the screen and in amusement parks.Leslie Iwerks, the artist's granddaughter and a filmmaker in her own right, is the author, along with John D. Kenworthy, of the newly published The Hand Behind the Mouse: An Intimate Biography of Ub Iwerks (Hyperion, 2001; $24.95 hardcover). Leslie Iwerks is also the director of the award-winning feature The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story, produced by Walt Disney Pictures. The film is not only a riveting illustrated history but a wonderful introduction to animation and why it matters. Animation experts including Leonard Maltin and Russell Merritt tell how, in Iwerks' animation, "structure was thrown out to make way for the free-flowing push to the next emotion." The Hand Behind the Mouse: An Intimate Biography of Ub Iwerks is sold at the screening and available as well through the Museum Store (see page 15 for details on summer purchases during the museum's retrofit closure).