Grumpy (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) - Whitman Publishing Co - Walt Disney Paper Mask (1938)

This original 1938 Whitman Publishing Co. paper mask features Grumpy, one of Disney’s beloved Seven Dwarfs from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Issued the year following the film’s groundbreaking release in 1937, these masks are among the earliest pieces of licensed Disney character merchandise, produced when the film’s success was still electrifying audiences worldwide.

The mask is litho-printed on sturdy paperboard with die-cut eyes and original side tabs intact, designed for children’s use during parties, parades, or play. Grumpy’s iconic scowl is captured perfectly in vivid pre-war colors, giving the mask enduring character charm. Few of these fragile promotional masks survive today, making them important artifacts of Disneyana and early American paper ephemera.

Historical Context:

1937: Disney’s Snow White becomes the first full-length cel-animated feature, cementing the studio’s reputation and revolutionizing animation.

1938: Whitman Publishing Co., known for children’s books, novelties, and paper toys, produced this series of dwarf masks as part of the earliest wave of Disney tie-in merchandise.

Highly ephemeral by nature, these masks were often discarded after use, making surviving examples rare and collectible.

Details:

Date: 1938
Publisher: Whitman Publishing Co.
Film Tie-In: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Size: approx. 13.5" x 9"
Medium: Lithographed paper with die-cut eyes and side tabs