How Dumbo Almost Ended Up on the Cover of TIME

Up through December 1941, almost all TIME covers had featured a close-cropped, solemn portrait of a man. That month, however, editors prepared something quite different: a cartoon elephant.
Two months earlier, Disney released Dumbo in theaters, hoping to recoup their losses following the financial failures of Fantasia and Pinocchio and a contentious animators' strike.

Up through December 1941, almost all TIME covers had featured a close-cropped, solemn portrait of a man. That month, however, editors prepared something quite different: a cartoon elephant. Two months earlier, Disney released Dumbo in theaters, hoping to recoup their losses following the financial failures of Fantasia and Pinocchio and a contentious animators' strike.