Figment, the newest from Marvel's Disney Kingdoms series!

Of the acquisitions Disney has made over the last decade or so, Marvel has interested me the least.  Although I respect the art form, comics just don't do all that much for me… that is, until Marvel released a series which provides a backstory for Epcot's own cult duo, Dreamfinder and Figment.  My copies of issues #1 and #2 came today!:

This title is the second in what I think is going to be a very interesting series by Marvel called Disney Kingdoms.  The goal of the series is to explore some of the more obscure facets of Disney history, culture, etc. in a fresh way.  For those that don't know, Figment was a character created in the early 80's for Epcot and he, along with his friend, Dreamfinder, were the stars of the attraction Journey into Imagination.  The original incarnation of the attraction closed in 1998, yet, to this day Figment and Dreamfinder maintain a following.

This blog seems to work better when I keep writing to a minimum, so I will let some illustrations from Issue #1 do the rest of the talking for me, and delve further into review mode at a later date. Enjoy!

Silly Figment.

Lyrics lifted straight from One Little Spark, the attraction's theme song.

The story is set in the early 20th century and has a distinct steampunk vibe.

Dreamfinder's leg looks so long!

Disney Mermaids: Mermaid Tryouts at Disneyland!

Although Disneyland opened in 1955, it opened without three of its most iconic attractions: the Matterhorn Bobsleds, the Monorail, and the Submarine Voyage.  These did not open until the park's first large-scale expansion in 1959.

Although the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Monorail still exist in their original form, the Submarine Voyage has been re-themed several times.  As someone who never rode the attraction in its original form, I lament this loss given that I love the steam-punk aesthetic of 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, the film on which it was based.  My lamentation increased a jillion-fold when I found out that the attraction originally included LIVE MERMAIDS!!!  Check out these photos from mermaid-tryouts at the Disneyland Hotel:

So cool.  Uncovering awesome, obscure factoids from Disney history is what keeps me coming back for more.  Here's a video where you get to see the lucky ladies who got the job in action! (Skip to 1:00):

Vintage Disneyland Grad Night Posters

One of things that fascinates me about Disney is how, for so many, it has become interwoven with collective notions associated with American childhood and coming of age.  Sometimes, I wish I could get in a time machine set for 2006, write American Studies instead of Sociology on the declare major do-hicky, and then write my thesis on this very topic.

For Southern Californians, one such pivotal event is Disneyland Grad Night.  Started in 1961 and continuing to this day, the event provides a safe environment for high-school grads to spend graduation evening.  I think it is a super groovy tradition, and I wanted to share some super groovy vintage posters from the event I came across!  I think they are just so neat… they solicit from me a peculiar nostalgia for a time I never experienced.  The one from '71 with the stylized line drawing of the park map really appeals to me for some reason.

1968

1969

1970

1971

1971

Which is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!