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.
Anyone that has been on a Disney World vacation knows that the experience does not exist solely within the time that is spent on property. Beforehand, it is tied up in booking the hotel, scheduling dining reservations, planning daily itineraries (for me at least!) and afterwards, memories are relived as you sort through photos. This is one of the reasons that I love using film in the parks because the experience has not completely ended until I receive my processed film in the mail.
Something that Disney does to extend your experience is send a 'thank-you' note after you arrive home from your trip. I only have two so far (I somehow lost the one from 2013), but I think that are quite a nice thing to save as a memento. I can't wait to share more as I get them!
For film, Friday, this Instax snap of our leading lady, Miss Minnie Mouse! This is her in her meet and greet spot spot at Hollywood Studios. This Minnie was like 4 feet tall and ultra adorable. What a Betty!
Disney's hot right now, ya'll. From princess underwear at Hot Topic to pie-eyed Mickey socks at Urban Outfitters, every trendy retailer seems eager to hop on the bandwagon of endearing whimsy and delicious nostalgia. Described by Bustle asan 'ultra-fandom-friendly fashion line', Black Milk Clothing is no exception. On July 29th, the Princesses and Villains line will drop. What I like most about the line is that many of the items explore Disney in an unexpected way.
For example, the Ariel leggings are fish-scale print as opposed to being printed with a scene from the movie (as with Hot Topic's Disney legging line).
I want to wear these as part of an Ariel Disneybound!
Marie, an underrated and overlooked character (in this country at least!), is featured on more than one piece:
Meow! Marie's such a cutie!
And this Snow White 'outfit'!:
All in all, it's a neat little showing from Black Milk Clothing and I can't wait to see more Disney in the fashion world. Take a look at the collection and let me know which items you like best in the comments section!
A few weeks ago, I picked up TheFairest One of All from Locust Moon Comics, a really neat little shop in West Philly. The book explores the making of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves from start to finish in impressive detail and with great breadth. It is chock full of concept art, model sheets, behind the scenes photographs, and much more, all of which I am excited about sharing with you!
When considering characters from the Disney lexicon, especially those so classic and iconic as Snow White, it is hard to imagine that the animators had anything else in mind but the final form. The truth is that a given character is a result of months, even years, spent creating, shaping, erasing, redrawing, trashing and refining.
Below are some very early sketches of Snow by Grim Natwick, one of her key animators. Natwick is best known for his creation of Fleicher Studios' superstar Betty Boop and was praised in the industry for his female characters. Walt brought him in specifically to work on Snow White. Notice how cartoony this iteration is! This is symptomatic of the nature of animation at this point in history. Although I'm glad that Snow's look eventually evolved towards realism (and caricature was reserved for the Dwarves) I love seeing these sketches as a means of understanding the processes involved in character development.
The Diana Mini is my favorite 35mm format camera because it renders results imperfect and wonderful, always unpredictable and often happy. This double exposure of Spaceship Earth is one such result. Unlike digital photos, which have their place, exposures on film hold a rawness and depth unique to the medium. I can't wait to share more results from this wonderful little camera!
Like many people, I have a somewhat obsessive fascination with Japanese culture, especially when it comes to Disney. It is my dream to visit the Tokyo Disney Resort (which I have a goal to do within 3 years!) and I spend an inordinate amount of time ebaying merchandise from the Japanese Parks. The other day I came across this little guy!:
His name is Gelatoni and he is a friend of Duffy, the Disney Bear. Like Duffy's girlfriend, Shellie May, Gelatoni is exclusive to the Japanese Parks (owing, it seems, to Duffy's mega-stardom over there)! Check out the adorable pink Mickey heads on his little paws and the beautiful minty-green of his coat! I don't know about you but I think he is precious and I just gotta have one!
Duffy and Gelatoni, so cute!
Gelatoni bento from OmGIRI,, previous post about OmGIRI's AMAZING bentos here.
Official Illustration of Duffy and Gelatoni kickin' it.
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):
For Film Friday, a snap of the Chinese theater at Hollywood Studios. Almost an exact replica of Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, this show building (The Great Movie Ride is inside) served as the park icon until the powers that be built a giant, stupid, no-good Sorcerer Mickey Hat in front of it. Such a shame, it really is a stunning replica.
Fun fact: Mary Poppins premiered at the real Grauman's Chinese theater in Los Angeles August 26th, 1964.
In an effort to keep today's post short and sweet (I am oh-so-very tired), I thought I would share some super-awesome Disney-related tattoos. These all came from tumblr, except for the last one, which is one of my own! Although mine is not strictly Disney-related, it is inspired by an illustration found in a Victorian-era edition of The Little Mermaid.
Let me know what you think of these in the comments section!
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!
For Film Friday, a detail shot of the pattern on the front of a snack cart in Future World. I love that so much of Epcot is so 80's and I hope that never changes! Can I get an amen!
When it comes to sexy Disney, Jessica Rabbit is the undisputed Queen. That hair, that dress, those legs, and her BOOBS! Holy bananas, it's like she was designed by a 13-year old boy, but nobody's mad. I have a very early memory of trying to comb all my hair over one eye because it seemed that therein lay the secret to true beauty. That memory may have been from last week.
The following clip is where you, me, and Eddie Valiant first meet Jessica. She is performing the number 'Why don't you do right?' in a night club:
Recently, I have become preoccupied with Disney covers, of which this (clearly) is one. The song was originally written in 1936 by Kansas Joe McCoy:
Peg Lee and Benny Goodman made a pop hit out of it in 1941:
I love that each version has it's own flavor. The original is raw and simple, Jessica's drips with sex, and Peg pulls a sweetness out of it that is not seen in the other two versions. In all cases, however, this fantastic number retains an element of danger and an air of taunting. Bravo, Disney, for picking such great entrance music for Miss Jessica!
Which is your favorite version? Let me know in the comments section!
Footnote: This is not Peg Lee's only, or even biggest, Disney connection. For a great read about Peg Lee's involvement in Lady and the Tramp, check out this post by the Disney Hipsters.
