The Disneyana Dispatch-The Official Blog of the Disneyana Fan Club!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Marty Sklar Interviewed at Disneyana Fan Club's July 2011 Convention
Here's an interview of Marty Sklar by the "Down the Road Show". The interview was conducted at our Collector's Brunch, part of our July 2011 DisneyanaMania Convention.
President's Message - Summer 2011
Last year, Louis Boish, a founding member and Past President of the Club, proposed the idea of establishing a separate charitable organization to help us further the goals of preserving the rich Disney legacy.
The Disneyana Fan Club Foundation has become chartered by the California Secretary of State and is moving forward with the process of becoming approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It should be operational in 2012.
The Foundation will operate as a separate independent corporation, but the Club will work with the Foundation to sponsor events and otherwise further our mutual interests.
A Board of Trustees will be selected to govern the Foundation, to be comprised of individuals who have experience in such matters and who share our goals and aspirations as set forth in the Club Bylaws.
While there are innumerable foundations in this country, this will be the only one to focus on furthering the message of Disneyana enthusiasts.
For example, if the Foundation sponsors an event, such as our Ryman Arts Collectors Brunch or Give Kids the World Charity Dinner, the cost becomes tax deductible to our members.
Donations to the Foundation can be earmarked for a specific charity or for scholarship. We could actually contribute to the cost of providing an art education to a future Disney animator. And the Foundation could also serve as an estate planning repository for disneyana collections of our members.
Ted Bradpiece from our Chapter at the Park, has volunteered to help with the creation process of the Foundation. If any member of the Club is interested in helping set up the Foundation or suggesting a name for one of the charter trustees, please email tgbradpiece@earthlink.com.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
DisneyanaMania 2011 Wrap-Up Report
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you folks reading the Dispatch - I was having so much fun during the last couple of days of Convention that I fell asleep before I could check in!
We had a really fun and interesting Friday to wrap up DisneyanaMania, followed by a chance to meet good friends and find great buys at the All Disneyana Show and Sale on Saturday and a chance to celebrate Disneyland's 56th birthday on Sunday.
We kicked off the Friday morning seminars with a presentation by Bob Garner, a producer of TV specials and commercials featuring Disneyland and Walt Disney World, as well as the Walt Disney Treasures DVD Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic and the co-author of the book Disneyland: The First Quarter Century.
Bob had some wonderful stories to share about some iconic moments you've probably seen on TV. For example, Bob told us the story of how Mickey Mouse ended up on top of Spaceship Earth for one promotional film, and also how he was able to convince us that "something's gotten into the Matterhorn" for a Disneyland commercial. From moments reminiscing with Rolly Crump to adventures with Danny Kaye at the opening of EPCOT Center, Bob's recollections gave us a idea of everything that it took to create some magical moments on film and video.
After Bob's seminar, we got the opportunity to spend an hour in conversation with animator (and recent Disneyana Fan Club Disney Legend) Mark Henn. Club president Gary Schaengold served as host of an "animation hour" with Mark, discussing his career with Disney and the art of animation.
Mark told us all about his experiences working on classic films like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast and animating the "silly old bear" for the new feature Winnie the Pooh. We also learned how Mark earned his reputation as Disney's "ladies man" (animating several Disney leading ladies, that is).
Our final Convention seminar was a look into the past and perhaps a taste of the future for many of our members, as we heard from former Imagineer Eddie Sotto. Eddie joined us to tell us about what it was like to be a part of the team designing and building Main Street U.S.A. for Disneyland Paris.
Eddie was a wonderful speaker, and his presentation give us insight into both the joys and the frustrations of being an Imagineer working on a Disney theme park, and he told us about a few things to look for when visiting Disneyland Paris - which just might come in handy, since we got word at Convention that the club is planning an event in Paris in April 2012 to celebrate the park's 20th anniversary!
Our final event on Friday was the club's annual Legends Luncheon. Animator Eric Goldberg (whose credits include lead animator for the Genie in Aladdin as well as producer of the Rhapsody in Blue segment of Fantasia/2000) and Imagineer Kevin Rafferty (a senior concept writer who worked on attractions such as Mickey's Philharmagic and Toy Story Midway Mania) joined the ranks of the Disneyana Fan Club Disney Legends at this year's luncheon.
Eric and Kevin both had some wonderful tales to tell about their past and recent work for Disney. Eric shared what it was like to take an already animated Robin Williams and turn him into the Genie, and how caricaturist Al Hirschfeld was moved by the tribute Eric paid to him in creating the Rhapsody in Blue segment. Eric also told us about his work animating Rabbit for Winnie The Pooh.
Kevin told us about having the opportunity to work with Jim Henson on MuppetVision*3D, the challenges of bringing popular attractions like Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, and Toy Story Midway Mania, and hinted a little about what we had to look forward to when Cars Land opens next year.
We also paid tribute to the friends in our Legends family that we lost since last July, such as Bill Justice, and showed highlights of our tributes to the Disney family and Ron Miller at last April's Heritage Award event.
Sadly, Friday ended our official Convention events, but that didn't mean the fun had to end! On Saturday, the club held the All Disneyana Show and Sale, which featured a wonderful variety of great stuff from many vendors, including Walt Disney Imagineering's store Mickey's of Glendale. (Sorry, I was too busy shopping to get any photos!)
On Sunday, our members celebrated Disneyland's 56th anniversary by playing in the Park. Disneyland put together a birthday moment featuring many Disney characters that we really enjoyed; many members also joined the club in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle for a group photo and took on the challenge of a photo-based Road Rally.
It all ended way too soon, but at least we can look forward to next time! Be sure to join us on January 15th, 2012, for the next All Disneyana Show and Sale, and we hope to see you at the Crowne next July for DisneyanaMania Convention & Show and Sale 2012!
We had a really fun and interesting Friday to wrap up DisneyanaMania, followed by a chance to meet good friends and find great buys at the All Disneyana Show and Sale on Saturday and a chance to celebrate Disneyland's 56th birthday on Sunday.
We kicked off the Friday morning seminars with a presentation by Bob Garner, a producer of TV specials and commercials featuring Disneyland and Walt Disney World, as well as the Walt Disney Treasures DVD Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic and the co-author of the book Disneyland: The First Quarter Century.
Bob had some wonderful stories to share about some iconic moments you've probably seen on TV. For example, Bob told us the story of how Mickey Mouse ended up on top of Spaceship Earth for one promotional film, and also how he was able to convince us that "something's gotten into the Matterhorn" for a Disneyland commercial. From moments reminiscing with Rolly Crump to adventures with Danny Kaye at the opening of EPCOT Center, Bob's recollections gave us a idea of everything that it took to create some magical moments on film and video.
After Bob's seminar, we got the opportunity to spend an hour in conversation with animator (and recent Disneyana Fan Club Disney Legend) Mark Henn. Club president Gary Schaengold served as host of an "animation hour" with Mark, discussing his career with Disney and the art of animation.
Mark told us all about his experiences working on classic films like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast and animating the "silly old bear" for the new feature Winnie the Pooh. We also learned how Mark earned his reputation as Disney's "ladies man" (animating several Disney leading ladies, that is).
Our final Convention seminar was a look into the past and perhaps a taste of the future for many of our members, as we heard from former Imagineer Eddie Sotto. Eddie joined us to tell us about what it was like to be a part of the team designing and building Main Street U.S.A. for Disneyland Paris.
Eddie was a wonderful speaker, and his presentation give us insight into both the joys and the frustrations of being an Imagineer working on a Disney theme park, and he told us about a few things to look for when visiting Disneyland Paris - which just might come in handy, since we got word at Convention that the club is planning an event in Paris in April 2012 to celebrate the park's 20th anniversary!
Our final event on Friday was the club's annual Legends Luncheon. Animator Eric Goldberg (whose credits include lead animator for the Genie in Aladdin as well as producer of the Rhapsody in Blue segment of Fantasia/2000) and Imagineer Kevin Rafferty (a senior concept writer who worked on attractions such as Mickey's Philharmagic and Toy Story Midway Mania) joined the ranks of the Disneyana Fan Club Disney Legends at this year's luncheon.
Eric and Kevin both had some wonderful tales to tell about their past and recent work for Disney. Eric shared what it was like to take an already animated Robin Williams and turn him into the Genie, and how caricaturist Al Hirschfeld was moved by the tribute Eric paid to him in creating the Rhapsody in Blue segment. Eric also told us about his work animating Rabbit for Winnie The Pooh.
Kevin told us about having the opportunity to work with Jim Henson on MuppetVision*3D, the challenges of bringing popular attractions like Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, and Toy Story Midway Mania, and hinted a little about what we had to look forward to when Cars Land opens next year.
We also paid tribute to the friends in our Legends family that we lost since last July, such as Bill Justice, and showed highlights of our tributes to the Disney family and Ron Miller at last April's Heritage Award event.
Sadly, Friday ended our official Convention events, but that didn't mean the fun had to end! On Saturday, the club held the All Disneyana Show and Sale, which featured a wonderful variety of great stuff from many vendors, including Walt Disney Imagineering's store Mickey's of Glendale. (Sorry, I was too busy shopping to get any photos!)
On Sunday, our members celebrated Disneyland's 56th anniversary by playing in the Park. Disneyland put together a birthday moment featuring many Disney characters that we really enjoyed; many members also joined the club in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle for a group photo and took on the challenge of a photo-based Road Rally.
It all ended way too soon, but at least we can look forward to next time! Be sure to join us on January 15th, 2012, for the next All Disneyana Show and Sale, and we hope to see you at the Crowne next July for DisneyanaMania Convention & Show and Sale 2012!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Report from DisneyanaMania, Day 3
Our third day of DisneyanaMania Convention 2011 had a little bit of everything, from a look at a new Disneyland parade to a performance by a Disney princess!
We kicked off today's seminars with a presentation by Kevin Kidney, part of the wonderful artistic and design team known to Disney fans as "Kevin and Jody". Kevin joined to to take us behind the scenes of Disneyland's new entertainment spectacular, "Mickey's Soundsational Parade", telling us about what inspired him and his creative partner Jody Daily to create the fantastic floats in the parade and how those floats went from drawing and paper sculptures to reality on the Disneyland parade route.
We also got a sneak peek at some great looking retro-inspired merchandise Kevin and Jody created for Walt Disney World's 40th anniversary, and got to enjoy fun things like an antique Spanish music box that Kevin played for us!
Our next presenter was Karlos Siqueros, manager of food and beverage concept design for the Disneyland Resort and a long time member of our club. Karlos' presentation showed us how some special offerings at the resort's restaurants and food carts help add to the Disney park magic.
Karlos took us on a tour of the new food locations at the Resort, such as Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta at Disney California Adventure and Trader Sam's at the Disneyland Hotel, and special offerings like popcorn buckets and dessert steins shaped like R2-D2 from Star Tours: The Adventures Continue.
Our first presentation in the afternoon was by Ron Miziker, entertainment and television producer, who took us back forty years to the opening of Walt Disney World.
Ron and his team helped put together the three-day spectacular that officially opened the Vacation Kingdom of the World, and Ron's stories, supplemented by sounds, images, and video, was the next best thing to hopping in a time machine and experiencing the opening ceremonies first-hand.
At our next presentation, we were all hearing voices - Disney character voices, that is! We were joined by Bret Iwan (the new voice of Mickey Mouse), Bill Farmer (the voice of Goofy), Tony Anselmo (the voice of Donald Duck), and voice recording producer Ben Hoppe, who helped explain the process of giving our favorite characters the ability to speak.
The highlight of the panel on character voices was a demonstration of how the characters' voices are recorded, with Bill running the sound recording equipment (Goofy running sound equipment?!?) and providing dialogue along with Bret and Tony in time to a snippet of classic Disney animation. It was a lot of fun to watch, and they definitely demonstrated that adding voices to cartoons isn't as easy as you might think!
Our final seminar of the day featured animation historians and critics Jerry Beck and Charles Solomon, who shared their vast knowledge of animation history in general and Disney animation in particular. Their discussion give us a greater appreciation for what Walt and his animators created and the men and women who continue his legacy continue to create today.
Last but definitely not least was this evening's Celebration Banquet, where our special guest was actress and singer Susan Egan. Fans of Disney on Broadway know Susan as the original Belle in the stage version of Beauty and the Beast; fans of Disney animation also know her as the voice of Megara in Hercules.
Susan joined us to sing Meg's signature tune from Hercules, "(I Won't Say) I'm in Love" and the title tune from Beauty and the Beast; Susan also shared her experiences appearing on Broadway and working as a voice actor for Disney.
Susan made the evening magical for our Conventioneers, so the Club decided to return the favor by surprising her with a Disneyana Fan Club Legend Award! She was absolutely thrilled to receive the honor, and we were just as thrilled to see her receive it.
Tomorrow, we'll be enjoying one last set of presentations, and then we'll be adding two more distinguished individuals to our list of Disneyana Fan Club Legends - animator Eric Goldberg and Imagineer Kevin Rafferty. Join us here tomorrow for more highlights from DisneyanaMania, or better yet, come join us tomorrow for the fun and on Saturday for the All Disneyana Show and Sale. More DisneyanaMania to come - stay tuned (or is it blogged?).
We kicked off today's seminars with a presentation by Kevin Kidney, part of the wonderful artistic and design team known to Disney fans as "Kevin and Jody". Kevin joined to to take us behind the scenes of Disneyland's new entertainment spectacular, "Mickey's Soundsational Parade", telling us about what inspired him and his creative partner Jody Daily to create the fantastic floats in the parade and how those floats went from drawing and paper sculptures to reality on the Disneyland parade route.
We also got a sneak peek at some great looking retro-inspired merchandise Kevin and Jody created for Walt Disney World's 40th anniversary, and got to enjoy fun things like an antique Spanish music box that Kevin played for us!
Our next presenter was Karlos Siqueros, manager of food and beverage concept design for the Disneyland Resort and a long time member of our club. Karlos' presentation showed us how some special offerings at the resort's restaurants and food carts help add to the Disney park magic.
Karlos took us on a tour of the new food locations at the Resort, such as Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta at Disney California Adventure and Trader Sam's at the Disneyland Hotel, and special offerings like popcorn buckets and dessert steins shaped like R2-D2 from Star Tours: The Adventures Continue.
Our first presentation in the afternoon was by Ron Miziker, entertainment and television producer, who took us back forty years to the opening of Walt Disney World.
Ron and his team helped put together the three-day spectacular that officially opened the Vacation Kingdom of the World, and Ron's stories, supplemented by sounds, images, and video, was the next best thing to hopping in a time machine and experiencing the opening ceremonies first-hand.
At our next presentation, we were all hearing voices - Disney character voices, that is! We were joined by Bret Iwan (the new voice of Mickey Mouse), Bill Farmer (the voice of Goofy), Tony Anselmo (the voice of Donald Duck), and voice recording producer Ben Hoppe, who helped explain the process of giving our favorite characters the ability to speak.
The highlight of the panel on character voices was a demonstration of how the characters' voices are recorded, with Bill running the sound recording equipment (Goofy running sound equipment?!?) and providing dialogue along with Bret and Tony in time to a snippet of classic Disney animation. It was a lot of fun to watch, and they definitely demonstrated that adding voices to cartoons isn't as easy as you might think!
Our final seminar of the day featured animation historians and critics Jerry Beck and Charles Solomon, who shared their vast knowledge of animation history in general and Disney animation in particular. Their discussion give us a greater appreciation for what Walt and his animators created and the men and women who continue his legacy continue to create today.
Last but definitely not least was this evening's Celebration Banquet, where our special guest was actress and singer Susan Egan. Fans of Disney on Broadway know Susan as the original Belle in the stage version of Beauty and the Beast; fans of Disney animation also know her as the voice of Megara in Hercules.
Susan joined us to sing Meg's signature tune from Hercules, "(I Won't Say) I'm in Love" and the title tune from Beauty and the Beast; Susan also shared her experiences appearing on Broadway and working as a voice actor for Disney.
Susan made the evening magical for our Conventioneers, so the Club decided to return the favor by surprising her with a Disneyana Fan Club Legend Award! She was absolutely thrilled to receive the honor, and we were just as thrilled to see her receive it.
Tomorrow, we'll be enjoying one last set of presentations, and then we'll be adding two more distinguished individuals to our list of Disneyana Fan Club Legends - animator Eric Goldberg and Imagineer Kevin Rafferty. Join us here tomorrow for more highlights from DisneyanaMania, or better yet, come join us tomorrow for the fun and on Saturday for the All Disneyana Show and Sale. More DisneyanaMania to come - stay tuned (or is it blogged?).
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Report From DisneyanaMania, Day 2
We wrapped up our second day of the 2011 DisneyanaMania Convention just a couple of hours ago. We had a wonderful day!
We started off the day's events this morning with Dream, a collector's brunch honoring and supporting Ryman Arts.
Our brunch featured a presentation by artist Noah, who shared his own inspirational story of how doing what he loved led to a successful career creating art.
Noah hoped to pay forward the encouragement and inspiration he received as an aspiring artist by supporting Ryman Arts, and one of the ways he did that was by donating and signing an artist's proof of a painting he did of the Queen from Show White, as well as creating, signing, and donating an impromptu drawing on a napkin!
Although our audience was smaller than it's been compared to past years, and we've all had a tough economy to deal with, our Conventioneers really came through for Ryman Arts, raising over $6000 in contributions for this great program.
After Dream, we proceeded with our first set of seminars. Kicking things off this afternoon were Disney historian Jim Korkis and Disney author and webmaster Jim Hill, who tried to outdo each other in telling the Conventioneers little-known stories about the history of Walt Disney World.
After Jim Hill fashioned himself a podium using supply boxes (Jim Korkis used the hotel's podium), Jim and Jim alternated telling tales, keeping the audience enthralled and in stitches while sharing their knowledge of the World.
For our next presentation, we went from talking about a great big World to discussing beautiful bits of paper. Roger LaRoque and Nick Farago, creators of a guide to Disney theme park postcards, joined us to tell about the history and fun of Disneyland postcard collecting, how they created their postcard guide, and how their guide served as an inspiration for Bruce Gordon and David Mumford's book Disneyland: The Nickel Tour.
Last but not least, we enjoyed an author's panel; the authors of four books about different aspects of Disney joined us to discuss their works. Our panelists were:
*Don Peri, historian and the author of Working With Disney, a collection of interviews Don conducted with legendary artists and others who worked with Walt.
* Nancy Temple Rodrigue, author of the Hidden Mickey series of novels whose plots feature searches for hidden treasure, time travel, and fantastic encounters.
* Professor Andi Stern, an associate professor of communications at Cal State Fullerton and the author of Why We Love Disney, an examination of the influence and the appeal of the Disney brand.
* Jim Korkis, historian and author of The Vault of Walt, a collection of stories about Walt Disney and some on the many fun and enjoyable things he brought to the world.
Our panelists told us about their books and what inspired them, and they shared some great stories about what they've learned about Disney and how Disney has influenced their work.
Today was a fun, inspiring, and informative day, and we're just getting started! Join us tomorrow for another update from the Crowne Plaza, or better yet, join us tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday and be a part of DisneyanaMania!
Alice Davis and Maggie Richardson Enthrall The Crowd at Disneyana Fan Club's Welcome Reception
Club Members who attended Disneyana Fan Club's Welcome Reception were greeted with the theme of "It's A Small World" last night. In attendance were Disney Legend Alice Davis, famed Disney costumer who worked on classic Disney attractions like "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "It's A Small World", and Maggie Richardson, whose Aunt, famed Disney artist and Legend Mary Blair, also worked extensively on "It's A Small World" and many Disney films and attractions. Alice and Maggie were interviewed by our Legends Chair, Alan Halcrow, and shared their memories of Walt Disney and Mary Blair. Afterwards, we participated in a lively round of Bingo, Disney-style, where cool prizes were awarded!
Garner Holt Luncheon A Resounding Success!
Club Members who attended the Luncheon at Garner Holt Productions yesterday all unanimously agreed that the Event was a resounding success! A good time was had by all! Although we were not allowed to take pictures (other than the pictures that I took on the bus here), our Club Members received a warm, hospitable welcome by owner and founder, Garner Holt, and were shown a good time throughout our stay. The air-conditioned bus trip was nice, too, as you can see by the pictures here!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
"Disney Night" in Huntington Beach on July 9th
Looking for something Disney to do this weekend? One of our new advertisers in the FLEX has a special event that may be right up your alley.
Absolutely Fabulous in Huntington Beach will be holding a sale of rare Disney art at their store on Saturday, July 9th at 6:00 p.m. The sale will feature vintage cels, original art figurines, animation drawings, collectors edition and more. For more details, please see the ad below or visit Absolutely Fabulous' website, http://www.absolutelyfabulous1.com/.
Hope to see you at the Crowne on Tuesday for the start of DisneyanaMania 2011!
Paul Schnebelen
Editor-in-Chief
Disneyana Fan Club Fantasyline Express
Absolutely Fabulous in Huntington Beach will be holding a sale of rare Disney art at their store on Saturday, July 9th at 6:00 p.m. The sale will feature vintage cels, original art figurines, animation drawings, collectors edition and more. For more details, please see the ad below or visit Absolutely Fabulous' website, http://www.absolutelyfabulous1.com/.
Hope to see you at the Crowne on Tuesday for the start of DisneyanaMania 2011!
Paul Schnebelen
Editor-in-Chief
Disneyana Fan Club Fantasyline Express
June/July FLEX Now Available Online
Hello everyone,
Just in time for our members preparing to join us for the DisneyanaMania 2011 Convention (and even for those who can't make it), the June/July issue of the Fantasyline Express is now available on the Members page of the Disneyana Fan Club website, www.disneyanafanclub.org. The latest issue of the FLEX features the following articles:
* DFC Disney Family Weekend
* Saying Goodbye to Three Legends
* DisneyanaMania 2011 Convention Update
To access the online FLEX, log in as a member and click on the tab on the DFC home page titled "Members”, and then click on the “Fantasyline Express” Link. You’ll see a link to the webpage with the latest issue and for issues dating back to August 2007 below the Fantasyline Express logo.
NOTE: The Spring 2011 Special Edition, featuring coverage of the 2010 DisneyanaMania Convention, has been delayed in production, but should be available to members soon.
Please e-mail me at editor@disneyanafanclub.org if you have any questions or comments. I hope you enjoy this issue of the online FLEX!
Paul Schnebelen
Editor-In-Chief
DFC Fantasyline Express
Just in time for our members preparing to join us for the DisneyanaMania 2011 Convention (and even for those who can't make it), the June/July issue of the Fantasyline Express is now available on the Members page of the Disneyana Fan Club website, www.disneyanafanclub.org. The latest issue of the FLEX features the following articles:
* DFC Disney Family Weekend
* Saying Goodbye to Three Legends
* DisneyanaMania 2011 Convention Update
To access the online FLEX, log in as a member and click on the tab on the DFC home page titled "Members”, and then click on the “Fantasyline Express” Link. You’ll see a link to the webpage with the latest issue and for issues dating back to August 2007 below the Fantasyline Express logo.
NOTE: The Spring 2011 Special Edition, featuring coverage of the 2010 DisneyanaMania Convention, has been delayed in production, but should be available to members soon.
Please e-mail me at editor@disneyanafanclub.org if you have any questions or comments. I hope you enjoy this issue of the online FLEX!
Paul Schnebelen
Editor-In-Chief
DFC Fantasyline Express
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