Time Gallops On...
A terrific circus-themed paper collage created for Walt Disney Magazine in the 1950s.

CHICKEN OF THE SEA TUNA PIRATE SHIP RESTAURANT
One of the world's most unique restaurants, Fantasyland's landmark galleon is wonderfully rendered - as an initial concept sketch and finished watercolor painting- for a 1955 newspaper publicity insert.

What I found fascinating is that this artwork was re-purposed as one of the Park's earliest souvenir postcards. If you happen to have handy a copy of the book "The Nickel Tour" by Imagineers Bruce Gordon and David Mumford, flip to page 21, card #0015. A shocker, isn't it!

The newspaper caption that accompanied this illustration reads:
"Riding gently at anchor in the heart of Fantasyland, the CHICKEN OF THE SEA TUNA PIRATE SHIP RESTAURANT is a magic must for meals and snacks, when you visit Disneyland. Here in the world's most colorful cafeteria, designed by Walt Disney, you will enjoy both the food and fun offered by the greatest name in sea foods, CHICKEN OF THE SEA."

Disneyland Billboard Design 1955

Disneyland Billboard Design 1955
Originally uploaded by Miehana

A fabulous concept for a freeway billboard promoting Walt Disney's new playland in Anaheim. Pastel and gouache. Artist unknown.

Note the proposed Monstro the Whale water slide attraction, and the knights dukin' it out in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle! One of the most fun pieces of original Disneyland artwork I've ever seen.

GUTEN TAG!

We just returned from a two-week adventure throughout Germany with our dear friend, American folk artist Debbee Thibault. An incredible trip, and I'll share some of it soon.

In the meantime, while I'm coping with the jet lag, here are a couple fantastic mid-century illustrations of jets by artists Herb Ryman and Paul Wenzel. Tschüss!

Disneyland Chemitron Illustration in Color, 1955
Originally uploaded by Miehana

THE WORLD IS A CHEMITRON OF COLOR

Whoa, déjà vu! 

Well, here we are, back together again 'round the ol' Chemitron enjoying Monsanto's Hall of Chemistry at Disneyland!

 This is the finished color artwork for a 1955 newspaper supplement describing the attractions in Walt Disney's brand new showplace.

If you're joining us for the first time, please scroll down a few posts to see the original pencil layout sketches for these very same paintings.

Something I had not noticed before: the Eight Basic Elements appear to be holding hands! Perhaps Monsanto intended to portray the Elements as a group of old chums, a team of friends working hand-in-hand for the benefit of modern man.  Or maybe they're challenging Tomorrowland visitors to a game of Red Rover.

I'll be sharing more original art from this series in the weeks to come, so drop by again soon, won't you?

Learning New Vices

Where is my wandering boy tonight?

Down in the licensed saloon.

Learning new vices all the night long,

Tempted to all that's sinful and wrong,

List'ning to the sirens' old song

Down in the licensed saloon...

A Happy Easter Quiz!
Originally uploaded by Miehana

LISTENING TO THE SIRENS' OLD SONG

I'll raise a mug to anyone who can identify where this "wandering" robotic rabbit once resided.

Happy Easter!

UNBOTTLED GENIES -- THE CHEMITRON AT DISNEYLAND

I'm absolutely fascinated by many of the early exhibits at Disneyland that I've only read about, whether it be desert rocks glowing like colorful gemstones under black light, a giant model of a human blood cell, a monumental clock of the world, or even an aluminum pig. Many intriguing dioramas, murals, and models - the work of anonymous artists funded by some of America's most formidable corporations- are barely a footnote in the Park's history, overshadowed by today's less ambitious delights of churros and fast-passes.

Some of the displays were so "high concept" it's difficult to imagine that they ever managed to get their point across. Take for instance the "CHEMITRON" - the all but forgotten centerpiece of Monsanto's Hall of Chemistry attraction in mid-century Tomorrowland.

“Upon entering Monsanto’s Hall of Chemistry, you will see the CHEMITRON…huge shining test tubes of the eight basic materials found in nature, from which countless chemicals and plastics can be made: Salt, coal, air, oil, sulfur, phosphate rock, water, and limestone -- but from those eight common substances come almost 500 different Monasanto chemicals and plastics. "



Artistically the Chemitron was a knock-out. Oddly art-deco in its design, the "eight basic materials" are depicted as imposing human figures - male and female - silently rising up above their glass cylinders like unbottled genies. Each a mythological god or goddess of the supernatural chemical world, standing waist deep in colored "liquid" -like an assortment of pancake syrups at IHOP.

"Air", for example, was embodied as an ethereal female with her hair floating up toward the ceiling. The crystalline sculpture of "Salt" had an almost cubistic nature, and glossy "Oil" was sleek and fluid. Figures representing translucent properties were internally lit and staggered between more opaque figures, like coal or sulfur.



"In the ceiling above the “Chemitron” spreads the arm of chemistry which transforms these eight basic materials into hundreds of chemicals and thousands of products we use and enjoy. In the hand is a ball of fire, symbol of the complex processes necessary for this transformation. Through the arm's arteries of industry, the chemicals are formed into products that affect our everyday lives.”



So. Whatever became of the Chemitron, I wonder? In contrast to the juvenile marketing of today's Disneyland, it's difficult to imagine it could really have ever existed at all.

Perhaps somewhere in this world there's a vaguely female-ish figure that once represented "phosphate rock" to perplexed Disneyland guests - now dusty and forgotten behind the water heater in someone's garage. A genie waiting to be freed...

New Pixar Play Parade Designed by Jody Daily

New Pixar Play Parade Designed by Jody Daily
Originally uploaded by Miehana

Yeah, I know I've been bragging about this new parade a lot lately, but I'm genuinely excited about it --and not just because I know the guy who designed it! It's fun, funny, and full of charming details that will require repeat viewings to appreciate them all. Pixar's characters get the royal treatment for this elaborate spectacle that hearkens back to the wonderful parades I remember seeing at Disneyland as a kid.

This rendering is the opening unit featuring the Monsters Inc. gang, sluggishly led by baton-twirling majorette Roz. Jody's idea to have the parade begin with a fanfare by a "big bass drum" is a heartfelt tribute to the classic Disneyland parades of the past which were led by Mickey Mouse banging a similar oversized instrument.

"Soft opening" for the parade begins TODAY, MARCH 10, although the official advertised debut is this Friday. The parade steps off at 5:15 every day this week at Disney's California Adventure Theme Park, and will run regularly throughout the summer!

More of Jody's parade designs have surfaced on this site:
http://blueskydisney.blogspot.com/2008/03/pixarification-nation.html

WALT DISNEY'S "SKY CROWN" - A Logo For All Seasons
More eye-grabbing logo concepts for Walt Disney's proposed ski resort in California's Mineral King Valley. Early 1960s.

These miniature works of art (the artist is unknown by me) were done with colored pencils, crayons, and gouache on pieces of white paper mounted onto matte board. The 40 year-old contact cement appears to have absorbed into the paper on some of them, leaving a yellowish patina.

Despite their obvious historical significance, the originals were sold off to the public through Disney's online auctions in 2006. I wasn't able to buy any of them unfortunately, but I'm very grateful for these incredible jpegs to share and enjoy.

Walt Disney's "Sky Crown" Logo
Originally uploaded by Miehana

In the early 1960s Walt Disney famously proposed building a commercial ski resort in the Mineral King Valley near California's High Sierra. The ambitious plans called for the construction of 14 ski lifts, serving an expected 2 million visitors annually by 1973.

Protests by a coalition of preservationists, led by the Sierra Club and the National Park Service, stopped the ski resort from being built, and in 1978 an act of Congress annexed the Mineral King Valley into Sequoia National Park. Happily, the area remains remote and wild today.

Not much is known about Disney's specific plans for the project, but several terrific logo concepts for "Sky Crown" Resort were sold to the public by Disney Auctions in 2006.

This small-ish art piece, in paint and colored pencil, depicts a sunny snowflake icon extolling year-round vacation opportunities in all kinds of weather. The graphic is by an unknown artist.

There is currently a webcam set up in Mineral King, if you'd like to "visit" and see how the area appears right now! www.mk-webcam.net

A TIP OF THE KAP!

To celebrate fellow "keeper of the flame" Major Pepperidge's 600th incredible post on his site "Gorillas Don't Blog", I'm sharing a few pieces of, possibly never before seen, art from Disneyland's past. The Kaiser "Aluminum Hall of Fame" is about as obscure as you can get when talking about Disneyland's extinct exhibits and attractions. Very few images exist out in the wild today, and the color pictures currently on the good Major's blog are an especially rare treat. Make sure you check them out!

This week's images are part of an original pencil layout created in 1955 for a full-color newspaper section previewing some of the " many delights and wonders that are yours to enjoy at Disneyland."

"KAP, THE KAISER ALUMINUM PIG," will be your friendly host as he entertains you with his amazingly versatile antics. By pushing buttons or pulling handles you can make "KAP" flat as a pancake, light as a feather, round as a pole, strong as an ox, twisted like yarn, colored like a rainbow. He'll show you how he can get sizzling hot, dazzling bright, electrically shocking and will perform in many other ways useful to you."

"A giant telescope, a massive structure made of Aluminum and a symbol of man's scientific achievement is the introduction to your adventure in "Kaiser Aluminum-Land." An exciting peek through this brilliantly reflective Aluminum tube focuses your attention on the birth of the "brightest star in the world of metals" Aluminum! In this celestial setting you will see and hear the first chapter of the story of Aluminum's abundance, versatility and beauty.

"A KNIGHT IN ARMOR, a foil clad fire-fighter and a future spaceman each will tell stories of how Aluminum benefits themselves and you."

Disneyland Kaiser Aluminum Venus Sketch, 1955
Originally uploaded by Miehana

"VENUS, HISTORIC SYMBOL OF BEAUTY, is re-created life-size in a futuristic setting of dazzling glamour to represent the welding of Art and Industry, and the inherent beauty of ALUMINUM. The famed statue, draped in Aluminum yarns and bathed in colored lights, is surrounded by a huge multi-colored Aluminum star, beneath which are fanciful settings of possible future uses of Kaiser Aluminum for your benefit.

Another Hercules Parade Model, 1997

Disneyland Hercules Parade Model, 1997
Originally uploaded by Miehana

I'm not a huge fan of the movie, but working on the Disneyland parade which debuted at the time of the film's release is a fond memory.

Here is my original plastic and wood model based on Jody's concept for a float in the "Hercules Victory Parade" which ran at Disneyland in 1997. Jody's idea was for a deadly carnival ride, with Hades' henchmen Pain and Panic careening around on a rickety roller coaster track, in and out of metal doors at the front and rear of the float. Medusa's gaping mouth conjured a fun-house tunnel, while a giant rusted iron figure of Hades had spinning saw blades on the ends of its arms. A costumed performer as the "real" Hades stood on a pedestal overlooking the scene.

All of us working on the parade particularly loved the soundtrack for this unit, which consisted of psychotic circus music and the unending screaming of the characters riding the little roller-coaster.

Does anybody out there have decent pictures of the final float? I didn't take a single shot of the parade when it was running, and I've been kicking myself over it for a whole decade.

Disneyland Characters Backstage - Early 1960s

Disneyland Characters Backstage - Early 1960s
Originally uploaded by Miehana

Disneyland Characters Backstage - Early 1960s

Snow White seems to have been hanging out with the wrong crowd in those days.
Even more intriguing than the odd grouping, this photo was taken backstage in the large open area behind Main Street and Tomorrowland. You can see the bright aluminum nose of the TWA Moonliner in the background, and the brand new Administration Building on the right. Today, the rear wall of Space Mountain would be engulfing that circus tent back there.

Wouldn't it be great to see that crocodile running around Disneyland today? He's terrific!

Disneyland's Carousel of Progress

Disneyland's Carousel of Progress
Originally uploaded by Miehana

The Audio-Animatronics figures created by Disney in the 1960s are among the best and most life-like. This image, of the boy in the Carousel of Progress show, always causes my jaw to drop. He's veeeery real, and only in close-up shots like this can you detect any artifice. Created almost half a century ago, these figures by Walt Disney's talented artisans are still the "state of the art" in my opinion.

Be Mine.
Originally uploaded by Miehana

Disneyland Valentines, 1959.

AMERICA SINGS!
It's incredible to think this animatronic spectacle in Tomorrowland closed 20 years ago. I was such a fan, I videotaped the show five times on its final day, each time from a different vantage point.

The fanciful character design was pure genius (nod to Marc Davis up in Heaven) and inspired me as a child more than anything else in the park.

DISNEYLAND HERCULES PARADE 1997 - FLOAT MODELS
The "Hercules Victory Parade" began its short run at Disneyland in June 1997, and I was lucky enough to be placed on that project, instead of another, more notorious spectacle which debuted that summer as well - "Light Magic!"

I collaborated with artist Vladimir Petrov in sculpting and constructing the float models. For the parade's opening unit shown above,Vladimir sculpted the "God-Go-Round" - a whimsical carnival-style ride which carried several of the Greek deities from the film. The giant Zeus with the lightning bolt was my contribution.

Years later, Vladimir and I had the happy fortuosity of working together again - sculpting several Disney collectibles, including these scale-replicas of props from the film "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

After nearly 25 years with Disneyland's Entertainment-Art department, Vladimir continues to build models and props for Park shows and attractions, such as the Haunted Mansion Holiday each Fall. He is truly one of Disneyland's unsung creative heroes!

Disneyland Fantasmic River Show Models 1991
Originally uploaded by Miehana

And now for a little trip into my past... Long, long ago I was one of the original designers of the “Fantasmic” river show at Disneyland (that’s me with the white ruler and Disneyland Art Director Tom Butsch – who I hope, if he encounters this photo, will forgive me for posting it! Hi Tom!)
Anyway, this is the best image I have of the character models I sculpted for use in creating the show’s giant inflatable puppets. Ursula the Sea Witch and the crocodile (from Peter Pan) were mine, and the dragon (Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty) was sculpted by Rich Collins. This photo was staged for a magazine article – I can’t remember which magazine – to publicize the show which was set to open the following May of ’92. Tom and I felt ridiculous as the photographer kept snapping away. For some reason I picked up a scale rule and started measuring Ursula’s head. Tom is probably saying something like, “I guess I’ll just hold this pencil up and pretend I’m art directing.”

Honestly, though, this picture brings back a lot of memories for me of a very happy time working at Disneyland in the late 1980s and 90s. We’re standing in front of the desk of my boss - the incredible Clare Graham - in a building which no longer exists today. This was before the big corporate “Team Disney Anaheim” building was built. The Entertainment-Art Department office was adjacent to the old parade rehearsal hall which was located approximately where the current off-ramp from the 5 freeway directs cars into a massive parking structure. If our “ghosts” are still occupying that space, they are being driven through daily by thousands of cars driving in to Disneyland. Sad, but that’s progress, I guess.

Of special note, see the Statue of Liberty torch model up on the shelf above the dragon’s head? That model, sculpted by Rich Collins and Jackie Perrault Gonzales, was for a float in the Celebrate USA Parade that ran briefly during the “Desert Storm” conflict.

Here's a “behind the scenes” video of the making of Fantasmic – including a brief clip of Art Director Tom Butsch (sorry again, Tom!) and the models!

Disneyland Ticket Booth Tomorrowland 1967

"Tomorrowland offers new frontiers in science, adventure and ideals," says its 1955 dedication plaque. Design could also have been added to that list, as this most ever-changing realm of Disneyland has been a challenge to Disney Imagineers from its inception. The question: how to style the future for an audience of today?

Walt Disney had admired the flair for colorful, structured motion in the designs of young artist Rolly Crump. For the all-new Tomorrowland of 1967, the Imagineer created a Central Ticket Booth which satisfied the area's broad demands: it delighted mod contemporaries, but also seemed poised to defy gravity and blast off at any moment!