J-Man Jokerz Wild: Batman Beyond the Sea Returns

 The world of the futuristic Batman Beyond animated series is terrorized by a gang of thugs called the Jokerz.  The most Jokerish looking of the Jokerz is a dapper guy named J-Man.  J-Man is the second character I've built from Batman Beyond, using shells, rocks, and shark teeth found on the beaches of Venice, Florida.  J-Man was voiced by none other than Batman The Animated Series artist and legend, Bruce Timm.

There are some very sinister looking members of the Jokerz gang.  One of them, named Scab, looks like one of Santa's Elves from 1983's A Christmas Story (the ones that are rough with Ralphie and Randy at the department store).

Peter Pan’s Flight: From Disneyland to DisneySea

My introduction to Disney's Peter Pan was riding Peter Pan's Flight at Walt Disney World in Florida as a small child back in 1983 (I did not see the Peter Pan film until it was released on VHS in the 1990s).  The attraction was definitely my favorite thing at The Magic Kingdom at that time, particularly because it seemed like the least threatening of all the "dark rides" there.  I made Peter Pan and Tinkerbell using shells, shark teeth, and other sea junk found on the beaches of Venice, Florida.

Peter Pan's Flight can be found at Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Shanghai Disneyland.  In addition, a brand new Peter Pan "land" with a brand new flying attraction is coming to Tokyo DisneySea in Japan.  It will be part of Peter Pan's Neverland in the new "Fantasy Springs" expansion planned for 2024.

All the Peter Pan's Flight attractions are slightly different.  I've only ever been on the versions in Florida and California.  But from ride videos I've seen, I think Tokyo Disneyland has the best one, as it looks to have taken the Florida version and expanded and upgraded the experience.  If you are a fan of Peter Pan, Tokyo seems to be the place to be.

1971 Walt Disney World Winnie the Pooh, Made From Shells And Shark Teeth Too

 Winnie the Pooh has been at Walt Disney World since it opened in 1971.  The first version of Pooh that people could meet at the Parks was "Honey Pot Hat Winnie the Pooh."  It was basically a big puppet, with the performer looking out of the honey pot and controlling the wiggling nose, ears, and puppet arms with their hands.  This Pooh could also be found at Disneyland (where it debuted in 1966), as well as in Sears stores and at Tokyo Disneyland in Japan.  This version of Pooh was retired from the Parks by 1990, but lives on in YouTube videos.  I made Winnie and his pesky bee companion using shells, rocks, and shark teeth from the beaches in Venice, Florida.

Pooh was a big part of my first visit to Walt Disney World in 1981, which ended up ending before it started.  Because my brother got very sick, we only got to visit the Disney Village Marketplace, which at the time had a Winnie the Pooh themed character shop.  The shop had an animated Pooh with a balloon that drifted through the store.  I have never been able to find any pictures of that store online.  Maybe someone who reads this will remember it, too.

Smurfs, Avatar, and Boo Berry: North Port Florida Culver’s Blue Cutlery Crafts

 

I live in Venice, Florida, but also work in nearby North Port.  In time, I've become friends with some of the folks at the local Culver's restaurant.  Culver's is famous for its frozen custard.  They also have blue plastic utensils.  One day I decided to make a very unique cross over.  Smurfs (using standard Culver's spoons), Jake Sully from Avatar (using a long ice cream spoon), and General Mills Cereal ghost Boo Berry (using a fork).  The Smurfs and Jake Sully enjoy their familiar forest setting in a small house plant.  Boo Berry enjoys haunting the house.

Pua the Pig’s Seaside Luau: The Rise of Moana’s Sidelined Sidekick

 

When Disney first revealed details about “Moana” years ago, I was intrigued by the cute pig character, Pua. Of course, when the movie was actually released, Pua was barely in the film. From a story perspective, I can understand why he wasn’t included. But a funny thing has happened. Though he was not a big part of the movie, Pua became a smash hit merchandising character.  I made Pua here using shells and shark teeth from the beaches in Venice, Florida.

I finished Pua 3 days after Hurricane Ian struck Florida. We were luckily spared significant damage in our neighborhood.

My first introduction to “Moana” was in 1990 on a very memorable trip to Hawaii. While on Oahu, we visited the (then) brand new Disney Store at the Ala Moana Center mall. 

We also visited Maui for about a week. We took a drive to the remote town of Hana. On the way, we saw a “Baby Pig Crossing” sign deep in the jungle.

One Way Sesame Street: Muppet Fonzie Jumps the Shark Teeth

 "One Way" is one of my earliest memories of watching Sesame Street as a three year old in 1978.  "One Way" featured a parody of Henry Winkler's "The Fonz" from the TV show "Happy Days" on his motorcycle trying to navigate his way down a one way street.  The song "One Way" was performed by singer and composer Christopher Cerf, who created a great deal of music for Sesame Street.  "One Way" was released on record albums, attributed to Sesame Street's resident rock band, "Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats" (Cerf also performed for these musical Muppets, notably the song "You're Alive").

"One Way" was simply a memory stuck in my head for decades until I finally saw it again on YouTube.

I created Muppet Fonzie, the motorcycle, and the One Way sign using shells, rocks, and other sea junk found on the beaches of Venice, Florida (I used paint and glue, too).

Interestingly, Henry Winkler was speaking at an event for the Tidewell Foundation in nearby Sarasota last month and I unfortunately did not get to go see him.  That would have been cool, like Fonzie.

Disneyland Haunted Mansion Rock Rocket Skull

 Disney's The Haunted Mansion attraction at the Disney parks around the world is full of surprises.  The original 1969 Disneyland version in California contains an effect that once featured prominently but now clings to life in the Graveyard.  It's a Rocket Skull, a "Blast-Up" feature based on a simple trick used in spook house rides and amusement parks for decades.  The skulls are attached to thin wires and are sent flying up with a blast of air.  In Disneyland, two Rocket Skulls were in the Attic Scene for decades.  They were removed when Disney started tinkering with the bride storyline.  One survivor Skull still exists near the tea party scene in the Graveyard.

I'm not sure if the Rocket Skulls air blast effect was used in any other Haunted Mansion besides the one in California.  The Skulls themselves are used in the Great Hall scene in all the Mansions, where they float out of the massive pipe organ (and are a Pepper's Ghost effect like the other spirits in that scene).

This Blast-Up Rocket Skull is made from rocks and shells I found on the beaches in Venice, Florida.  This is my third Haunted Mansion character made out of sea junk (I've also made a Pop Up Ghost and a Gargoyle).

Charles Entertainment Cheese, The Pizza Time Theatre Rat

 

I grew up within walking distance to Showbiz Pizza Place in Vestavia Hills, Alabama.  Over the years, I watched as a rat named Chuck E. Cheese slowly invaded the restaurant (starting with redemption prize souvenir banks) before the Showbiz chain was eventually renamed to Chuck E. Cheese.  The Showbiz/Chuck E. Cheese drama is an insanely complicated story that I will not even attempt to explain here (go watch Defunctland's Chuck E. Cheese story on YouTube!).  But as a kid, I had never been to a Chuck E. Cheese branded location (though I remember hearing classmates talk about it).  Chuck E. Cheese started in 1977, and the animated figures used in the pizza restaurants were characters cut off at the waist inside picture frames mounted on the walls.  Chuck E. Cheese (AKA Charles Entertainment Cheese) himself was a tough New Jersey Rat with a cigar.  Even though I grew up with the full bodied, more advanced characters from Showbiz Pizza, I do find the original, clunky 1977 Chuck E. Cheese "Portrait Animatronics" to be charming.  Eventually, Chuck E. Cheese was redesigned and his species was reassigned to a somehow more acceptable mouse alternative.  I miss the sleazy, inappropriate, old rat version of Chuck E. Cheese.  So I made a figure of Charles Entertainment Cheese using Sculpey and paint to celebrate the flea-ridden pest who drank and smoked and served up pizza to video game-obsessed kids for decades.

Batman Beyond The Sea

 

The 1999 sci-fi animated series Batman Beyond featured a teenage Batman named Terry McGinnis (voiced by Will Friedle) in a cyberpunk future.  This new Batman was mentored by the original Batman, Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy).

Though I remember when the series aired on the WB (remember that network?) I never actually saw it until a friend introduced me to it on HBO Max.  It's rather shocking that this complex and striking series was a Saturday Morning show.  The series has a very strong cult following, and is beloved by many fans.

I live in Venice, Florida, and I decided to build Batman Beyond out of shells and shark teeth I found on the beaches here.  Batman's fingers, feet, and arm spikes are made out of shark teeth.  Batman's legs and arms are made out of cerith shells.  The iconic Batman Beyond pointy headpiece is made from boring turret snail shells.

  

Kings Island Smurf Blue Ice Cream: Cincinnati Soft Serve

 

In 1984, Kings Island amusement park in Ohio was invaded by the Smurfs.  The Smurfs had been around since 1958 in Europe, but they hit America with full force in the eighties thanks to the Hanna Barbera produced TV series in 1981.  The Enchanted Voyage dark ride in the Hanna Barbera section of Kings Island got a Smurf makeover, and special blue Smurf Ice Cream was sold.  By 1991, the Smurfs were evicted.  Eventually, all the Hanna Barbera characters were kicked out of Kings Island.  For a while, the park became Paramount's Kings Island, and Nickelodeon characters took over.  Ultimately, even the Nickelodeon characters were discontinued when Cedar Fair took control of Kings Island, and Snoopy and the Peanuts gang became the mascots for the park.

The Smurfs may be long gone from Kings Island, but their legacy lives on in the form of Blue Ice Cream, which is still sold in the park and is a Kings Island tradition.  I made this Smurf and his namesake Ohio treat using shells and shark teeth I found on the beaches in Venice, Florida.

I grew up in Alabama, but had family in Indianapolis, Indiana.  We visited Kings Island in 1988 and I got to experience Smurfs Enchanted Voyage in all its smurfy splendor.  Unfortunately, it rained all day when we visited, and none of us were in the mood to try the signature ice cream.