SeaWorld Orlando: Pete Penguin Trek

 Pete Penguin is one of SeaWorld's longest running mascots.  I've made the chilly, dapper bird using sea shells and shark teeth found on the beaches of Venice, Florida.

My first visit to SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida was as a kid in 1987.  This was at the height of my obsession with SeaWorld, marine animals, and SeaWorld's animated characters, Shamu and his Crew.  We stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton close to SeaWorld for about a week.  As such, we got a multi-day pass to SeaWorld and by the end of that week, I had pretty much memorized all the shows.

In 1987, the newest attraction was the "Brrrand New Penguin Encounter."  This featured a moving sidewalk through a massive building showing off the birds.

In 2013, the park revamped the Penguin Encounter to become Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin.  This included an exhibit where visitors could actually enter the cold world of the penguins.  There was also a trackless dark ride included---but I never experienced this ride, as it was closed every time I visited.  Eventually, this dark ride shut down for good.

In 2024, a brand new family snowmobile roller coaster called Penguin Encounter (built by Bolliger and Mabillard) will replace the old dark ride (and beyond the building).  I have to say, a penguin themed roller coaster may be my favorite idea they've come up with.

Pete Penguin himself has changed quite a bit over the years, starting out as a character wearing a top hat.  In the 1980s, Pete was given a makeover with a stocking cap, and also given a female counterpart named Penny.  This 1980s version of Pete still survives today, with Pete and Penny being included in SeaWorld's Christmas Winter Wonderland on Ice.

DuckTales The Movie: Collie Baba, You Old Dog!

 In DuckTales The Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (1990), Scrooge McDuck adds to his wealth by  finding the hidden treasure of the legendary thief, Collie Baba.  Here, Uncle Scrooge and Collie Baba are made from sea shells and shark teeth found on the beaches of Venice, Florida (in addition to paint and just a little bit of metal hardware--for Scrooge's spectacles and Collie Baba's mustache and goatee).

The movie was a spin-off of the 1987 syndicated series Disney's DuckTales.  Which itself was an adaptation of the Uncle Scrooge comic books series that really took off in 1952 (the character was first introduced in 1947).

Alan Young voiced Uncle Scrooge in the original DuckTales TV series and film.  He began playing Scrooge in a 1974 record album adaptation of A Christmas Carol which was later adapted into the famous 1983 film, Mickey's Christmas Carol.  1990s kids may also know Young from his role in the live action series Mister Ed (a 1961 sitcom about a man with a talking horse) that ran in reruns on Nick at Nite.

DuckTales The Movie was created by Disney TV Animation and animated by Walt Disney Animation France and Walt Disney Animation UK (the studios in France and the UK closed long ago).  The screenplay was written by Alan Burnett, who went on to guide the stories for Batman The Animated Series at Warner Brothers.  A real highlight of the movie for me is the adventurous soundtrack by David Newman.

The character of Collie Baba has a very interesting function in the film.  He is an important figure in the story, but the audience only gets brief hints of what he looks like in the form of statues and iconography.

A Goofy Movie: Roxanne and Max Sea It Eye To Eye

 In the 1995 film A Goofy Movie, Goofy drags his son, Max, across the country to go on a fishing trip---far from his beloved crush, Roxanne.  Here, Max and Roxanne are made from painted sea shells and shark teeth found on the beaches of Venice, Florida.

A Goofy Movie was not a big hit when it debuted (I saw it in the theaters twice), but over the years it has gained a large following.  It joins other Disney films like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Hocus Pocus that were not big successes in their debut but gained a huge following later.

Max was voiced by Jason Marsden, who many 1990s kids may remember as a live action TV series regular on Step by Step and Boy Meets World.

Roxanne was voiced by Kellie Martin, who was a familiar face on TV on shows like Life Goes On and ER.  She was also the voice of Daphne on A Pup Named Scooby Doo.  In a way, Roxanne is kind of a cross between Daphne and Scooby Doo.

The characters have pictures of their loving fathers (taken by Goofy in his photography studio at Kmart).  Roxanne's Dad is a snarling, ferocious dog who adores his darling daughter.  Poor Goofy (voiced by Bill Farmer), the ever cheerful soul, must clash with an aloof, moody teenager.

French Vanilla Bully, German Chocolate Weenie, And The Butterscotch Terrier

 

French Vanilla Bully, German Chocolate Weenie, and the Butterscotch Terrier are a trio of valuable, scheming dogs who create all kinds of mischief.  They might even infiltrate a wealthy home and rob it.  These characters are made of sea shells and other materials I found on the beaches in Venice, Florida (and some paint, too).

I became fascinated with French Bulldogs thanks to YouTube videos and TV shows like Christina on the Coast.  The breed is incredibly popular now and there's also a bit of controversy surrounding them.  They are prone to breathing issues.  As someone with Sleep Apnea, I can relate to their plight.

I feel like I have always had neighbors or friends with Dachshunds.  And let me tell you, Dachshund enthusiasts are devoted to their feisty German hot dog buddies.  I was shocked to discover that Dachshunds were bred to hunt badgers (the name actually means "badger hound" in German).

And then there is the Scottish Terrier.  In junior high, I had a math teacher named Mrs. Cross.  Mrs. Cross was obsessed with Scottie Dogs.  She wore Scottie clothing, had a Scottie clock in the classroom, and all sorts of Scottie office supplies.  She also had a pet Scottie named McDuff that she always talked about.

I wanted to do a dog project for a while, and I was drawn to the extreme, comical proportions of the French Bulldog, the Dachshund, and the Scottish Terrier.  Things fell into place with the dessert "flavor" theme---French Vanilla, German Chocolate, and Butterscotch (I landed on Butterscotch after getting a Butterscotch Dilly Bar at Dairy Queen).

Groovy Beauty and the Funky Beast: Freaky Foam Figure

 

Back in 2015, I came up with an idea for a 1970s twist on the Beauty and the Beast story called Groovy Beauty and the Funky Beast.  In 2018, I decided to build the Funky Beast using sheets of foam.  For his gold chains and belt buckle, I used thin gold metallic sheets of fabric.  At the time, I was frequently going to craft stores to discover new materials.

Like so many weird ideas I've had, I did this and forgot about it. 

If this character was ever to be in a movie, I'd cast actor Jason Mantzoukas to play him.  I feel like it looks like him and I wasn't even trying to do that.

A Goofy Movie: Camping With Bigfoot And An Octopus

 Behold, the legendary Bigfoot!

I love 1995's A Goofy Movie so much that I saw it twice in theaters when it debuted.  I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it.  One of my favorite things about the film is the entire camping sequence, and especially the Goofy world's version of Bigfoot (being an ape with a dog nose).  I decided to make Bigfoot out of shells, shark teeth, and other sea junk found on the beaches of Venice, Florida.  I also made Pete's pet octopus, who lives in a cool aquarium inside Pete's outrageous RV.  The dome tank is a rock and the cabinet is made of shells.  I love the absurdity of having an octopus on a camping trip. 

New Shrimpola Cola From Sheep In The Big City: Contains Shellfish

 The 2000 Cartoon Network series Sheep In The Big City contained a commercial for a "brain burning" shrimp-based soda called Shrimpola Cola.  The mascots for the new drink were a duo of Beastie Boys shrimp, singing a catchy rap jingle.  I made one of the Shrimps out of shells, shark teeth, and rocks found on the beaches of Venice, Florida.

I did not catch Sheep In The Big City when it originally aired, but I stumbled across the Shrimpola Cola commercial on YouTube and fell in love with it.  I really admire the graphic style of the Sheep series, created by Mo Willems.  I'm especially impressed that he created shrimp characters that actually look like the Beastie Boys.

Gooey Grilled Cheese And Tangy Tomato Soup

 I like a challenge, which is why I decided to make characters out of one of my favorite classic comfort food duos, a Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Soup.  Loner, Tangy Tomato Soup would love nothing more than to relax in his piping hot basin.  But high strung, Gooey Grilled Cheese gets a thrill taking a big dive into the bowl to have a warm and toasty visit with his saucy, acidic best bud.

Logan Berry and the Grape Bovine

 

Logan Berry sports a milkman type uniform and has a knack for whipping up some delicious treats, including his signature Grape Bovine.  The Grape Bovine is Logan's twist on a classic Purple Cow drink, which is a grape soda ice cream float.  Logan Berry happens to be an inventive chef and farmer, and creates his Grape Bovine from scratch.  He grows the grapes in his vineyard to make his own grape soft drink and to form two Grape Bovine cow nostrils.  He milks his cow to make the tasty ice cream that forms the Grape Bovine head.  He mixes his own whipped cream to make the Grape Bovine's hair.  He creates his own candy corn to make the Grape Bovine's horns and ears.  He even prepares his own chocolate sprinkles to represent the Grape Bovine's eyes.  Logan Berry and the Grape Bovine here are made from sea shells, rocks, and other items found on the beaches of Venice, Florida.  The characters are ready to make Logan Berry and the Grape Bovine a national restaurant chain.

I am often inspired to create characters based on actual people I meet.  Logan Berry and the Grape Bovine is such a case.  Logan Berry is based on an actual Logan (whose last name was NOT Berry) I knew who worked at a Culver's frozen custard restaurant in Florida.  A Loganberry is a hybrid of a blackberry and a raspberry.  A grape is actually considered to be a berry, so it felt natural to have a berry based character with a berry based frozen treat.  I was also inspired by the legendary Orange Julius fruit/dessert based drink empire.