Let's See What "Toy Wishes" Thought Millenial Kids Wanted for Christmas!

A Christmas post!  In May!  How timely!  My reasoning is twofold: 1) Going through these old magazines in roughly reverse-chronological order seems like the most fun way to go, especially since I want to save one of the oldest for last.  2) It snowed up here last week.


So today our journey through the '90's starts in the year 2000.  Decades do tend to leak into one-another at the edges.  We'll go over strange ads I found in other, older magazines at the end. Before we go past the cover, though, I'd like to point out that Harry Potter always looked higher than the moon in that particular illustration, and I really don't think anyone can be said to "win" when the prize is live-action "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" merchandise. On that subject...

Every single one of the things in the picture above is terrible.  But especially that ghastly RC car.  And the bath scrubbies.  And those gift boxes that look to be covered in the Grinch and Max's pelts...

On top of that, gifting a movie tie-in book rather than, you know, the original Dr. Seuss book to a child is in every way a nastier, grinchier trick than anything any version of the Grinch has ever done.  You know what, let's stuff all this Grinch movie crap in a box, shoot it into space, and direct our attention instead to Harry Potter merchandise.

Or... maybe let's not.  I do still find it hilarious that anyone ever thought it was a good idea to market mucus and fish flavored candy, when it's clearly meant as a joke in the books.  But basically, this is what you had for Harry Potter inspired food before officially licensed butterbeer.

Honestly, the merchandising of Harry Potter in these days was weird all around.  These limited edition figures aren't pictured but pictures are pretty easy to find on eBay.  I'm just not sure how appealing a ceramic statue of Hagrid about to be mauled by Norbert is to a kid, especially when the damn thing originally retailed at eighty dollars.

Also, LOL forever at that singing fish.  Yeah, we all still have one of those hanging around somewhere.

Man, I don't even know what I could add to these "Disney Dinosaur" toys that would make them funnier.  It is a good reminder of how garish and ugly the advertising campaign was. 

(You'd also think they'd advertise even just one toy of the supposedly highly marketable cute furry things some jackasses insisted this movie about dinosaurs had to have but oh well.)

How about some random ads then?

And I just made us all sad.

The live-action "101 Dalmatians" movies were God-damn inescapable for a few years.  For a reminder of that, stare into these dogs' unnerving people-eyes in despair.

I can say with all certainty that if I did not already know what they were like, this image would have made me never want to play a "Rayman" game ever.  Mother of God...

Aw, but that's why I like TV!  Oh, '90's Enjoying-Violent-Media-Shaming.

Note also that Constable Odo is hip and up with the young people.

I already know that Kiddified versions of Beach Boys songs sung by animals is kind of a Thing, but since I just recently watched "Love and Mercy", this strikes me as... awkward...

And finally, let's have a concert in a place that is currently being plowed over to make room for Star Wars.  Love that Walt Disney Records logo, though.

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Drawing of the Day

Hey, you know what's strange?  I didn't find any interesting "Pokemon" toys in Toy Wishes.

The Bookshelf Tour Part Three!

Art books, reference books, and picture books this time, as well as some books I already mentioned in previous posts.



Jan Brett's Christmas Treasury - I love Jan Brett's art and this is a very nice omnibus of her charming Christmas-themed picture books.

Enchanted Drawings: The History of Animation, Charles Solomon - Outstanding, must-own art book and condensed history of (mostly American) animated shorts and features, with a few stops along the way to briefly discuss animated commercials, music videos, and special effects.  Starts with "Gertie the Dinosaur", ends with "Jurassic Park", and has a wealth of animation art throughout.

Your Favorite Seuss -Basic, but good, collection of art from Dr. Suess' classic picture books.

After Man and The New Dinosaurs, Dougal Dixon -The first of many speculative biology books!  I've reviewed both books before and while they are dated, they are essential for the science-fiction illustrator's collection.

The Alien Life of Wayne Barlowe - Criminy, I need to show more love to Barlowe on this here blog.  We'll run into his better known books later, but this is a very nice overview of his art and career.  It makes me long for a book showcasing all his creature designs for films, though.

Gnomes, Wil Huygen and Rien Poortvliet - Essential, gorgeous book.  I love the world-building so much.

Faeries by Brian Froud and Alan Lee and Good Faeries, Bad Faeries by Brian Froud - Faeries is yet another must-have for your illustrator's library.  It's gorgeous and inspiring.  Good Faeries, Bad Faeries is a fine companion.

Arthur Rackham, James Hamilton - Haven't had a chance to properly read this one yet, but it's a very nice collection of Rackham's illustrations.

Mythopoeikon, Patrick Woodroffe - A former library book I discovered at my college's book sale and it blew me away.  Great psychedelic art.

Since the World Began: Walt Disney World - The First 25 Years, Jeff Kurtti - An essential part of any Disney theme park nerd's library.

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Birds: The Definitive Reference to Birds of the World,  Dr. Christopher M. (ed.) Perrins - Found this giant, beautifully illustrated book in Buck-A-Book and it's been in my library ever since.

The Encyclopedia of Animals: A Complete Visual Guide, Fred Cooke and Hugh Dingle - An illustrated animal encyclopedia is a must-have and this one's pretty good.



And here's a pile of picture books, any one of which I'd recommend heartily.  We're almost finished with the tour!

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Sketch of the Day

The first "Final Fantasy" continues to be strange.

Florida Holiday 2011 Trip Report - Come to Hogwarts for the Holidays!

We hadn't been to Universal Studios Florida in a long time. As you may have heard, there was some new stuff to see there. Yes, our goal was to visit the awkwardly named park-within-a-park Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and oh there are many things to discuss about that. We'll get there eventually, but it's a long walk.



We passed by this odd construction on our way into CityWalk. The monster in front is throwing me off; anyone have any ideas what this could be? I've heard everything from an elaborate new store to a mini-golf course.



I'd heard that Universal doesn't decorate or do much for the holiday season, but that turned out to be very wrong. They only "don't do much" in comparison to Disney. Islands of Adventure concentrates most of it's decorating to Seuss Landing, turning it into Whoville. Awww...



{Ace Ventura} "YEEEEUMMY!!!" {/Ace Ventura}



Team Jacob! But not that Jacob!



Oh, Merlin's beard we're here already!

Alright, since this is my first visit to WWOHP (I'll just call it Hogsmeade from now on), I'll talk a little bit about what I thought of the park with an eye towards setting, park design, and how successful it is in immersing you into a fictional city. In short, this is the part where I nerd it up.

Overall, it is very impressive indeed and the very best part is, in fact, that set design. Built into about half of the Lost Continent "land" of IOA (the more whimsical fairy tale area rather than the more serious mysterious myths and legendary legends section), Hogsmeade is maybe just a little bit bigger than the Germany village of EPCOT's World Showcase. They look and feel somewhat similar as well, with all the shops sort of flowing into each-other and an overall very effective "this is a real little town that is hundreds of years old" feel.



Pictured: A bunch a book-readin' loser nerds nerding out.

This does bring up some oddities though. In World Showcase, each little international city is purposefully designed to look special no matter what direction you enter them from and there's enough transitional space so that it isn't too jarring going from, say, Norway to China. Now, this is partially because Walt Disney World has the benefit of space. Universal, sadly, must cram things in where they can fit, which results in sights like this:



Yeah. Additionally, Hogsmeade is really only intended to be entered from the counterclockwise path we took. What you see above is the other entrance.

Now on top of this, you have the number of people who want to visit a Harry Potter theme park vs. book-accurate recreations of Ollivander's and the Three Broomsticks. The result is a deeply uneasy compromise, and you end up seeing things like a line for Ollivander's that is longer then the one for the flagship ride. As for the Three Broomsticks:



Pictured: Authentic English pub.

Our meal at the Three Boomsticks brought my attention to another very important difference between Disney and Universal: Disney cast members are the nicest people on the planet. Their main motivation is for you to take your time and enjoy your experiences to the fullest.

Universal people want you to get your food, get on your ride, and get out. Okay, maybe not, but everything in the Three Groomsticks felt rushed as hell. And I probably ought to mention that it's a cafeteria, not a sit-down restaurant. Eh, at least the food is pretty good.



As far as drinks, since everyone seems curious about this. Butterbeer is... pretty good. On recommendation, I went for the frozen version. I actually rather liked the pumpkin juice better. I have a soft spot for drinks that smell like pumpkins and for things served in containers shaped like fruit. Little touches like that, and the Cauldron Cakes on display above, make me happy.



A-yi-yi, this is running long! I'll end here with my review of the one new ride in Wizarding World: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Housed inside (seemingly at least) Hogwarts Castle, which is an amazing achievement in itself, rising like a rude gesture in Mickey's face into the sky, the ride is so state of the art, nobody really knows how to describe it. Attendants will compare it to Soarin' or Star Tours only because there is nothing out there at all like it. If there is one ride that is somewhat similar, it's the Spider-Man ride in the same park. Even then, Harry Potter and the Forbin Project is like Spider-Man on some kind of mood-altering substance.

Before you get on the actual ride, you experience what is, in my opinion, the most outstanding part of the overall attraction: the tour through Hogwarts. On busy days, I suppose you have a lot of time in each room of the castle and enough time to see each little show in each room. The effects are outstanding and the little details and in-jokes are terrific. Unfortunately, when the wait is short you are rushed through the rooms to get all but shoved into your ride vehicle at the end. There is an alternative, the "walking tour", which starts through an alternate pathway at first, then you join the real queue in Dumbledore's office. It's designed for kids too little to ride but is a fun experience for anyone.

Which brings us to the ride itself... Ye Gods. The technology is superb, certainly, but the whole thing is like a rude gesture in the face of people who still think Harry Potter is for little kids. And that rude gesture takes the form of a Dementor eight inches away from you.

Since "Will I Be Able To Handle 'Harry Potter: Friendship is Magic' Because of (enter thing person is afraid of here)" posts pop up so often on DISboards, I give you a public service announcement:Auntie Tricia's Handy-Dandy Islands of Adventure 'Harry Potter and the Gooey Kablooey' Disclaimer Warning Sign Translation Guide!
What Universal's Official Warning Signs Say: Vague warning, something about claustrophobia.What They Really Mean: This ride was made for people who are fond of being locked in a very snug box (and mind you, I am thin) which is arranged in such a way that the ride feels like a solo excursion even though your friends are six inches to the right and left of you.What Universal's Official Warning Signs Say: Guests who suffer motion sickness maybe shouldn't ride, or something.What They Really Mean: Guests who may freak the eff out when their flying box starts falling backwards should be at least aware that this is going to happen. It's cool though; you never actually go upside-down, right?What Universal's Official Warning Signs Say: This ride involves smoke and lighting effects.What They Really Mean: Hey, do you enjoy monsters and dragons and giant spiders and more giant spiders and oh God, giant spiders everywhere and giant spiders for nigh on twenty damn minutes and antisocial trees and demons who eat your sanity popping up like a couple of feet away from your face for the whole ride? Of course you do! Who wouldn't?

Next post, more fun in Universal! And a decreasing likelihood that this trip report will be finished by Christmas...

On to Part Seven!
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Sketch of the Day!

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" airs... tonight?

Yes, tonight. At eight PM EST. On TBS. Followed by "Shrek" and "The Cat in the Hat". Yes, THAT "The Cat in the Hat". The visual representation of the opposite of fun that also made Audrey Geisel halt any further live-action film adaptations of her late husband's books and keep very strict quality control on any other adaptations (deep breath) THAT "The Cat in the Hat". I guess we should be grateful they aren't airing the ghastly live-action "Grinch", but still,

OK, that issue aside, why November? Why the week before Thanksgiving? I recall "Grinch" being aired very early last year as well, and at this rate, we'll be seeing the special air in October some year.

But who am I kidding? It's the Grinch! You could make a great argument that this was Chuck Jones' Crowning Moment of Awesome. And having Jones and Dr. Suess and Boris Karloff and Thurl Ravenscrofft and June Foray all working together is like a perfect storm of win. This is easily the greatest Christmas special of all time and is also an excellent litmus test. Any adult who doesn't go "aww" at any moment in the show, particularly the ending (only acid reflux is more guaranteed to bring me to tears), is very likely going to display worse problems later on.

In most markets, I have noticed that "The Grinch" is often rerun in December, closer to Christmas. I'll have a list of things to look for ready by then; I just need to dig out my copy of Chuck Reducks.

What's a little bit more interesting is that there is a brandy-new "Futurama" holiday special this Sunday...
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In other news, New England Comicon is this Sunday. Lots of Comic Art Guild people will be there (but possibly not me as I have a prior commitment and just learned about this event.)

Also, the AV Club has a very nice write-up on watching the DC Animated Universe. They are dead-on about "Superman" but I disagree with them on "Batman Beyond".

ALSO also, here is a drinking game idea. "Harry Potter" fans, Drink when you have flashbacks of the long, l-o-n-g summer of 2003 (when a considerable number of movie reviews for the second and third "Matrix" movies -which are essentially one long movie released in two parts and also it had been a while since the first movie- were written by people -people paid to write reviews of movies, mind you- who did not bother to go back and watch the first movie...)

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Art of the day! Actually, it is time to start thinking of this year's Christmas card design isn't it?



EDIT: I didn't go with these designs, but cards are now available at the Zazzle store.

"How The Grinch Stole Christmas" is on tonight!

But not for all of us.
While eating leftover apple pie for breakfast for the third morning in a row, sitting in a weird amalgamation of Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations, and fretting over how I'm going to tackle the holiday season on this blog, I saw this at the Christmas Specials Wiki and thought I should share the heads-up:

Viewers in the Boston and Manchester, New Hampshire areas are going to need to have a DVR ready as the specials "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "Shrek the Halls" will be pre-empted for the New England Patriots-New Orleans Saints NFL Monday Night Football game telecast produced by ESPN this Monday (10/30).
The programs are scheduled to air at approximately 3 AM EST. (Emphasis mine.)

Oh man, it's Fox's treatment of the last season of "Futurama" all over again!!!
Seriously, though. This is the only time Chuck Jones' "Grinch" - arguably his crowning moment of awesome - will be viewable on broadcast television. Now, as a drooling Chuck Jones fangirl, I obviously have the DVD. And anyway, didn't ABC have the stones to cut scenes out of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" last year? For more commercials even?!
Ah, well. Here is a helpful schedule of almost every holiday special airing on television this season. The big three are all this week: "Charlie Brown" is on tomorrow night and "Rudolph" follows on Wednesday. I really wanted to do long, loving tributes to each of these animated Christmas special for the days on which they air (it is obligatory for an animation blog written by someone who grew up with them). I am probably going to do this anyway, but you'll have to DVR the specials to follow along, I guess. It's still November, dammit! Who'd expect Christmas specials on now? I remember when you didn't see any specials before the Solstice.
I'm rambling.
For now, eh, go Pats I guess.
EDIT: Boston gets the Grinch on December 23, which makes a heck of a lot more sense anyway.