Kim's Corner
Page 5 of 17

Conventioneers were offered the chance to purchase these Toy Story 2 pieces - "Yee-Ha!" featuring Jessie and "Ride Like the Wind" with Bullseye - in a limited edition of 150 pieces with a special event back stamp. Pre-orders were also signed by the artist.
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Toy Story 2 WDCC Special Backstamp Sculptures - Only 150 sets of the new WDCC open edition release of these Toy Story 2 sculptures were available to convention guests in a special event backstamp version. "Yeee-ha!" featuring Jessie the Cowgirl (Height: 7 ½") and "Ride Like the Wind!" Bullseye (Height: 7 ½") in porcelain were packaged along with the Record-Player Base in resin as a set. Pre-ordered pieces were pre-signed by the artist.

Set Suggested Retail Price: $345

- "Walt's 100 Years of Magic" is a wonderfully produced framed sericel - 44" x 30" - and was limited to 1,000 pieces - and sold for $1,200.00.
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100 Years of Magic Sericel - This wonderful - and quite large - 44" x 30" - piece made its retail premiere at the "Made in California" event and is currently available in the Disneyana Shop on Main Street. A truly incredible piece of Walt Disney Animation Art was produced as a hand numbered limited edition of 1,000 pieces and celebrates the centennial of Walt Disney's birth. Registered conventioneers had the opportunity to purchase the first 75 sequentially hand-numbered pieces in the edition. The sericel features 64 beloved Disney characters and 63 vibrant colors on cel surrounding a lithographic background of Walt Disney walking through Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. Available framed only

Framed Suggested Retail Price: $1,250

That pretty much takes care of the event merchandise - there were display cases full of WDAC product to tempt and tease even the casual collector - but, that’s for another column. The WWDAC conventions also feature unique experiences and hands-on seminars - Fab and Rebekah have told you all about them - now it’s my turn.

Collectors are fans and fans love the "Behind the Scenes" work - this convention had some of the best I’ve ever seen offered.

I enjoy artists - meeting those who are responsible for the figurines or art that have a place in my collection is always a hoot for me. It’s the WDAC’s

 Just when I thought that I’d heard every Tony Baxter story or seen every little Sammy McKim film clip - I was surprised. I found Tony to be relaxed and the tour of his home and collection were amazing. Like him, I would happily park a Mr. Toad car in my dining room and eat on TV trays, and that he still has a model of Sleeping Beauty Castle that he crafted from a photograph on the front cover of a Disney guide book at the age of 13 is a tribute to his love of the place. I found that - for all of the accomplishments in his career - his love of Disney is his most prized possession.

Those who know me know that I have a thing for "foggies" - for the record - a foggie is someone - male or female - who is of an age or experience who can tell a first-hand, first person Walt story. Listening to Sam and his son Matt tell the stories of their careers and experiences working for the same company was fun. But, for me, it was the opportunity to see the reverence with which Sam still speaks of Walt as if the conversations were last week and not decades ago - it was wonderful to walk down memory lane with the two of them.

I’m no artist - I’m a photographer - and so the Adventures in Paint in Three-Dimensions was fun for me. While I was covering the event and not participating I completely enjoyed the intense focus of my friends in the red group as they painstakingly worked to cover every millimeter of their Mickey sculptures with the correct colors. There wasn’t one person leaving the seminar that didn’t have a greater appreciation for every piece in their collections - and the craftspeople whose talents helped to create them. It’s this hands-on approach that sets WDAC events apart and makes the experience worth the cost.

Even as a kid I loved field trips - and this was the mother of them all - a day at the Walt Disney Studios. Incredible - Amazing - Awe Inspiring - Emotional - Fun and Educational. I love the Studio and have yet to pass up an opportunity to walk the lot and soak in the nostalgia I find there. We were walked all over the lot - from the Hyperion Bungalow, past the Studio Disney Store, to the Commissary, through the intersection of Mickey Avenue and Dopey Drive, by the Roy O. Disney building, past the Team Disney Building, into the Legends Plaza, over to the Frank Wells building, into the Archives, through what’s left of the back lot, into the prop warehouse, by the Zorro Parking structure, past Sound Stages one and two, under Walt’s office window, through the Animation building, past Ink & Paint, past Cutting, by the Screening Room and on to lunch. We were allowed to shoot the lot and I have some 300+ images to show for our tour.

I also love Disney geeks (meant with all due and proper respect) - like Leonard Maltin - I’ve enjoyed his opinions as a movie reviewer and film historian - but it’s his command of Disney on film that I really admire. I was enthralled as he shared his thoughts, opinions and insights on the film career of Walt Disney through film clips of some of his favorite Disney films and TV shows. I was also somehow satisfied to know that I wasn’t the only one in the room who was teary eyed after the "Baby Mine" clip finished. After the seminar I found him warm and funny and welcoming. My copy of his "The Disney Films" is one of the two books - Dave Smith’s "Disney A to Z being the other - I look to for answers to whatever Disney questions arise - a wonderful book.

And so - what will I take away from this - my first WDAC Convention - I was a good little collector and did some shopping and have some very cute new pins and a great new shirt to add to my collection - but, more important than the new stuff are the memories I’ll have of the event - getting the chance to see some old friends and play with people I really enjoy - having the opportunity to meet Lee MacDonald and Lindsay Cave - two nicer, funnier or more personable blokes you couldn’t hope to meet - poking poor Rebekah during the trivia game, she’ll never get between Fab and I again when there’s a contest to be won - and watching Alice being part of the "team" as she worked so hard to finish one of the rally’s puzzles - a truly wonderful day at the Studio - so many new stories and images to file away.