Well, the folks at Disney Consumer Products are nothing if not ambitious.
I mean, you’d think that they’d already have their hands full. What with having to keep the $3 billion Disney Princess franchise moving forward just as they get the Disney Fairies franchise underway. Never mind coming up with new product lines to support those old Disney stalwarts, Mickey Mouse & Winnie the Pooh.
But even with all that already on their plate, DCP staffers are always on the prowl. Always looking for new ways to expand Disney’s retail empire. And — just recently — one of the concepts that this division of the Mouse House has been embracing passionately is the repurposing of old characters. As in: Finding memorable characters from older Disney films and then plucking them out of their original storylines and re-inventing them as stand-alone characters.
Case in point: Thumper from “Bambi.” Once just the pal of the “Prince of the Forest,” Thumper and his sisters … Well, if all goes according to plan, this excessively cute family of rabbits will soon be the Walt Disney Company’s next big brand. Ready or not, folks, here comes …
Copyright 2006 Disney Enterprises
According to staffers that I’ve spoken with at Disney Consumer Products, the “Disney Bunnies” product line will get off to a rather modest start. With a trio of books (Which will hit store shelves on January 15, 2007) being sort of a trial balloon to see if there’s any real interest in Thumper-themed products.
Out of these books, Laura Driscoll’s “I Love You, My Bunnies” is probably the most ambitious. A 32-page hardcover that’s aimed at kids 4-8, it tells the story of how Thumper & his sisters worked together to create the perfect gift for their mother. Which is a twig basket filled with flowers.
Copyright 2007 Disney Press
Given that you’ve got cute bunnies making a basket for their mother … Disney Consumer Products hopes that they’ll be able to get two bites out of the same apple next spring with “I Love You, My Bunnies.” Meaning that this Laura Driscoll book (Which features illustrations by the Disney Storybook Artists) can be sold as both an item that can be stuffed in an Easter basket AND as a Mother’s Day present.
As for the other two “Disney Bunnies” titles, “Thumper Counts to Ten” …
Copyright 2007 Disney Press
… and “Goodnight, Thumper!” …
Copyright 2007 Disney Press
Well, both of these books were written by Kitty Richards and are intended for babies & toddlers. Only 16 pages long and printed on sturdy cardboard, “Thumper Counts to Ten” and “Goodnight, Thumper!” will probably stand up to whatever abuse your infant can dish out.
Of course, Disney Consumer Products recognizes that not every consumer has children and/or really goes for the cuter characters in the Disney stable. That some Disneyana fans are actually drawn to some of the darker, edgier stuff that the studio has produced over the past 78 years (EX: “The Nightmare Before Christmas“).
With this in mind, DCP turned its attention to all the dragons that have appeared in various Disney films over the years. Was there perhaps an opportunity here to reinvent these characters? Change them from cuddly animated creations to truly fearsome creatures?
With this idea in mind, Disney Consumer Products contacted the talented sculptors at Gentle Giant Studios. And the end result was …
Copyright 2006 Disney Enterprises
Let me say that — right from the start — that “Disney Dragonkind” is a very different take on the characters that you know and love. The folks at Gentle Giant … Well, they’ve imagined a world where dragons are actually real. More importantly, where dragons are now the dominant species.
I mean, take a look at the re-imagined Maleficent from Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty.”
Photo by Steve Gerding
That’s one fierce looking creature, don’t you think? Or — better yet — how about Mushu from “Mulan”?
Photo by Steve Gerding
Not exactly ” … travel-sized, for your convenience” anymore, is he? And wait ’til you get a look at Elliot from “Pete’s Dragon.”
Photo by Steve Gerding
He’s still get that lovable lantern jaw. But check out Elliot’s claws. Yikes!
Obviously, the “Disney Dragonkind” product line isn’t for all your purists out there. Those folks who insist that Disney’s characters can never change, that they must always look as they did in the very first film they appeared in.
But me? I gotta tell you that I really like what the folks at Gentle Giant Studios have done here. I mean, you can still see elements of the original characters in each of these sculptures … But — at the same time — the artists have totally reimagined Disney’s dragons, made these fantasy characters seem that much more real. Which is why I’m excited to see what the rest of the characters in this new product line will look like.
Speaking of which, the “Disney Dragonkind” Maleficent statue will be the first one in the series to reach store shelves. It’s expected to pop up in the retail world sometime in January 2007, with the Mushu & Elliot statues not that far behind.
Depending on how these first three “Disney Dragonkind” statues are received, Gentle Giant Studios & DCP hope to expand this product line out into snowglobes & t-shirts. Maybe even a series of fine art prints.
But — for now, anyway — “Disney Dragonkind” will be concentrating on these statues. With Maleficent (Which stands 13.5 inches high, 16 inches to the top of the flag in the tower. While the draon’s wingspan is an impressive 20 inches) being limited to an edition of 1000, which is expected to retail for $300.
So what do you folks think? Or you okay with these new DCP product lines? Did Gentle Giant go too far with its re-imagining of Disney’s dragons? Or are you more concerned about Thumper being plucked out of “Bambi,” only to become his own brand?
Your thoughts?
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Special thanks to Steve Gerding of KungFuRodeo.com. Who first took photos of the first three Disney Dragonkind statues when they were on display at the Gentle Giant booth at Comic-Con International last month, then graciously allowed these images to be reproduced here at JHM