Return to Sleepy Hollow

        Every year in October since starting this blog, I've tried my best to post an article about Disney's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It remains a personal and timeless favorite of mine, and this time of the year always adds to its appeal.

        Last Christmas, Ron Dias sent me a very special package in the mail - a present that Santa Claus himself could not have given! Ron drew and colored for me the framed picture that you see below. I was flabbergasted upon opening it. Not only had I obtained a Ron Dias original, but a recreated piece of Sleepy Hollow art.

    The figures that show off the piece are from the Walt Disney Classics Collection line of figurines. I've had my eye on them for quite a while, and finally purchased them for what I thought to be a fair price. I think they are a spooktacular choice for spotlighting Ron's art. Don't you?

Happy Halloween, Disney Lovers!

Would You Like Figaro With Your Coffee?

        For anyone who considers themselves a collector of something, you live for those rare moments when you uncover a true treasure. Today, was one of those days.

        A few months back at Jake's Flea Market in Barto, Pennsylvania, I ran into my old friend and fellow dealer, Bob - whom I've obtained some of my most prized Disney collectibles from. We struck up a rather casual conversation about our latest flea market adventures and then proceeded on our way. At the last minute, Bob turned to me and remembered that he had a Figaro piece on his workbench at home that I might be interested in. I knew Figaro collectibles of any kind, whether vintage or new, were few and far between, so I was very interested. But, when he described it to me in detail, I began to feel that little charge of electricity within me when I know I'm close to striking gold.

        The scent of excitement that had wafted into my nose on that day lingered for three solid months while I waited for Bob to call me. Just when I was about to give up hope, I was pleasantly surprised to hear a message from him on my voicemail while driving home from work last week. We made the arrangements and met at Jake's this morning past.

        All I kept picturing in my head this morning while driving to the flea market, was the image of a 1940 Figaro piece made by Brayton Laguna Pottery that I had seen in a book on collecting Disneyana. Bob initially described the figure as a ceramic creamer, green in color, with a little Figaro dangling from the lip. I knew exactly what he meant as soon as he began describing it, and had been looking to add it to my other Brayton Laguna Figaro figurines for some time now (incidentally, the three other Figaros in my possession were purchased from Bob too a few years back).

        It didn't take me long to find Bob's van after parking, and upon seeing him, his smile revealed to me that he was just as excited to see me. He popped his trunk, pulled out an old shoebox, and removed the contents within. To my surprise, Bob unwrapped not only the creamer piece he had described, but a matching sugar bowl with Figaro as its lid to boot! I had never seen this piece before, and knew I had to have them both. After declining Bob's rather low offer for the both, I gave him what I felt they were worth to me.

        As is often times seen on the History Channel's American Pickers, it's not always about finding a rare and valuable item. From the time I met Bob at Jake's a few years back, I knew I had found a treasure in him. Nearly forty years my senior, he feels like that distant uncle that I rarely see, but always look forward to talking to again. The initial set of Figaro pieces that I bought from Bob were my first serious purchases as a Disney collector. It's only fitting that these two new additions came from him too. They will always be special to me because of that.

A Day With Ron Dias

        Dreams, sometimes, do come true, and one of mine did last Wednesday. After nearly two years of telephone conversations, Disney artist, Ron Dias, and I finally got to meet.

        Shannon and I were staying in San Francisco for the week, and visiting Ron and his partner Howard two-and-a-half hours to the south was a big part of our itinerary. The day was filled with hugs, laughter, and ART! Ron and Howard not only opened up their home to us (greeted by their lovable cat, Travis), but shared their passion for fantasy.

        Stepping into Ron's studio was like walking into a living mini-museum and workshop at the same time. The scent of creation and talent was in the air, and the soft lighting spotlighted samples of Ron's original works on the surrounding four walls. His massive easel stationed to the far center of the room immediately drew by attention, and to stand before it was to catch a glimpse of Ron's creative process.

        Ron's career at Disney began in 1956 with in-between and clean-up work on Sleeping Beauty. He was only eighteen years old. Remember the scene when Briar Rose dips her foot in the water while in the forest? Ron worked on that scene. He was assigned with the assistants in Marc Davis' unit.

        It was Sleeping Beauty that opened up Ron's eyes to the art of Eyvind Earle. Ron got to see many of Earle's conceptual and background pieces first-hand, and since then has never been the same. The art on Ron's easel above displays his personal tributes to the decorative artist. Ron's expertise at recreating the style of Earle can even be seen in the introduction to the interactive menu of the Sleeping Beauty Blu-ray release. He created four different pieces of the landscape that surrounds King Stefan's castle; each representing a season of the year.

        After a generous tour of his home, the four of us carpooled together to the local Black Bear Diner. Shannon and I enjoyed the cabin-like atmosphere of the restaurant, and found it to be a surprising treat since we don't have one out east. As we talked and dined on our delicious lunch, Ron doodled pictures of Tinker Bell and Mickey Mouse on napkins for Shannon and I to keep.

        The conclusion of our trip led us to Ron's art gallery in the local Artistic HangUps in Salinas. Sprinkled throughout the building's back room is the Disney and fantasy art that makes up Ron's "A Summer Fantasy" show. Beginning Friday, August 10, 2012, one can have the chance to view and even purchase many of Ron's magical pieces. The art on display ranges from many different themes; from Disney to Greek Mythology and sorcery to fairies.

        With the tour of the gallery over, it was time for our bittersweet return to San Francisco. No longer strangers to each other, we hugged and said our good byes back at Ron's house. It's a trip that Shannon and I will never forget, and we hope that Ron and Howard feel the same way. The magic of Disney has become even more important to me thanks to Ron, and the power behind it was what initially brought us together. I'm happy to call him my friend.

Little Golden Secrets Revealed

        Go to the children's section of any used bookstore, and one will find a plethora of Disney Little Golden Books waiting to be taken home. These "little" gems can be cheaply obtained, but their value (if in good condition) is priceless. Like many creative processes, the behind the scenes work of these golden treasures is relatively unknown to its intended audience. Disney artist, Ron Dias, has shared his experiences with me on illustrating many of the Disney Little Golden classics of the 1980s and 1990s. In a package that he sent me not too long ago, he included some documents that revealed one aspect of this creative process. Much like the character development that goes into making an animated film, I was rather surprised to see the amount of work that goes into transferring the many Disney characters into storybook form. Part of the illustration process on Ron's part consisted of color-keying each character. He has emphasized to me on many occasions that the character depictions from his storybooks, and how they appeared in their respective films, should be seamless and true to their original form. Below are character-model sheets color-keyed for his Sleeping Beauty and Dumbo Little Golden Books.