The Disney Store's Response to Whiskers and Tales

We contacted the Disney Store about the production mishaps guests were experiencing with the recently released Whiskers and Tales series. Here is their response:


"Quality of our products is of the utmost importance, so we apologize to any of your readers who might have found issues with their Whiskers and Tales Vinylmation Series.

For any guest who has an issue with the Whiskers and Tales Vinylmation they purchased at a Disney Store, we advise that they return to the store where it was purchased and ask a Cast Member for assistance. For those guests that made their purchase online at DisneyStore.com, they should call DisneyStore.com Guest Services where a Cast Member can best address their questions and concerns. The phone number for DisneyStore.com Guest Services is: 1 (800) 328-0368."

Spotlight On: Custom Vinylmation Artist Anna Sheppard

We always invite artists to share their work with us. When I logged onto Facebook one morning, there was a brand new Davy Jones custom posted on the DV page. We just had to contact the artist. Davy Jones was the handy work of Anna Sheppard from Staten Island, New York. Together with her husband, she heads up Murderous Toyz, a family based business dealing with the customization of vinyl toys and other art mediums.

Destination Vinylmation: Besides Vinylmation, what other art forms are you into? 
Anna Sheppard: I enjoy many different forms of art. Besides sculpting and painting, I have a true love for photography and capturing stories through the lens of a camera. It's an enjoyable art form to tell a non vocal story by freezing a moment in time behind your lens. All forms of art play a role in story telling or providing thought provoking ideas and meanings. I like to create those moments.

DV: Why did you choose the Vinylmation canvas to paint on?
AS: Why not? Who doesn't love Mickey! lol The Disney name and characters that have been produced by are iconic. Durning any era in time Mickey Mouse has been a house hold name. The character in itself is relatable and I think people like things they can identify with. When a person can identify with the character underneath the art custom piece it makes it all the more special in a sense that, it's art on top of an everlasting figure in time.

DV: Tell us about the Davy Jones custom?
AS: The Davy Jones custom took about 3 days to sculpt, paint and dry. I think the challenging part with any custom is to make sure if you as the artist are happy with the piece and then doing a double check to make sure you have no spots untouched. :) Our company Murderous Toyz really focuses on horror figures and the so-called villains. Yes we do the "good guys" too but most of the time it's the villain's that have the challenge component of making that ominous look and feel. Davy Jones is a great character from Pirates of the Caribbean because he is a great looking villain with lots of fun challenging sculpting dimensions.

Here is Anna's contact info. Please click over there and view her other work:

Anna & Christian Sheppard - Murderous Toyz
Facebook: Murderous Toyz
Murderoustoys@gmail.com
www.annasheppardphotography.com
tarantola62@hotmail.com

"Trading in the Park" Returns to Disneyland

OC Vinyl Don, our friend over at VinylmationTraders.com, sent us a wonderful announcement that is sure to help many Vinylmation collectors in the Disneyland area.

"In light of the reduced Trading in the parks. Starting Sunday, February 17th "Trading in the Parks" is coming back to the Picnic area at DLR from 11am-1pm. Then starting in March, it will be on the 1st Saturday and 3rd Sunday of each month. If you collect Vinylmation, Pins or Pop come on out, meet with new friends, see old friends and lets make some trades."

This is a wonderful idea! I look forward to hearing from everybody about how these events go. The Vinylmation (and Disney) community has so many great people, events like this make the hobby fun. I'd love to see someone organize events like this at WDW as well.

Trading Locations Reportedly on Decline at Disneyland Too

We reported last week about an internal memo sent to Walt Disney World Cast Members announcing a decrease in trading locations around the resort (read about it here). Now, we are getting word that Disneyland will see a similar decrease in trading locations.

While we have now knowledge of a memo, we do have word from OC Vinyl Don (VinylmationTraders.com) and others who spoke to Cast Members who confirmed the reduction of trading locations at Disneyland. Word is, there will only be three locations: D-Street, Disneyana (Disneyland) and Off the Page (DCA).

In the previous article, we discussed many pros and cons and heard your opinions as well. Now, Disneyland guests... what are your thoughts? Comment, email or call 209-28 MOUSE and we will play your comments on the next podcast.

Spotlight On: Mike Vetrone's Snow White

Mike Vetrone is always coming up with great pieces of custom Vinylmation. We spoke to him recently about his latest Snow White figure.

"Thanks guys! This piece was commissioned by someone as a gift for their mother's birthday who has a huge Snow White collection. I was told her favorite scene was the wishing well. I wanted to make sure that went on front."

"As I brainstormed and did some research in watching the movie over again I realized I could easily blend the scene into a brick wall that I could put the magic mirror on. The Old Hag is one of my personal favorite villains and I thought it would be interesting to have the Evil Queen looking into the mirror to show the Old Hag. There was an immense amount of work that went into this piece, but I feel it really paid off. I am extremely happy with the way it turned out."
Find more of Mike's work at Facebook at facebook.com/customsbymikevetrone. And email him at Michael.vetrone@gmail.com.

Spotlight On: Jesse Bowers' Samuel L. Jackson Custom

Artist Jesse Bowers from Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada has only ever painted one Vinylmation. But it caught our eye immediately and inspired me to run out and get a Royale with cheese.

Destination Vinylmation: So this being your first custom Vinylmation, what made you decide to choose this medium for the Samuel L. Jackson Pulp fiction design?
Jesse Bowers: My brother's girlfriend gave me a vinyl and told me I could paint it however I wanted. I had recently watched Pulp Fiction and I thought a mini Samuel L. Jackson would be a cool idea.

DV: Thanks to you, I now want a 12 figure Samuel L. Jackson set from all his movies. Why did you choose him as your subject? 
JB: That would be a good idea. Pulp Fiction is probably my favorite movie and Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta are the two most hardcore people in that movie. I wanted to paint them both but I haven't gotten around to painting John Travolta yet.

DV: Have you painted other vinyl toys before Vinylmation?
JB: No I haven't. I've only ever painted on canvas or paper and such. I thought a small toy would be a fun challenge.

DV: Do you plan on designing more custom Vinylmation?
JB: Yes, I thought it would be cool if I continued and painted a 12 figure set of Pulp Fiction characters.

DV: What was the most challenging part about painting on a Vinylmation? 
JB: I would have to say the face. Especially the eyes because they're so small.

We hope to see more from Jesse in the future!

Vinylmation Prognostication: Pirates of the Caribbean Series 2

Welcome to another installment of Vinylmation Prognostication! In this column I will be brainstorming “blue sky” ideas of what I would like to see future Vinylmation series to feature. I will examining the potential futures of current Vinylmation series as well as thinking up new series that I (and maybe other Disney fans!) would like to see be released. Since I have no idea what new series will be coming up this will be a fun way to dream up our wish lists so to speak. So, feel free to voice your thoughts on if you agree or disagree with my choices at the end of the article. With that being said let the prognostication begin!

In today’s column I will be exploring what possible vinylmations could be included in a second installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean series. From what I have heard out there on the internet there are strong rumors that there will be no series 2 of the Pirates of the Caribbean. However, if they were ever to release a second series, I think there are a lot of great characters out there that have yet to appear in vinyl form. Therefore, I give you my Pirates of the Caribbean Series 2!

1. The Wicked Wench

photo from disneyparksecrets.blogspot.com

I would start out with creating a vinyl of the ship in the attraction. Now there are several ways Disney artists can be creative for this vinyl. One would be to make the entire vinyl be designed as the ship. Another would be to shrink the ship down on the vinyl where you have the entire scene with the water and sky included on the figure. I would love to see them incorporate Captain Barbossa into the design re-creating a classic scene from the attraction!

2. Carlos (man in the well)

photo from Pirates of the Caribbean Wiki

Another great scene from the attraction is the scene where the man is being dunked in the well. In Pirates series 1, one of the men who has been captured from this scene was included in vinyl form. I would love to see a Carlos vinyl featuring Carlos spitting out water after being dunked like you see in the attraction.

3. Carlos’s Wife

photo from Pirates of the Caribbean Wiki

Since we would now have a Carlos figure, we must have his wife featured as well. You might remember her from the attraction speaking her famous quote, “Don't tell him, Carlos, don't be chicken!" She would be dressed in her nightgown and night cap.

4. The Red Head

photo from Pirates of the Caribbean Wiki

When the first Pirates series was announced, I thought for sure the Red Head from the auction scene would be included. So you could imagine my disappointment when Tiny from that scene was included instead. I would love to see this wrong righted by including the Red Head in this series. After all, “We wants the Red Head!”

5. Pirate Auctioneer

Now I know that this figure was already included in the Park 3 series, however I never thought that figure captured the look of the character from the ride. I think on the new platform, another Disney artist could come up with a better representation. Those are just my thoughts on the matter, therefore I am including the Pirate Auctioneer in this series.

6. Woman Chasing Pirate with Broom

Here is a chance for my first accessory of the series! I would include the woman from this scene as well as a tiny broom she is trying to swat the pirate with. This is a very humorous scene from the ride, and I would love to see it represented with a character in vinyl form!

7. Pirate from Muddy Pig Scene

photo from mixnmojo.com

Pirates Series 1 featured a pig from this scene, so I am going to go with a vinyl of the pirate from that scene for this series. The vinyl would feature the bearded pirate with his red hat and bandanna. His feet and clothes would of course be covered with mud like the pig vinyl in series 1. Bottle of rum would not be included as Disney lawyers would never allow that!

8. Pirate Prisoner

photo from Pirates of the Caribbean Wiki

From the prison scene I would include the pirate who is trying to attract the dog’s attention with a bone. In this scene he is the tall and skinny pirate who is holding out the bone towards the dog. I think the bone would make a great accessory for this figure. Another cool feature I would design for this figure would be a clothed red bandanna that is wrapped around the figure’s head.

9. Pirate Prisoner with Noose

Also from this scene I would include the pirate in the striped shirt who is holding a noose. Including a small noose rope would be a great accessory. Not sure if that could happen, but it is worth a mention!

10. Prisoner Dog with Keys

Ok, so we had this figure already included in Park 4! Again a redesign on the new platform would be a great addition to this series. Plus, this is my favorite scene in the ride and I am including it in this series. Enough said!

11. Jack Sparrow

Photo from Themouseforless.com

For the eleventh figure I thought I would include a version of Jack Sparrow from the attraction. I will include the Treasure Room version of Jack at the end of the ride. I would use the feet to design some of the treasure from the room. On the ears I would include the design of the chair that he is sitting on from the scene. I would also add the chalice he is holding in the scene as an accessory!

12. Peg Leg Pete (Chaser)

photo from User Burnsland on flickriver.com

For the chaser, I thought about including something that relates to the history of the attraction. Walt Disney World fans might remember the green parrot who sat up on a perch above the entrance to the attraction. This bird served as the “carnival barker” to attract people to the ride. He had many great lines and was one of my favorite things about the attraction. When the ride was redesigned with Jack Sparrow being included, Peg Leg Pete was removed from the entrance. I remember reading that he was later added as part of the décor of a store in Downtown Disney. Don’t know if he is still there, but I miss seeing him every time I go to ride Pirates. Having this as a chaser (with his pirate hat included!) would be a fitting tribute.

So, there you have it! My plan for Pirates of the Caribbean 2. Feel free to voice your thoughts on what you would like to see for this series below. See you next time!

Spotlight On: Custom Vinylmation Artist Roman Rodriguez

Destination Vinylmation: Why did you decide to cross Goofy and Jar Jar Binks?
Roman Rodriguez: I was looking for characters that have not been done by any custom Vinylmation artists.  While I was trying to push myself to come up with something unique I found that Goofy would make the right character as he has long ears.  I then started to search the web to see if there were any ideas on how to bring this to life. I found out that Disney has done a figurine with this cross of two characters.  It made it that much more challenging as I wanted to create something original while honoring tribute to this Disney figure.

DV: How long did the design process take to get the perfect mix?
RR: It took me about one day to get the right mix and shape of Goofy into the Mickey Canvas.  I was asking my Daughter (Genesis) now 2 years old to see if she knew who he was.  After she said Goofy…I knew I had gotten the right shape and mix.

www.facebook.com/RomanRodriguezArt
www.facebook.com/groups/RomanRodriguezArt

Toucan DCL Vinylmation?

Over at Vinylmation Exchange Alex Munoz posted this picture of a DCL Vinylmation. We've never heard about this figure before, anyone have anymore info? Alex says that it's for a trip through the Panama Canal on DCL.

Fantasia 6 Announced

MC just missed his prediction with Cutesters 5 being shown after the podcast, but his prediction for this week came true. Today Disney showed us Fantasia combo 6: Harpy and Demon from Night on Bald Mountain. (Careful, the Harpy might not be PG.) Thomas Scott designed this set releasing on March 15th, 2013. This (like the other Fantasia sets) will cost $24.95 and there will only be 1,500 of them. Here are some examples of what these characters looked like in the movies.

Have you gotten any of the Fantasia sets? What could be the next set?

Cutesters 5 En Vogue First Look

Disney showed off some of the new Cutesters 5 set today. We knew about the black dress one, but look at all the other options. Some weddings, some different colored dresses. This just brings up lots of questions. We know Caley Hicks was heavily involved with these from Mickey's Circus. It also looks like Thomas Scott is a major contributor. We will also see work from Martha Widener, who is new to Vinylmation. After consideration, I remembered that at Mickey's Circus they said this would be an eight figure set. I think these three sets below are variants, leaving 8 basic designs. This means one of the below is the chaser. We believe it is the flowers.

Caley Hicks designed this purse with a cute dog inside. The Light pink appears to be the regular version with a clear pink variant.

New to vinyl artist Martha Widener did these flower designs. This seems to be the chaser with a variant.

Then out of these two Thomas Scott figures, the yellow seems to be the regular with a blue variant.

This series will be released at both D-Streets and Online on March 29th. Each figure will be blind boxed in a tray of 16 and will sell for $12.95 each.

So far I only see I only see one really good use of the bow as not a bow (Audrey). - M.C.

I love the art style on these. They are not at all what I expected after seeing the concept art at Mickey's Circus, but I can still appreciate the designs. It is a very old school, fashionable art style that will sure ring a bell with a certain demographic (Zoe). The animals look to be right out of a mid 1900's Disney cartoon. Its a great use of the Cutesters line and a nice variation on the more cutesy cartoon stylize of the first few series. I think the bow is used perfectly. It only seems forced on the flowers. -Nick

It will be interesting to see where these designs go. Do we not get a "chaser" with this set? What do you think?

Episode 106 Stitch

Ep. 106 Stitch Two big topics broke in the past week... The release of Whiskers and Tales and the possible decrease in Cast Member trading at the WDW parks. We tackle both these topics and read your comments. We also have the latest news and up to date release and events calendar.

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Spotlight On: Stephanie's Valentine's

Remember that awesome Sugar Rush Racer we spotlighted a few weeks back. We ran into Stephanie again and she shared a cool custom with us. Also check out her sale she's running, more info at the end of the post.

 "I love kawaii art, and it fits the spirit of Vinylmation so perfectly. I really enjoy incorporating that style into my customs, which I've done a few times already. Inspired by Valentine's Day (which is one of my favorite holidays), I had to come up with something cute and shiny (and pink is my favorite color too). This little character started to form in my head, and I went with it. I love leopard spots and (of course) a little extra sparkle, so I had a lot of fun making this cutie!

Several additional elements were utilized to give her the extra dimension. I used Sculpey clay for her hair and tail, Swarovski crystals, fabric flowers, and a wooden base for her to sit on. I enjoyed using the clay to form the swirling dynamic features, which come together for nice aesthetic appeal. All separate elements were sealed together using Mod Podge, and the final piece has a glossy Testors finish. And of course, just a touch of glitter paint!"

If you'd like to find more stuff by Stephanie go to etsy.com/shop/StephanieImagined or stephanieimagined.weebly.com/

Stephanie is also running a salethru Valentine's Day 2013 on her site. Use the coupon code in this image to get 10% off your entire order.