Stitch Fatigue: A look into the rise of Stitch in our lives
This was posted elsewhere and promted a response from me, but i felt it better to make it an entirely new topic...it's long, but i hope it can be read and perhaps considered.
I would.
It seems to me like some of the people in this forum are suffering from Stitch fatigue...they're beginning to not like him because of his popularity, and therefore anything new with Stitch at WDW is met with "Oh no, I hope this is only temporary!"
Well...
Let me post an observation. Please, hear something from someone who really cares about this:
Disney has not managed to produce an icon for decades. Even the renaissance movies in the early 90s struggled to produce a character with longevity. Genie might be one that has survived, but not on this scale.
The public has a notoriously short memory, and most of us here, being fans of Disney, should know this. Take a look at most of Disney's work throughout the mid to late 90s and you will see a constant stream of "didn't quite make it" movies. There are thousands of reasons why these movies failed to make an impact, but that's another subject for another thread.
The point is, for years, nothing Disney has produced has really impacted the public....nothing has had the heart, the emotion, and the strength, that Lilo and Stitch had. It's funny because, had Lilo and Stitch been produced in the Burbank studios, I have a feeling we wouldn't be here today. Lilo and Stitch, under control of the Burbank managers, might never have received the TLC that helped it become one of Disney's great movies. Simply put, the folks at the florida studio flew closer to pixar's formula of making movies and keeping animators happy, than to Burbank's formula.
And you know what, it worked. The animators, story writers, directors, producers, grew to care a great deal about the characters they were producing in that movie. It wasn't just a job, it was a labor of love. And when the budget cuts came and the promotion funds were slashed again and again, they persevered, and according to Chris Sanders, this gave them even more drive to do the best they could with what little they had. They were determined to make this little film be as best as it could be.
That kind of devotion comes through in every single beautful scene of that movie, from the sheer artistry and beauty of the backgrounds (with watercolor, you got one shot to do it right), to the small, subtle details in the expressions on the characters' faces, to simple and complex shading in areas that might have been overlooked in the past but gave this 2-D film a whole new feel of realism.
It is a work of art, and the story is a work of beauty. It's the deepest thing the company has done in a long time...and it doesn't have jack to do with management at Burbank. It has to do with the hard working dedicated folks at Florida who devoted their lives to making this movie happen.
I respect them, and their contribution to the world with this movie. It gave Disney something they badly needed: A character people would relate to. A character, a movie, that could survive the fickle tastes of the public and carry on. A movie that wouldn't join the long, sad list of failures in Disney's recent past.
Something you guys may not know....but I will tell you.
Remember earlier, I said that I had been there from the beginning, I was no fairweather fan. When I say it, I mean it. I WAS there before there was ANY future of Lilo and Stitch. Before the decision was even made to carry on with the series.
In the beginning, the series was a planned thing, but it was determinate upon the success of the movie itself. Most Disney movies do in fact get that treatment: Exploration of the idea of a TV series based on the movie.
What, in recent years, usually happens is that an underbudgeted, outsourced series does crop up, and with low ratings, becomes relegated to Toon Disney, or, gets cancelled. Hercules, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Timon & Pumbaa (which was actually pretty good at the time), and others are examples of this.
With Lilo and Stitch, the initial promotion of the movie, while funny, never really told the story of what the movie was about. Stitch invades other movies...alright...but who is stitch...? The interstitchals, as they were called, were designed to make people curious. It only worked to a degree. But, with a slashed promotion budget, there wasn't a whole lot to be done about that. I did see one longer commercial, just once, that ran on disney channel about the movie, and that one long commercial told a beautiful story about what the movie really was. That commercial showed the heart, and the impact of that commercial was incredible.
But they only ran it once. Had they run it more I expect Lilo and Stitch's initial box would have been much higher.
But as it was, people were expecting another simple summer-thing Disney movie that really wasn't up to par. Initial attendance at theatres was NOTHING like what Pixar was raking in.
Why?
Reputation. Pixar has a GOOD rep with the public. and whether we like it or not, Disney does NOT right now. Disney can only blame itself and its penny-pinching ways for that.
Lilo and Stitch became a popular movie through word of mouth. As people walked into theatres half expecting a bad movie, half expecting a slapstick comedy, all were stunned to see the depth, the power, the emotion, the realism, the humanistic aspect of this movie. A movie that reflected on ourselves and our own journeys in life. the broken family, the social worked, the child that never fit in. Haven't all of us felt like Lilo sometimes?
I was stunned. I think, a large part of every audience, was too. This was something new, this was something different. I watched my life change before my eyes....something...clicked, inside of me with each viewing of that movie and started a change within myself and a soul search that has made me a better person. For a movie to do that to a person is unbelievable, but it happened.
As person spoke to person about this movie and it's difference compared to other recent disney fare, many people who initially chose not to see it, began coming into the fold. The movie's earnings began a slow-burn of popularity. It started, and grew. As the movie eventually dropped out of theatres...we came to find that it was still pulling in very decent to full audiences worldwide. That movie had the longest run of any animated feature at my local movie theatre. People just kept coming, and coming, and coming to see it. The movie left only because the reels had to be returned.
In Japan the movie ran into the next year, its popularity was so great. If I recall correctly, as of March 2003, L&S was STILL in Japanese theatres. Impressive.
This was a movie that was impacting the world like we haven't seen in 10 years. The decision was made to carry on with the series...and...the budget was increased for that endeavour....they gave it the funding it needed to be different from a Toon Disney series...and to become as successful DC series.
And it did. When the series came out, it pulled in ratings for the DC that at times surpassed even Kim Possible, the steady hit for Disney Channel. It also brought in adult audiences, which had been drifting away for a long time as DC transformed itself into a hipper, teeny-bopper network for 11-16 year olds.
Stitch the Movie, the pilot for the series, also broke records in Direct-to-Video sales. Its record has onl been surpassed by the release of The Lion King 1 1/2. That says a lot for Lilo and Stitch...at the time just one year old....to have sales comparable to the likes of The Lion King, Disney's last recognized "smash hit" and former world gross box office record holder, surpassed by Finding Nemo.
Where am I going with this?
Stay tuned.
Even with ALL this success, Disney was very, very reluctant to push the Stitch character in the parks and merchandise-wise. I remember in mid-2003 lamenting at how there were no Stitch T-shirts available for adults.
The pin selection, initially, was very limited as well. And I remember a time when there was only three variations of the Stitch beanbag plushie, and only one 14" plushie of Stitch...which at the time, was miscolored with very dark blue fur. I still have that plush.
The stitch selection was very limited, but it was in line with the normal fare from Disney movies which come, and then go, and are forgotten forever. A merch line that would be easy to close down.
In the disney stores and at the resorts guests began to raise their voices about wanting adult sized Stitch clothing. As these voices raised...a friend of mine in california, an employee of disney and respected in the company, sat down to a lunch with a burbank-area manager about the need for an adult stitch t-shirt in the parks.
A week later, the first test releases of L&S shirts came out. They were simple, normal shirts with a small L&S logo stamped on the chest, not very visible, but there.
They sold out almost immediately.
More "test merchandise" came out in the weeks after. All of which disappeared off the shelves at lightning speed. Finally, finally, Disney released it's first, real, adult t-shirt...a black one of Stitch in the sand. It, too, sold out and stock had to be replenished throughout the DLR. Fortunately I was able to get one.
Merch also increased, disney toyed with the idea of holiday stitches. The christmas of 2002 santa stitch plushies did amazingly well at the disney stores and at DLR...and in 2003 Stitch began to celebrate every holiday.
The public ate it up.
Clearly, Stitch was something different. Even Finding Nemo, when it came out, couldn't move merchandise the way Stitch was.
Why?
You can't hug a fish for one thing! But for another, is that Stitch was a stronger character overall.
In the aftermath of Nemo we have come to find this as being true. Sorry Pixar, but the Nemo movie has become something of a joke these days. In my experience and that of others I've spoken with, people generally laugh these days if you admit to being a nemo fan. That's not a good thing for longevity. Nobody laughs if you like the incredibles. Or toy story. But this sad fate has befallen Nemo. So even with record-breaking box office sales, Nemo, too, has been relegated to a has-been.
Stitch survived because he's in people's hearts.
Disney has come, in the time since, to begin adopting the Stitch character as part of the company's fold. Not happily, mind you. Eisner is still sore that Stitch stole the box office that was intended for Treasure Planet. TP had a story, though, that had been done in other ways many times over the years. It was a done, tired storyline, and the characters were not as easy to relate to. A huge financial loss for the company. And management tended to blame Stitch. Stitch raised the bar for disney quality prior to TP's release...and TP didn't reach the bar. Stitch, restored people's faith in Disney. Including mine.
That faith has since dissipated again, as the public as seen further lacklustre releases from the company after lilo and stitch, and seen the management problems and the horrible way in which the D-animators have been treated. Public opinion of Disney is really low.
But Stitch lives on.
He found his way into the hearts of people around the world because of those hardworking folks at WDFA-F who made it happen, who gave their all, and accomplished the impossible. They beat the odds, survived the torpedoes from Burbank, and made this thing. And made it right.
Stitch's popularity today is a direct result of that effort.
Disney is only now fully embracing his character.
And some seeing this are resisting. I wonder why? I think some of you are used, by now, to the idea of a movie coming, and then going away. When something like this stays, and stays, and stays, it bugs you, don't it? That's called the short attention span of america these recent years taking its toll even on hardcore disney fans. We are too used to characters that stick around just long enough to not bother us or invade our Disney vacation.
Because Stitch has been adopted by the public as a new icon, he isn't going away. He won't be leaving suddenly just as he came, like characters in disney recent past. He's here to stay, because the public wants him here to stay. They adopted him, they let him into their hearts.
For the first time since walt's days...a character is mentioned in the same breath as the Fab 5.
It won't be long before Stitch becomes part of the Fab 6.
Please, please understand, that this is not a bad thing. This is not something that's going to make your life miserable. It's actually quite beautiful, and quite an accomplishment.
Think of all the hard work the florida animators did on this movie.
And 2 years later, their hard effort, their sweat and love....has earned the product of their labor a place right next to the legendary Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy.
Can't you feel that? Can you sit back, take that in, and think....of how proud you'd be, if you had a part in that, if you helped make that movie, and in such a short time the public has embraced it so strongly, that your character can stand with Walt's creations?
Stitch isn't better than the creations of Walt Disney. But he is a modern character which has joined the ranks of Walt Disney's most beloved characters. This is amazing...and were Walt alive today, he would be very proud, very proud indeed, of those florida animators who made it happen.
So no, I do not see this Stitch invasion as a bad thing. If the world can say "Mickey" and know exactly who it is, and can say "Stitch" and a near-equal number of people also recognize him, I say that Stitch has rightfully earned his place alongside the Fab 5.
He's earned his wake up call in the morning.
He's earned his monorail voice.
He's earned the merchandise, the series, the continuing love for him and lilo around the world.
Stitch, is the collective effort of hundreds of people giving their all.
Disney only has a limited hand in how successful a character is when it comes to merchandise. Disney can't put out a flop movie, and then put out tons of merchandise for it, and force the public to buy it. The public buys what it wants to buy. The Stitch invasion is being perpetuated by the general public. If the public stopped liking stitch, the merchandise would stop moving, Stitch woud fade silently into the night like so many recent characters. Disney can't force a character to be loved. The public decides that for itself. So we can't blame disney for the Stitchification of WDW. Disney tested ideas, and the public responded in an overwhelmingly positive way. If anything, Disney has really been conservative in what it's done with the stitch character. It's been reluctant from the start.
He's around because the public wants him around.
The least, the very least, we can do, is respect and admire how far he's come. It says a lot to stand next to Mickey Mouse in just two short years. It says a lot to have a new icon that the world can love because he's REAL, he's flawed like all of us. We can identify with that. That's why Stitch worked, the animators realized this, and created something we could relate to.
They will ALWAYS have my respect.
And with that, I step down off my soapbox. Stitch is here to stay, because of the collective effort of people who's contributions have barely been recognized by the management of the company. But the public recognizes it.
So I say, Go Stitch, Go. It's about time we had a new character for US.
This was posted elsewhere and promted a response from me, but i felt it better to make it an entirely new topic...it's long, but i hope it can be read and perhaps considered.
General Grizz said:
I would.
It seems to me like some of the people in this forum are suffering from Stitch fatigue...they're beginning to not like him because of his popularity, and therefore anything new with Stitch at WDW is met with "Oh no, I hope this is only temporary!"
Well...
Let me post an observation. Please, hear something from someone who really cares about this:
Disney has not managed to produce an icon for decades. Even the renaissance movies in the early 90s struggled to produce a character with longevity. Genie might be one that has survived, but not on this scale.
The public has a notoriously short memory, and most of us here, being fans of Disney, should know this. Take a look at most of Disney's work throughout the mid to late 90s and you will see a constant stream of "didn't quite make it" movies. There are thousands of reasons why these movies failed to make an impact, but that's another subject for another thread.
The point is, for years, nothing Disney has produced has really impacted the public....nothing has had the heart, the emotion, and the strength, that Lilo and Stitch had. It's funny because, had Lilo and Stitch been produced in the Burbank studios, I have a feeling we wouldn't be here today. Lilo and Stitch, under control of the Burbank managers, might never have received the TLC that helped it become one of Disney's great movies. Simply put, the folks at the florida studio flew closer to pixar's formula of making movies and keeping animators happy, than to Burbank's formula.
And you know what, it worked. The animators, story writers, directors, producers, grew to care a great deal about the characters they were producing in that movie. It wasn't just a job, it was a labor of love. And when the budget cuts came and the promotion funds were slashed again and again, they persevered, and according to Chris Sanders, this gave them even more drive to do the best they could with what little they had. They were determined to make this little film be as best as it could be.
That kind of devotion comes through in every single beautful scene of that movie, from the sheer artistry and beauty of the backgrounds (with watercolor, you got one shot to do it right), to the small, subtle details in the expressions on the characters' faces, to simple and complex shading in areas that might have been overlooked in the past but gave this 2-D film a whole new feel of realism.
It is a work of art, and the story is a work of beauty. It's the deepest thing the company has done in a long time...and it doesn't have jack to do with management at Burbank. It has to do with the hard working dedicated folks at Florida who devoted their lives to making this movie happen.
I respect them, and their contribution to the world with this movie. It gave Disney something they badly needed: A character people would relate to. A character, a movie, that could survive the fickle tastes of the public and carry on. A movie that wouldn't join the long, sad list of failures in Disney's recent past.
Something you guys may not know....but I will tell you.
Remember earlier, I said that I had been there from the beginning, I was no fairweather fan. When I say it, I mean it. I WAS there before there was ANY future of Lilo and Stitch. Before the decision was even made to carry on with the series.
In the beginning, the series was a planned thing, but it was determinate upon the success of the movie itself. Most Disney movies do in fact get that treatment: Exploration of the idea of a TV series based on the movie.
What, in recent years, usually happens is that an underbudgeted, outsourced series does crop up, and with low ratings, becomes relegated to Toon Disney, or, gets cancelled. Hercules, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Timon & Pumbaa (which was actually pretty good at the time), and others are examples of this.
With Lilo and Stitch, the initial promotion of the movie, while funny, never really told the story of what the movie was about. Stitch invades other movies...alright...but who is stitch...? The interstitchals, as they were called, were designed to make people curious. It only worked to a degree. But, with a slashed promotion budget, there wasn't a whole lot to be done about that. I did see one longer commercial, just once, that ran on disney channel about the movie, and that one long commercial told a beautiful story about what the movie really was. That commercial showed the heart, and the impact of that commercial was incredible.
But they only ran it once. Had they run it more I expect Lilo and Stitch's initial box would have been much higher.
But as it was, people were expecting another simple summer-thing Disney movie that really wasn't up to par. Initial attendance at theatres was NOTHING like what Pixar was raking in.
Why?
Reputation. Pixar has a GOOD rep with the public. and whether we like it or not, Disney does NOT right now. Disney can only blame itself and its penny-pinching ways for that.
Lilo and Stitch became a popular movie through word of mouth. As people walked into theatres half expecting a bad movie, half expecting a slapstick comedy, all were stunned to see the depth, the power, the emotion, the realism, the humanistic aspect of this movie. A movie that reflected on ourselves and our own journeys in life. the broken family, the social worked, the child that never fit in. Haven't all of us felt like Lilo sometimes?
I was stunned. I think, a large part of every audience, was too. This was something new, this was something different. I watched my life change before my eyes....something...clicked, inside of me with each viewing of that movie and started a change within myself and a soul search that has made me a better person. For a movie to do that to a person is unbelievable, but it happened.
As person spoke to person about this movie and it's difference compared to other recent disney fare, many people who initially chose not to see it, began coming into the fold. The movie's earnings began a slow-burn of popularity. It started, and grew. As the movie eventually dropped out of theatres...we came to find that it was still pulling in very decent to full audiences worldwide. That movie had the longest run of any animated feature at my local movie theatre. People just kept coming, and coming, and coming to see it. The movie left only because the reels had to be returned.
In Japan the movie ran into the next year, its popularity was so great. If I recall correctly, as of March 2003, L&S was STILL in Japanese theatres. Impressive.
This was a movie that was impacting the world like we haven't seen in 10 years. The decision was made to carry on with the series...and...the budget was increased for that endeavour....they gave it the funding it needed to be different from a Toon Disney series...and to become as successful DC series.
And it did. When the series came out, it pulled in ratings for the DC that at times surpassed even Kim Possible, the steady hit for Disney Channel. It also brought in adult audiences, which had been drifting away for a long time as DC transformed itself into a hipper, teeny-bopper network for 11-16 year olds.
Stitch the Movie, the pilot for the series, also broke records in Direct-to-Video sales. Its record has onl been surpassed by the release of The Lion King 1 1/2. That says a lot for Lilo and Stitch...at the time just one year old....to have sales comparable to the likes of The Lion King, Disney's last recognized "smash hit" and former world gross box office record holder, surpassed by Finding Nemo.
Where am I going with this?
Stay tuned.
Even with ALL this success, Disney was very, very reluctant to push the Stitch character in the parks and merchandise-wise. I remember in mid-2003 lamenting at how there were no Stitch T-shirts available for adults.
The pin selection, initially, was very limited as well. And I remember a time when there was only three variations of the Stitch beanbag plushie, and only one 14" plushie of Stitch...which at the time, was miscolored with very dark blue fur. I still have that plush.
The stitch selection was very limited, but it was in line with the normal fare from Disney movies which come, and then go, and are forgotten forever. A merch line that would be easy to close down.
In the disney stores and at the resorts guests began to raise their voices about wanting adult sized Stitch clothing. As these voices raised...a friend of mine in california, an employee of disney and respected in the company, sat down to a lunch with a burbank-area manager about the need for an adult stitch t-shirt in the parks.
A week later, the first test releases of L&S shirts came out. They were simple, normal shirts with a small L&S logo stamped on the chest, not very visible, but there.
They sold out almost immediately.
More "test merchandise" came out in the weeks after. All of which disappeared off the shelves at lightning speed. Finally, finally, Disney released it's first, real, adult t-shirt...a black one of Stitch in the sand. It, too, sold out and stock had to be replenished throughout the DLR. Fortunately I was able to get one.
Merch also increased, disney toyed with the idea of holiday stitches. The christmas of 2002 santa stitch plushies did amazingly well at the disney stores and at DLR...and in 2003 Stitch began to celebrate every holiday.
The public ate it up.
Clearly, Stitch was something different. Even Finding Nemo, when it came out, couldn't move merchandise the way Stitch was.
Why?
You can't hug a fish for one thing! But for another, is that Stitch was a stronger character overall.
In the aftermath of Nemo we have come to find this as being true. Sorry Pixar, but the Nemo movie has become something of a joke these days. In my experience and that of others I've spoken with, people generally laugh these days if you admit to being a nemo fan. That's not a good thing for longevity. Nobody laughs if you like the incredibles. Or toy story. But this sad fate has befallen Nemo. So even with record-breaking box office sales, Nemo, too, has been relegated to a has-been.
Stitch survived because he's in people's hearts.
Disney has come, in the time since, to begin adopting the Stitch character as part of the company's fold. Not happily, mind you. Eisner is still sore that Stitch stole the box office that was intended for Treasure Planet. TP had a story, though, that had been done in other ways many times over the years. It was a done, tired storyline, and the characters were not as easy to relate to. A huge financial loss for the company. And management tended to blame Stitch. Stitch raised the bar for disney quality prior to TP's release...and TP didn't reach the bar. Stitch, restored people's faith in Disney. Including mine.
That faith has since dissipated again, as the public as seen further lacklustre releases from the company after lilo and stitch, and seen the management problems and the horrible way in which the D-animators have been treated. Public opinion of Disney is really low.
But Stitch lives on.
He found his way into the hearts of people around the world because of those hardworking folks at WDFA-F who made it happen, who gave their all, and accomplished the impossible. They beat the odds, survived the torpedoes from Burbank, and made this thing. And made it right.
Stitch's popularity today is a direct result of that effort.
Disney is only now fully embracing his character.
And some seeing this are resisting. I wonder why? I think some of you are used, by now, to the idea of a movie coming, and then going away. When something like this stays, and stays, and stays, it bugs you, don't it? That's called the short attention span of america these recent years taking its toll even on hardcore disney fans. We are too used to characters that stick around just long enough to not bother us or invade our Disney vacation.
Because Stitch has been adopted by the public as a new icon, he isn't going away. He won't be leaving suddenly just as he came, like characters in disney recent past. He's here to stay, because the public wants him here to stay. They adopted him, they let him into their hearts.
For the first time since walt's days...a character is mentioned in the same breath as the Fab 5.
It won't be long before Stitch becomes part of the Fab 6.
Please, please understand, that this is not a bad thing. This is not something that's going to make your life miserable. It's actually quite beautiful, and quite an accomplishment.
Think of all the hard work the florida animators did on this movie.
And 2 years later, their hard effort, their sweat and love....has earned the product of their labor a place right next to the legendary Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy.
Can't you feel that? Can you sit back, take that in, and think....of how proud you'd be, if you had a part in that, if you helped make that movie, and in such a short time the public has embraced it so strongly, that your character can stand with Walt's creations?
Stitch isn't better than the creations of Walt Disney. But he is a modern character which has joined the ranks of Walt Disney's most beloved characters. This is amazing...and were Walt alive today, he would be very proud, very proud indeed, of those florida animators who made it happen.
So no, I do not see this Stitch invasion as a bad thing. If the world can say "Mickey" and know exactly who it is, and can say "Stitch" and a near-equal number of people also recognize him, I say that Stitch has rightfully earned his place alongside the Fab 5.
He's earned his wake up call in the morning.
He's earned his monorail voice.
He's earned the merchandise, the series, the continuing love for him and lilo around the world.
Stitch, is the collective effort of hundreds of people giving their all.
Disney only has a limited hand in how successful a character is when it comes to merchandise. Disney can't put out a flop movie, and then put out tons of merchandise for it, and force the public to buy it. The public buys what it wants to buy. The Stitch invasion is being perpetuated by the general public. If the public stopped liking stitch, the merchandise would stop moving, Stitch woud fade silently into the night like so many recent characters. Disney can't force a character to be loved. The public decides that for itself. So we can't blame disney for the Stitchification of WDW. Disney tested ideas, and the public responded in an overwhelmingly positive way. If anything, Disney has really been conservative in what it's done with the stitch character. It's been reluctant from the start.
He's around because the public wants him around.
The least, the very least, we can do, is respect and admire how far he's come. It says a lot to stand next to Mickey Mouse in just two short years. It says a lot to have a new icon that the world can love because he's REAL, he's flawed like all of us. We can identify with that. That's why Stitch worked, the animators realized this, and created something we could relate to.
They will ALWAYS have my respect.
And with that, I step down off my soapbox. Stitch is here to stay, because of the collective effort of people who's contributions have barely been recognized by the management of the company. But the public recognizes it.
So I say, Go Stitch, Go. It's about time we had a new character for US.
