The fabulous 'Tony Baxter Tour of Disneyland' - a venture

[Figments Friend]

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Well Friends, it appears that this chapter of the venture has come to a close.
I have enjoyed sharing the adventures had on the most recent excursion into that wonder-filled realm known to me as *Baxterland*.
It is not just a place, it is a state of mind.
A *Golden State of mind* to add a little word play into the mix.

What better way to complete this episode of the *Tony Baxter Tour of Disneyland* then with these appropriate closing words from Tony*s good friend, Bruce Gordon :





Yesterday...ah yes.
It was indeed a grand venture.



There shall be another chapter unfolding on the horizon....
September sees a continuation of the adventure.
All good *sagas* are always *trilogies*, after all..and this will be no exception!

 

[Figments Friend]

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From the forgotten passageways of the deep jungle....and once again treading within sight lines ....a great quest is about to begin yet again.

If Adventure has it name, it must be.....

"Back To Baxterland"...!


Preparations are at hand for the new venture, as the below image beautifully illustrates...






Yes friends, plans are coming to realization for the 'third chapter' of this ongoing themed adventure.
Much to come...much to prepare for....and much more to hopefully discover along the way !


In four weeks, it begins.
For now, more research is needed, and stockpiling of supplies and equipment.
Oh, and definitely saving up some more appropriately themed local Baxterland paper currency -






Adventure awaits....if you dare to tread there.

 

[Figments Friend]

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What is a return to Baxterland without a new t-shirt to wear during all the adventures.
Last visit, it was 'Discovery Bay'....this time, a fabulously fun 'Baxterland' tee!
I recently drew a fun design incorporating all of Tony's most famous Attractions, and it just needed to be made into a shirt for this chapter of the venture.

Here is a photo of the new creation in the works...
Using a homemade lightbox, the drawing is traced directly onto the fabric of the shirt with a permanent marker.
Later on it will be hand painted in flexible fabric paints to create the finished design.




More photos to come ...

 

[Figments Friend]

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Preparation continues....with the painting of the 'Baxterland' T-shirt !

A pair of pictures showing the painting process.





Every color was custom mixed before being applied by hand.
I used several reference photos from my collection to help with the color matching.





In a later step, iridescent paint as well as clear glitter paint will be added to key areas of the design to create some neat effects.

This shirt design was ten times more complicated then the 'Discovery Bay' tee i made earlier this year....but i enjoyed the challenge.
Really looking forward to wearing this one in the Park !

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Looks pretty awesome. Can't wait to see the finished project. You must have a ton of patience to do all of that by hand!

 

[Figments Friend]

Thank you, ajrwdwgirl.
Yes, it does take some time to make shirts like this but part of the enjoyment of creating them is the creation process itself.
After it is made, i always look forward to that 'first wearing'...usually a special day. In this case, one of the days i am 'Back In Baxterland' in three weeks.

The photo above in my previous post shows the early stages of 'Tony's Mountain' taking shape.
You can see the main reference photo i used for the train only. I did not use this for the Mountain itself as the pic shows WDW's version of the Mountain.
Since the design is a celebration of Tony's original Attractions i wanted to feature the 'Original' Mountain from DL.
So i used one of my own photos that i snapped earlier this year when i previously visited for reference, as shown in the picture below.
It ended up being the perfect shot for capturing the unique look and shape of the Disneyland original.

This photo below shows the base colors being applied for the Mountain.
Another pass will add shading and detailing to complete it's appearance.
A later step will add iridescent clear glitter paint to the area above the smoke stack and behind the trains wheels to create a color shifting effect.
Doing so creates a neat visual 'movement' to the image without anything...well, moving!

 

[Figments Friend]

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Anticipation is building now with the completion of the freshly painted *Baxterland* t-shirt.

Here is the finished design, which turned out quite nice in it*s final form.





The photo does not do this painted shirt justice, as it is difficult to see some of the iridescent paint and glitter highlighting that really add some neat visual effects to the design.
Some examples -

The Star Speeder is painted in a series of iridescent paints to make it stand out metallic-like from the naturalistic scene in the background.

Clear glitter paint was applied to the *water* elements shown on Splash Mountain, making it sparkle like splashing water would, particularly the areas directly above and below the logs ride path.

Dreamfinder*s airship is painted in a copper tone reflective paint to give it a nice glean.
Clear glitter paint surrounds it, making it appear as if it is sucking up *ideas* out of the universe..as his contraption is known to do.

The *Baxterland* lettering is painted in a bright blue paint with iridescent blue glitter.
The effect when light hits it gives it a unique sparkling appearance.

The Nautilus also had some reflective copper colored paint applied to give it a interesting metallic look.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

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Anticipation is building now with the completion of the freshly painted *Baxterland* t-shirt.

Here is the finished design, which turned out quite nice in it*s final form.





The photo does not do this justice, as it is difficult to see some of the iridescent paint and glitter highlighting that really add a some neat visual effects to the design.
Some examples -

The Star Speeder is painted in a series of iridescent paints to make it stand out metallic-like from the naturalistic scene in the background.

Clear glitter paint was applied to the *water* elements shown on Splash Mountain, making it sparkle like splashing water would, particularly the areas directly above and below the logs ride path.

Dreamfinder*s airship is painted in a copper tone reflective paint to give it a nice glean.
Clear glitter paint surround it, making it appear it is sucking up *ideas* out of the universe..as his contraption is known to do.

The *Baxterland* lettering is painted in a bright blue paint with iridescent blue glitter.
The effect when light hits it gives it a unique sparkling appearance.

The Nautilus also had some reflective copper colored paint applied to give it a interesting metallic look.

Fantastic job! I wish I could see the iridescent and metallic paints a little better. Have fun wearing it!

 

[Figments Friend]

Thanks!
Here are a pair of closer photos, showing work on painting the Nautilus element.
Both give a little better idea of the painting effects i mentioned, particularly the lettering.

This first photo shows the base paint being applied to the submarine, but above it is the finished lettering.
You can see the way light reflects off of the irredescent bright blue letters, surrounded by the glitter paint.
The lettering was also painted in blue glitter, and has a three color *golden* yellow border.
Still looks better in person then in photos!
For a size reference, the Nautilus element being painted is about 4 and a half inches long.



This second photo shows the finished Nautilus, with all detail painting complete.
The copper-like sheen on the metallic paint adds a nice visual touch.
The bright green paint used for the windows mimics the glow from the atomic submarine seen in the original film.
Works nicely under black light too...glowing nicely from *within*...!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

The glitter and special paints really do add to the look. Excellent!

 

[IndianaJones]

Fantastic looking shirt @Figments Friend. Not sure if you saw but the Season Pass podcast released a third Tony Baxter interview which was just as much fun as the first 2.

Excited to read about your trip. Although your constant trips out there are making me jealous.

 

[Figments Friend]

A pleasure to see your presence here again, Dr. Jones.
Thank you for the compliments regarding my recent shirt design.

Oh..no need to feel jealous. YOU have traveled the world Dr. Jones, in pursuit of rare antiquities.
I would just about faint if offered the opportunity to travel to some of the exotic locations you have been to.
Think of these *Baxterland* ventures as more of being adventures we can all share together...here..thanks to the magic of technology.

See, that makes it nice...as adventures are always more exciting and enjoyable when you can share them with others.
Well, unless you run into that scoundrel Belloq.

Yeah, three visits within a year to *Baxterland*. Hard for even me to believe after 30+ years of loyalist dedication to WDW , i have now become officially and completely converted over to DL.
You can thank Mr. Baxter for that....my eyes have been opened !


And speaking of Tony...yes, i did happen to hear that interview you suggested i listen to above.
Thank you !
Always a pleasure listening to him talk about whatever topic comes to light.
He has the most interesting stories to tell, and a unique perspective on things.

 

[Figments Friend]

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Snapped a few more photos of the freshly painted t-shirt to share ....

This slightly blurred one below i took at a angle to try to capture the glint of the fine glitter paint used to highlight certain areas of the design.
You can see the sparkle in the water, around the airship, and coming out of the smokestack as well as behind the wheels of the train.
The lettering is also enhanced by the effect.





These other photos show a much closer look at the detailing within the various design elements.

First, the Star Speeder and *Tony*s River Run* -





Next, Dreamfinder*s flying machine between three famous *peaks* -





A close up view of *Tony*s Temple of Wonders*....this was a challenging one to paint.





And finally, *Tony*s Mountain* in all it*s arid glory...!

 

[PacNWTigger]

You did an AWESOME job on your shirt!! I'm sure Mr. Baxter would be delighted to see it someday!

 

[Figments Friend]

You did an AWESOME job on your shirt!! I'm sure Mr. Baxter would be delighted to see it someday!

Not as delighted as i would be in showing it to him personally...!
Wow..that would be quite a moment for me if it were to happen.

Thank you for the wonderful sentiment. You made my day saying this.

 

[Figments Friend]

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Anticipation is really starting to build now....

This just arrived in the mail from the sunny West Coast -
Card #4 in the Disney Gift Card 'Baxterland' collection!

Collect em' all, kids !








A look at the full set ...to date...




These are actual, real Disney Gift Cards that i have had made through them for use at the Park.
I prefer carrying these around instead of a wallet, cash, plastic, or worse - pockets full of loose change!
So i will load these up with funds, slip a couple into my ID holder, and use them thoughout a visit.

They are great conversation starters...and it is fun to see Cast Member's reactions when you whip one of these out to pay for something.
I have told a few tales already of such adventures.

 

[Figments Friend]

Getting down to the last few days before the latest chapter of this venture begins.

One of the 'new things' i am looking forward to experiencing this visit is DL's version of the Halloween Party.
I absolutely love Halloween ..my favorite season/holiday/time of year...and being able to finally get to see how the Party is handled out on the West Coast will be a treat ( and not a trick, hopefully! ).
Having attended several Halloween Party Events at WDW over the years, it will be a refreshing change.
Not only that, but i get to continue my tradition of riding 'Tony's Mountain' dressed as a certain purple dragon on a new coast !
Woo!

I will be attending the first Halloween Party of the season ( Friday, September 26th ) and i recently learned that it sold out about two weeks ago.
Very glad i bought my ticket as soon as they went on sale for APers. It would have been a big disappointment if i had waited.
So i am pumped.
Attending the DL 'Villians Event' last year was great, and although the Park was packed full it was still a fun experience.
The crowds were huge, but it was a completely different vibe and actually added to the experience.
I am expecting the crowd to be similar at the HallowParty.

So if anyone is reading this and will be attending the Party, look out for someone wearing a homemade Figment costume.
Don't be shy in coming over to say hello if you spot me..!
Should be easy with the get-up i will be sporting...

Perhaps on that night i shall need to recreate that epic 'Splash Mountain' photo i did previously...holding up Tony's photo....but THIS time dressed as Figment?
Already added a secure elastic chin strap to my Figment horned hat to insure i don't lose it on the speedy way down....

(Egad... i am such a Disney nerd.....i will admit it.....)

 

[Figments Friend]

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Here are a pair of photos of the costume i made some years ago to attend the Park Halloween Parties in.
It looks much better when it is actually being worn...but i thought it would be fun to share a peek regardless.

Front view with all the various pieces, including a original EPCOT Center hat that used to be sold in the Park in the early 1980s.
The top of the costume is made from a painted t-shirt. The feet are ankle wraps made from craft foam.





Back view, which is the more interesting view.
The back scales and wings are made from orange craft foam, which makes them light and squishable for packing and riding Attractions.
The angle of the photo makes the wings look really large and the tail too small...but in reality they are just the opposite as they should be.





A closer look at the cool hat.
Originally the horns and 'face' were foam lined to make them rigid, but over the 30+ years the foam has long disintegrated.
A little restoration a few years ago brought it back to life, with the horns now filled with polyester stuffing.

 

[PacNWTigger]

You are going to have an awesome time!! Stay away from the trick or treat lines for at least an hour after the party opens up...the lines are insane, but they die down rather quickly and you can just walk through without any trouble with just a little bit of patience.

 

[Figments Friend]

Thanks for the tip !
I will keep this in mind.


I have heard talk that the Toontown pre-party will be happening again this year.
Hoping Roger Rabbit will be a part of that again, as he disappeared from WDW ages ago.
It would be very nice to actually see him out and about while i am there.
We shall see...

Should be a interesting day.