Back in January, Marvel debuted the first in a line of miniseries based on Disney properties. It was called Seekers of the Weird, based on a theme park attraction that was never constructed, The Museum of Weird. Not exactly the most obvious choice for their first series. They just recently revealed their next title, Figment, based on the pink dragon character exclusive to the Disney theme parks. With these two really out-of-the-box choices, I am hoping that both Marvel and Disney continue to look passed the obvious choices.
6. Sonny Eclipse
Sonny Eclipse is the pint-sized alien lounge crooner who entertains the guests of Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe. He is joined on-stage by his Astro Organ, which seemingly has a mind of its own. Like Figment, he is a Disney theme park exclusive character and has never really had his story told. I think an origin of how he ended up on Earth is in order.
5. Halloween Town
For the longest time, I had no idea that Jack Skellington and his Nightmare Before Christmas pals were a Disney property, not until the characters were included in the Kingdom Hearts video game. Tim Burton has been infamously protective of the movie, not to do another sequel for the sake of making a sequel, but that hasn’t stopped Disney from dropping Jack into video games or the Haunted House attraction at the theme parks. They could always turn to a different medium, like comics.
Eddie Valiant with his doodled gun
4. Valiant and Valiant: Private Investigators
The Valiants I am referring to are Eddie and his brother, Teddy, private investigators to the toon community in post-war Los Angeles from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. When we first meet Eddie, he is a drunk and now intolerant of toons ever since his brother was killed by one. I would be interested in a prequel of some fun-loving P.I. brothers helping the toons. Or even a sequel, with a clean-living Eddie and Roger Rabbit as partners.
3. Medfield College
Medfield College is the fictitious university from some of the earliest Walt Disney movies. It was the setting for the movies about Pr. Brainerd, otherwise known as the Absent-Minded Professor, as well as the Dexter Reilly Trilogy, where a young Kurt Russell kept getting into trouble with some of the science experiments like in The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. It would be cool to put the characters together like an Archie-era version of Doc and Marty from Back to the Future.
2. Sky High
This is another property featuring Kurt Russell, but in a supporting role as a famous superhero and father to a normal kid. That normal kid, Will Stronghold, still gets to go to superhero school, where the kids learn more than just algebra. It was a clever subversion of the superhero subgenre that was able to keep a family friendly rating, unlike say, Kick-Ass. I’m surprised a sequel never materialized. I think a live action TV series was proposed at one point. A comic follow up might be more practical at this point.
1. Star Command
Disney has actually attempted this before. They made a Saturday morning cartoon called, “Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.” It was Pixar’s Buzz Lightyear’s fantasy made real with Buzz working as a space cop against the evil Emperor Zurg. It lasted two long seasons and played to a younger audience. I would love to see what Marvel could do with the idea. They can probably key into a more all-ages adventure feel like they have with Seekers of the Weird.
