JellyPages.com

Monday, October 31, 2016

Events: Pixar Themed Pumpkin Carving (2016)

disney pixar pumpkin carving template

Happy Halloween to all! We're finally back from our getaway and that means right back to blog posts. Thanks so much for your patience while we've been gone.

Per tradition, today's post is a festive one... yup, our Pixar themed pumpkins are back and this time for round four! My wife Brita and I started carving Pixar character pumpkins in 2013, the year I started this blog, and have done them every Halloween since. If you haven't yet, check out the ones we did in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

This afternoon we added Woody and Sulley to our portfolio of Pixar pumpkins, joining previous years' Pizza Planet alien, Mike Wazowski, Nemo, Dory, Anger and The Good Dinosaur logo! These were completely last minute choices (I would have loved to do something a bit more unique), but I'm thrilled with the way both of them turned out.

disney pixar pumpkin carving template
disney pixar pumpkin carving template
disney pixar pumpkin carving template

As I've said before, I am not a pumpkin carving artist in the slightest- in fact, I'm pretty terrible at it. At any rate though, I do feel like I've been improving every year. I'm pretty proud of the work I did with the Woody design today and Brita, once again, did an outstanding job with hers! She's always been an extremely talented pumpkin carver and that shows once again. The Sulley she carved is out of this world good!

Check out the completed pumpkins below.

disney pixar pumpkin carving
disney pixar pumpkin carving sulley

You can find both of these templates online for free right HERE. Let me know what you think in the comments below and be sure to share your Disney·Pixar themed pumpkins as well! I would love to see your creations.

See ya in November! 

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

The Art of Finding Dory GIVEAWAY!

the art of finding dory giveaway

UPDATE **NOW CLOSED** - A big congrats to the winner!

Yesterday I gave you an in depth look at The Art of Finding Dory book by Chronicle Publishing (if you missed my post, check it out HERE). Today, in honor of the Finding Dory digital home video release, I'm giving you a chance to win it!

I'm so excited to be hosting my very first Instagram giveaway. I'll be sending one lucky winner a brand new copy (shrink wrapped an all- seen in my photo above) of The Art of Finding Dory. That's right, you can get this fantastic book for free. All you have to do to enter for your chance to win is:

1.) FOLLOW me on Instagram @danthepixarfan (HERE)

2.) LIKE my giveaway post and SHARE it on your Instagram feed using the hashtag #artofdorygiveaway

3.) TAG an Instagram friend who might be interested 

This giveaway is open to all countries. It begins today and ends 10/29 at 10:00 pm EST. The winner will be chosen at random and announced on 10/30. Best of luck to everyone who enters and thanks to all for the tremendous support!


Monday, October 24, 2016

In Depth Review: The Art of Finding Dory Book

the art of finding dory book review

The "Art of" books from Chronicle Publishing are always among the first items on my "must have list" with each new Pixar film. These books have been released alongside every Pixar film since Monsters, Inc. and, for Finding Dory, it was no different. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this— and, like the film itself, it does not disappoint!

I got this for my birthday back in May, but I held off looking through it until after I saw the film (to avoid spoilers of course). Somehow it got put on the back burner since then, but I'm thrilled to finally give you all a detailed look inside The Art of Finding Dory.

the art of finding dory book review

For me, I see Pixar films as more than just movies. I see them as literal works of art; like whimsical paintings come to life with sound and movement. They are beautifully crafted in every way— you can just feel the attention to detail and devotion from the filmmakers in every frame.

Within these 176 pages, you get a better understanding of why Finding Dory looks and feels the way it does; as this book is filled with the gorgeous artwork which inspired the final images on screen.

the art of finding dory book review

After a preface by John Lasseter, a foreword by director Andrew Stanton and an introduction by production designer Steve Pilcher, you get right into all the behind the scenes goodness. I know a while back I mentioned that I didn't like too much text in the "Art of" books. However, with how little Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur had, I have to admit that I missed having more insights from the creators quite a bit. This one, in my opinion, has a perfect balance between the art and "making of" text.

Things start off here with a few very early research trip photographs, which I thought was pretty neat. From there, the book is divided into the film's three acts featuring storyboards, concept art, color scripts, digital paintings, pencil sketches, maquettes, lighting/character studies, etc. (very much the same type of content you've come to expect from this series).

 Lets take a peek inside!

the art of finding dory book review
the art of finding dory book review

Something that is new here, at least from what I remember, is the inclusion of deleted scenes in story board form. It's a really fun touch to see some early takes on the story! Expect to see some of them on the Blu-Ray release.

the art of finding dory book review
the art of finding dory book review
the art of finding dory book review
the art of finding dory book review
the art of finding dory book review
the art of finding dory book review
the art of finding dory book review
the art of finding dory book review
the art of finding dory book review
the art of finding dory book review

That's just a small taste at what you can expect inside. It's really a beautiful tribute to the incredibly talented artists who worked so hard at making the film what it is today, yet who too often go unnoticed.

If you're a fan of Finding Dory or animation in general, you won't want to miss this one. There are so many details in this book that you really could look through and study it for hours! If you're interested in adding this to your collection, you can pick it up online at Amazon using the direct link below.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Cars: Circus Pickup (Super Chase)


Yesterday afternoon, I had a pretty remarkable Disney·Pixar Cars find at my local Walmart... the last circus car "Super Chase" I needed for my collection- the Circus Pickup! What's crazy is that this was released a whole year ago in late 2015. How it suddenly appeared now is beyond me, but hey, I'll take it. I've almost purchased this on eBay several times at this point, but just never got around to it. I'm so glad I held off!

pixar cars circus pickup super chase
Circus Pickup on the Walmart pegs- October 22, 2016

As usual, this is a 1:55 scale diecast. And you might be wondering, what is a "Super Chase?" Simply put, cars designated/labeled Super Chase are just ultra rare releases (no more than 4,000 units are produced per Super Chase). They are extremely difficult to spot in stores; in fact, this is only the seventh super chase I've ever found in the "wild" (the rest I had to resort to eBay or Amazon for).

Lets take a look at this one in more detail-

pixar cars circus pickup super chase
pixar cars circus pickup super chase

This character is from one of the funniest and most creative scenes in the original Cars. It's during the end credits when Mack (voiced by John Ratzenberger, who also voices a character in every Pixar film) is parked at the Radiator Springs Drive-In Theater. There we see many of our favorite Pixar characters in car form such as Buzz, Woody, Hamm, Mike, Sulley, the Yeti, PT Flea, Flik and the "circus cars" (as seen in the screen shot above). It's ultimately just fun to see Pixar and John Ratzenberger poke fun at themselves a bit! The scene can be watched here. Never gets old!

pixar cars circus pickup super chase
pixar cars circus pickup super chase
pixar cars circus pickup super chase

The other "circus cars" who appear in the scene are also available as Super Chases: Circus Cab, Circus Van, Circus Forklift & Circus GT (2-Pack), and Circus Sedan (all released last year). It's hard to believe that the last one I found was the Circus Sedan, which I picked up almost a year ago (last November, during our Disney Cruise to be exact). This completion has been a long time coming! I'm so excited to finally have them all.

If you're still looking to add this one to your collection, your best bet is to visit eBay (visit this direct link to current listings) or Amazon using the link below. Best of luck! 

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Toy Story 3: Stretch (Funko Mystery Minis Villains Collection)

funko mystery minis disney villains stretch

Funko Mystery Minis are back with a brand new assortment of characters... this time featuring classic Disney·Pixar villains and their companions/henchman (technically some, like the dalmatian, are their victims). These have just been released and rightfully so, since, with Halloween around the corner, this is the perfect month to celebrate villains after all.

Of course I was just interested in the two Pixar characters included: Lotso and Stretch! Remember these are blind boxes, so you don't know who you're going to get until you open it. I took my chances at Walmart today and was absolutely thrilled to have found Stretch (the purple rubbery octopus henchman seen in Toy Story 3) right off the bat. It may take longer for me to track down Lotso, but I'm determined. Stay tuned. 

funko mystery minis disney villains stretch

There are three case variations out there which I wanted to go into detail about here. The one I have here came from the Walmart exclusive case (you can see all 16 characters who come in this case on the back of the box above). There is also a Hot Topic exclusive case, which replaces Jafar, Iago, Lotso and Stretch with Captain Hook, the Crocodile, Dragon Maleficent and Maleficent's Goon. In the common case (non retail exclusive) those characters are absent and are replaced by Hades, Pain, Shan Yu and Shan Yu's Eagle.

So total, between all cases, you can collect 24 unique Disney villains. Now lets take a look at Stretch in more detail...

funko mystery minis disney villains stretch
funko mystery minis disney villains stretch

Stretch here is a 1/36 character (that means there's only one in every three cases) and looks super awesome overall. Funko is the master of cute stylized figures. I love the semi-translucent plastic she's made from as well as the movie accurate glitter on the inside.

Test your luck by picking up a mystery mini villain at Walmart, Hot Topic (or elsewhere) and maybe you'll get the one you're looking for! Or if you'd rather do the eBay thing, visit this direct link to current listings.

Have fun on the hunt! Share your success in the comments below.

Friday, October 21, 2016

Finding Dory: Halloween Stickers (Disney Store Exclusive + Dress Rehearsal Event Reminder)


Hey everyone! Just a reminder that tomorrow is the Disney Store's second and last Halloween Dress Rehearsal event this season. If you have a Disney Store location near you, be sure to hit it up at 11:00 am for a fun, festive Saturday activity. There at the store they'll have games, crafts, a parade, free giveaways, etc. Plus your little ones can come dressed up in their favorite costume!

Something really cool is that they're giving out treat bags featuring all sorts of fun goodies inside...including the exclusive Halloween themed Finding Dory stickers seen below! They are so cute- it's pretty adorable seeing Destiny as a Witch and Bailey dressed up as a clown.

disney store halloween finding dory stickers

Don't miss out on some magical times tomorrow! Be sure to check it out, snag your free stuff and let me know about your experience in the comments below.

Enjoy!

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Finding Dory: Speaking Whale Slap Bracelet

finding dory slap bracelet

Today's been a busy day! Though it's getting late here, I still needed to fit in my daily post- so tonight we're going very simple with this cute Finding Dory slap bracelet. This, along with six other designs, was released this past May and was available at Target stores (among others) throughout the summer.

This particular design features Dory speaking whale (with her hilarious signature facial expressions) as well the text "HHOOOOOW AAAAARRREEE YYYOOOOOOUU-UUUU??" I'm sure just about everyone reading this has tried out slap bracelets before, so you know exactly how it works. It's timeless fun!

I'm not sure if any in-store locations carry this at this point, but you can still pick it up on the Hollar site HERE or Amazon using the link below. A big thanks to my friends TJ and Julie (of PixarPost.com) for sending me this as part of a birthday gift a few months back! It was a really fun and thoughtful little bonus treat.

Note: To see the other styles available in this series, you can check out THIS YouTube video.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Finding Dory: Disney Store Limited Edition Lithograph Set

Finding Dory Disney Store Limited Edition Lithograph Set

Released back in April, and surprisingly still available after all these months, here we have the Disney Store's (online exclusive) Finding Dory limited edition lithograph set! This is a fantastic set of five 12" x 8" prints featuring actual concept art originally created during the production of the film. Only 1500 of these were produced worldwide.

The first thing I wanted to note is the amazing cover art featured on the front of the folder. It's that same minimal style art that I love and seek after, though I'm not sure who the artist is behind it this time (it seems to be done by the same artist who did the screen art for the disappearing Hank mug). Honestly, just the cover alone was enough to draw me in- I like it that much. I totally wish it were an actual poster.

Finding Dory Disney Store Limited Edition Lithograph Set

The folder that the prints are housed in looks really nice and comes in a clear plastic slip case/folio.

Finding Dory Disney Store Limited Edition Lithograph Set

Lets open it up and check everything out in more detail!

Finding Dory Disney Store Limited Edition Lithograph Set

The five prints are top notch quality. The colors are vibrant and the material they're printed on has a really neat texture to it (it looks/feels almost like the surface of canvas). These are different than any other Disney Store lithographs I've seen.

Finding Dory Disney Store Limited Edition Lithograph Set
Finding Dory Disney Store Limited Edition Lithograph Set
Finding Dory Disney Store Limited Edition Lithograph Set Finding Dory Disney Store Limited Edition Lithograph Set
Finding Dory Disney Store Limited Edition Lithograph Set

If you're a collector/fan of Finding Dory, then you might want to strongly consider picking this set up before it's gone for good! For me, I'm really looking forward to popping these into some frames and hanging them up; they'll look stunning I'm sure.

Purchase this set online HERE for $39.95!