tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post4458864702253128513..comments2024-03-07T09:25:09.142-08:00Comments on Long-Forgotten: Happy Haunts Materialize: The Hat Box Ghost ReturnsHBG2http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073387557562504315noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-55475999641427962912016-09-11T12:18:08.084-07:002016-09-11T12:18:08.084-07:00You needn't be confused, I am indeed referring...You needn't be confused, I am indeed referring to the Ezra animatronic. As far as the mirror effect goes, I agree with you, it can go eat a dick. If/when the art director would make his own Hatbox, it would be more so based on the face of the ANIMATRONIC of Ezra, and not as much the 2D mirror ghost. I think, more than anything else, it's just him (the art director) wanting to give his own take on Hatbox. After all, he is a protegé of Blaine Gibson, who sculpted the original face for both Ezra and Hattie.Scream! Or Sugarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08047742759766661444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-27349499096909429122016-09-11T11:26:32.957-07:002016-09-11T11:26:32.957-07:00I'm treading carefully here because you sound ...I'm treading carefully here because you sound as if you have insider status and if so no doubt know many thing I don't, but I'm still a little confused. I agree wholeheartedly that the new Ezra animatronic at WDW is great (except maybe the hair, but that's a different matter). No, when I say "cartoonish" I mean the CG guy hopping around in the mirror. He's inexcusable. He doesn't look much like the figure at all. The hands alone are cause for consternation. As for the DL HBG2.0 having a scrunched-up face, again, I'm confused. The story is that Joseph et al strove to do the very thing you describe: do a CG version of the original head and project it onto a mask with the same contours as the original. These guys worked from the original HBG mold. So far as I'm able to see from all the photography, they did a good job of faithfully duplicating the original head, said purplish trend notwithstanding.HBG2https://www.blogger.com/profile/05073387557562504315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-87133448960607829492016-09-11T09:27:20.540-07:002016-09-11T09:27:20.540-07:00Well, that's subjective. Some would say that t...Well, that's subjective. Some would say that the scrunched-up face of DL's Hatbox Ghost (which had a tendency to turn purple in the first few months of its operation) is more cartoonish than WDW's detailed Ezra figure. Opinions aside though, you have to admit that the new figures at WDW look far superior to their pre-2011 counterparts. If it's a hasty job, they could always just duplicate the Hatbox figure from California and then render a CG version of Ezra's face that they'd then project onto there.<br /><br />To draw a similar comparison for a moment, look at Constance. The Floridian version is far superior to Disneyland's. Partially because it's a different video file with different footage altogether. My guess is that was the art director's call.<br /><br />ALSO... To go back to your bullet point about her in the beginning of this post, I feel like a lot of her naysayers would be singing a different tune if California's looked as good as Florida's. The effect is done much better and the HD video file is simply a thing of beauty.Scream! Or Sugarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08047742759766661444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-86347690135439491162016-09-11T00:12:07.456-07:002016-09-11T00:12:07.456-07:00That's very confusing. The CG face of WDW'...That's very confusing. The CG face of WDW's Ezra is FAR more cartoony than either the new DL figure or the original figure.HBG2https://www.blogger.com/profile/05073387557562504315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-91389790430029431222016-09-10T21:49:46.202-07:002016-09-10T21:49:46.202-07:00He's not coming to Florida, at least not anyti...He's not coming to Florida, at least not anytime soon. The art director for their Mansion wants to make a version that's supposedly a bit more true to the original, with less of the "cartoonish" look that Disneyland's has. Word was that he would use a CG face similar to that of their Ezra figure.Scream! Or Sugarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08047742759766661444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-31607485857596215042016-04-21T13:33:05.065-07:002016-04-21T13:33:05.065-07:00That's "December" only, and not iden...That's "December" only, and not identified by that name either. See the various posts about April.HBG2https://www.blogger.com/profile/05073387557562504315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-6668799027781696132016-04-18T17:18:56.124-07:002016-04-18T17:18:56.124-07:00It's funny that you mentioned that April/Decem...It's funny that you mentioned that April/December is missing from the mansion. She's still in the Florida mansion in the room immediately after the loarding area. Her painting is near the "Grim Couple" painting hanging above the stairs.Tailikkuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18164087694100714396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-26231863595737943332016-04-03T10:07:10.308-07:002016-04-03T10:07:10.308-07:00I read somewhere that the one they showed was just...I read somewhere that the one they showed was just a basic animatronic that they merely <i>dressed</i> as the Hatbox Ghost (that's why the proportions didn't match).Achille Talonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11636339293230261724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-7055334853700259472015-10-13T23:30:47.826-07:002015-10-13T23:30:47.826-07:00It has long been claimed that the photos I think y...It has long been claimed that the photos I think you are referring to (four of them, two of which are seen in the Merritt 1999 article above) are actually photos of the WDW figure and not the DL figure. That report is wrong. Those photos are indeed of the DL figure. It is a 100% certainty. Also, while it's true enough that they made two of everything while creating the DL HM, knowing that the WDW HM was coming, it's also true that the duplications were NOT all done simultaneously, as counter-intuitive as that sounds. Hard evidence exists for dating when the behind-the-scenes footage in the 1970 Osmonds special was shot, and believe it or not it was filmed well after the DL ride was up and running! Those are in fact the still-incomplete WDW props and figures they're working on. One scene shows them using a very incomplete HBG figure in a comic pose, holding the water cup used by a painter as he works on a ballroom figure. That, my friends, is the only known photography of the WDW HBG figure. Not only is it incomplete, but by the time that footage was shot, the DL figure was history, a failed effect. Which means the WDW figure would never have been completed, and that explains why the unfinished figure was just sitting around and available for use as a comic cup holder. Alas, at that point it was nothing more than a discarded prop.<br /><br />Which doesn't mean there are no plans for putting the HBG into the WDW HM. They don't care if he has a traditional association with the Orlando ride; they only care if he's a popular draw in Anaheim. If he is (and it sure looks like it), you can bet there will be a push to put him in WDW too.HBG2https://www.blogger.com/profile/05073387557562504315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-56559835932009408782015-10-13T21:21:17.433-07:002015-10-13T21:21:17.433-07:00There's a rumored refurb that's supposed t...There's a rumored refurb that's supposed to occur at the WDW Mansion at the beginning of 2016, and I'm almost certain he'll be added then. <br /><br />Also, he's not a "Disneyland-specific" character at all. An identical HBG was made for WDW's Mansion but never used. I've seen photos of it with my own eyes. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-76259599443155799512015-10-09T09:59:37.447-07:002015-10-09T09:59:37.447-07:00Unfortunately, the close-up shots you see are all ...Unfortunately, the close-up shots you see are all I've got in that resolution (and they are simply screen caps from the official Disney video). I've got an uncropped photo of the whole drawing, but it's not anything like "hi rez", and you probably already have that.HBG2https://www.blogger.com/profile/05073387557562504315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-4861817163332068182015-10-08T23:52:52.483-07:002015-10-08T23:52:52.483-07:00Bit of an oddball question, but do you have an unc...Bit of an oddball question, but do you have an uncropped version of the Marc Davis HBG concept art image in this post? The one you have zoomed in to his face here is the best resolution I've come across, but I am on the hunt for a high res version of the whole piece. Thanks!Mr. Chickenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17788609552270797748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-64644338862501983382015-08-05T01:42:46.567-07:002015-08-05T01:42:46.567-07:00Personally, as a huge Mansion fan, I don't fee...Personally, as a huge Mansion fan, I don't feel she was a mistake, and I've seen quite a number of big fans who like her or simply have no major feelings towards the change either way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-8349555435644498382015-08-05T01:39:18.025-07:002015-08-05T01:39:18.025-07:00Honestly, I think maybe he's her accomplice, w...Honestly, I think maybe he's her accomplice, who she later killed to ensure he'd never spill her secret, or perhaps he was to be her 6th husband-victim but he caught on quick and she had to off him before they could ever marry.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-31110175069555252592015-07-24T19:29:42.400-07:002015-07-24T19:29:42.400-07:00I think they're pretty heavily committed to he...I think they're pretty heavily committed to her, and she's not going anywhere. Removing her would be admitting she was a mistake, and that's not going to happen.HBG2https://www.blogger.com/profile/05073387557562504315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-17432566686285373512015-07-24T17:46:55.916-07:002015-07-24T17:46:55.916-07:00Since people mentioned Constance on this post, do ...Since people mentioned Constance on this post, do you think they will realize their mistake and phase her out hopefully soon or are we stuck with her? tinkchick555https://www.blogger.com/profile/03776932834544794765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-84259911936587746552015-07-12T07:45:22.927-07:002015-07-12T07:45:22.927-07:00I'm overjoyed to see his triumphant return. An...I'm overjoyed to see his triumphant return. And I think he deserves to be the best special effect in the Mansion. (Although, now that means Connie's in need of an upgrade.)<br /><br />I hope they don't try form a far-fetched plot around him, since he already has a role.<br /> The dynamic between the two Attic denizens is identical to the original/intended roles of the Bride and the Hatbox Ghost. However, here, the secret he's revealing is not that Constance killed people, (Disney. WDI. We got that, okay?) but where the evidence is. Now that he's back, there are some new hatboxes around the attic, so his role is to tell you that the husband's heads are hidden in the boxes, in an eternal effort to bring her to justice. Until you see him, the murders and the boxes have no obvious connection, but when you see him, the pieces come together, just like they would have in the early days.DBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12770023978697698553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-57869805557270545852015-06-10T00:43:16.104-07:002015-06-10T00:43:16.104-07:00You're very welcome, and thank you for sharing...You're very welcome, and thank <i>you</i> for sharing your memories, Brett! It must be gratifying to the HBG 2.0 team (especially Dan Joseph) that there are witnesses like us to the original character still hanging around and able to offer our congratulations to them for a job well done.HBG2https://www.blogger.com/profile/05073387557562504315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-65006332458118711862015-06-10T00:34:43.309-07:002015-06-10T00:34:43.309-07:00I want to thank you for remembering my letter sugg...I want to thank you for remembering my letter suggesting the HBG be put back into the Haunted Mansion. I remember how Jack Janzen would interrogate me about my adamant memory for years before he wrote the story. He never believed me. I told him he was there because I tried build my own at 12 years old that Halloween! I used a pair of my mother's hose for the scrim around the box, a blinking Christmas light bulb, and a borrowed a shrunken head from my brother's collection of the head inside the box.<br /><br />I also have an installation blueprint showing every single item and where they should be placed inside the HM. The HBG is clearly labeled on mine, but there is no bride on the opposite side. I took some photos with my Kodak Instamatic that summer of 1969 and I photographed the 2 sets of flying bats in front of the windows opposite the HBG. There is no bride in my pictures from that summer.<br /><br />Years later I was very fortunate to work with Marc Davis and he told me the raven that is seen throughout the HM was originally going to be the guide voiced by Eleanor Audley (Madame Leota). I remember Marc had drawings of the raven inside the expanding room. It's amazing how the HM still has a hold on us 46 years later. I was there opening week, and I was so obsessed with the <br />ride I went several times that fall just to ride the HM. Seven years later I became a ride operator (RO) in NOBC and got to work the <br />HM. Thanks again for acknowledging me and bringing back many happy memories associated with the Haunted Mansion. A toast to the Hat Back Ghost! Sincerely, Brett ThompsonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-57000055601195618032015-06-09T18:06:20.024-07:002015-06-09T18:06:20.024-07:00Fascinating stuff; I like the way the HBG looks, b...Fascinating stuff; I like the way the HBG looks, but kind of enjoyed the legend. As of late, the Imagineers seem bent on telling more and more back story, not understanding that the mystery is what makes it so great. I love that you traced the campaign to bring Hattie back to that E-Ticket issue; Brett Thompson would be proud! I used to be in contact with Brett; if I can find him, maybe I'll contact him and see what he has to say.Major Pepperidgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09843598326995116014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-17607490261767145882015-06-07T10:45:55.225-07:002015-06-07T10:45:55.225-07:00I half and half not agree. For me, putting an OFFI...I half and half not agree. For me, putting an OFFICIAL backstory would be a mistake that would kill the mystery… But I find that precisely it's part of the fun to try to INVENT a backstory. Which will be different for everybody. Achille Talonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11636339293230261724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-92192499094349059982015-06-05T10:51:03.096-07:002015-06-05T10:51:03.096-07:00Hi stu. I apologize. Something prevents your comme...Hi stu. I apologize. Something prevents your comments from triggering a notice in my email. I only ever see them if I actually check for "comments pending moderation" at the blog itself. Maybe something in the numbers of your nic?HBG2https://www.blogger.com/profile/05073387557562504315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-51855568748643907532015-06-01T12:34:26.183-07:002015-06-01T12:34:26.183-07:00Your welcome, and thank you for the kind words.Your welcome, and thank you for the kind words.HBG2https://www.blogger.com/profile/05073387557562504315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-27074815458628802372015-06-01T09:39:00.428-07:002015-06-01T09:39:00.428-07:00I also get the feeling that the Mansion now “[flie...I also get the feeling that the Mansion now “[flies] by faster than it used to,” I think it’s a side effect of this blog. An art connoisseur can spend hours before a painting that calls to him/her and fell like he/she has spent no time at all, whereas the casual observer can spend a few seconds, snap a photo, and be satisfied. Speaking for myself, as I read more and more post from HBG2 my appreciation for the artistry that went into this attraction grows. I see it less as an attraction and more as a work of art, and as a result, I find myself wanting to spend more time appreciating the work of these Imagineers, studding it the way an artist would pour over every brushstroke. For me, the few minutes spent in the Doom Buggy go faster and faster as there is more to appreciate.<br /><br />Thank you HBG2 for five amazing years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444762441887107389.post-51848968240398808132015-05-31T10:39:58.544-07:002015-05-31T10:39:58.544-07:00The speed is adjustable. It's common to notice...The speed <i>is</i> adjustable. It's common to notice a temporary slow-down at random times as you ride. That usually means they are seating someone who needs extra help and extra time to board. I couldn't say if they've changed the speed overall.HBG2https://www.blogger.com/profile/05073387557562504315noreply@blogger.com