This was supposed to just be a rough sketch, but then I started getting really invested in it.
I hadn't initially intended to include so many picture book characters, but the nostalgia was overwhelming. Does anyone remember the animated short films produced by Weston Woods? My local library used to have a bunch of them on the Scholastic VHS tapes from the late 90s. (I know some shorts were released on the Children's Circle VHS tapes back in the 80s (🎶 Come on along! Come on along! Join the caravan!), and some were packaged in Sammy's Story Shop in 2008.)
Characters:
Max, from Where the Wild Things Are, written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak
Peter, from The Snowy Day, written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats
Brother Bear and Sister Bear, from The Berenstain Bears series, written and illustrated by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Pooh and Piglet, from the Winnie-the-Pooh books, by A. A. Milne, illustrated by E. H. Shepard
Owen, from Owen, written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes.
Mouse, from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Joffe Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond
Louis, from The Trumpet of the Swan, by E. B. White
Mr. Toad, from The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame, based on the illustrations by E. H. Shepard
Mr. Tumnus, from The Chronicles of Narnia series, by C. S. Lewis
Pippi and Mr. Nilsson, from the Pippi Longstocking books, by Astrid Lindgren
Willy Wonka, from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl, based on the illustrations by Quentin Blake
Matilda, from Matilda, by Roald Dahl, based on the illustrations by Quentin Blake (with an homage to the Mara Wilson movie)
Peter Pan and Tinker Bell, from Peter Pan, by J. M. Barrie
Merlin and Archimedes, from The Sword in the Stone, by T. H. White, based on the illustrations by Dennis Nolan
Pinocchio, from Pinocchio, by Carlo Collodi, based on the illustrations by Enrico Mazzanti
Alice, White Rabbit, and Cheshire Cat, from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, illustrated by John Tenniel
Rupert Bear, from the Rupert stories, created by Mary Tourtel and continued by Alfred Bestall, John Harrold, Stuart Trotter, and others.
Arthur Read, from the Arthur series, written and illustrated by Marc Brown
Tin Woodman and Scarecrow, from the Land of Oz series, by L. Frank Baum, based on the illustrations by W. W. Denslow and John R. Neill
The Cat in the Hat, from The Cat in the Hat, written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss
a frog on a flying lily pad, from Tuesday, written and illustrated by David Wiesner
Charlotte, from Charlotte's Web, by E. B. White
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My Ideal Revival of the Disney Heroes Franchise
What you’re looking at is the official logo for a now defunct franchise known as Disney Heroes.
Disney Heroes was basically meant to serve as the sister…..or more appropriately, the brother franchise of the Disney Princesses, with the focus being placed on the male heroes of the Disney pantheon.
The franchise initially started back in 1999, but under the name of Disney Adventurers. Not only that, but the line-up was rather small, consisting of the titular protagonists of Hercules, Aladdin, Peter Pan, and their most recent film at the time, Tarzan.
The franchise mainly existed through toys, with some notable merchandising besides that here and there.
The franchise remained this way until about 2003, when it got a notable revamp.
The franchise would get its current name and it would expand the roster quite a bit. The new members included Merlin and Arthur from The Sword in the Stone, Robin Hood, Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty, and Li Shang from Mulan.
I also think Simba from The Lion King was a part of the roster as well, I think I remember seeing him on a backpack done for the franchise.
But in 2005, the Disney Heroes franchise had a another revamp…this one notably different from the previous ones.
Although the franchise mainly existed through toys and play-sets that more or less stayed faithful to their respective films, these however…..
Your eyes are not deceiving you….these were actual action figures created and designed by Disney for the Disney Heroes franchise…..and I couldn’t be anymore happier.
Hercules looks like an ancient Greek warrior with the golden armor, plus he’s carrying a big xiphos and a golden shield with the face of a lion.
Peter Pan is now sporting some tan gloves, boots, and ever a mask, carrying a bow and quiver of arrows alongside his trusty dagger.
And Captain Hook has a more swashbuckling look, and his rapier has been replaced with a big ass cutlass!
Prince Phillip and Maleficent were also apart of this line-up of action figures as well.
Phillip had a more knight-like appearance, even having a helmet with a golden falcon on top.
And Maleficent…well, she was in her dragon form.
Sadly, only five action figures were made in this style….
And it’s a shame, given that there were plans to revamp the franchise with a more action-oriented style.
These designs by Disney animator Ruben Procopio for planned future figures for the franchise really highlight this…
Aladdin was gonna look like an Arabian Knight, complete with a dagger and a huge ass scimitar that would make Cloud Strife impressed.
Tarzan was gonna go for a Conan the Barbarian-esque look, complete with a headband, a vest, a tooth necklace, boots, and even a quiver filled with spears, knives, and arrows.
And as you could see, they were even gonna introduce The Beast from Beauty and the Beast as a new member of a roster, with the appearance of a warrior prince and a mace as his weapon.
Unfortunately, these figures never came to be....
Although Disney Heroes franchise was doing decently fine, it was nowhere near the level of success of the Disney Princesses.
As a result of that, Disney slowly but surely phased out the franchise over the next three years.
By 2008, the Disney Heroes franchise silently ended, only merchandising through coloring books and their only new addition since 2003 being....of all characters....Milo Thatch from Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
So yeah....that's pretty much the story of the Disney Heroes franchise.
It's honestly a shame because I could totally see this franchise being pretty successful today.
And given the rise of nostalgia and crossovers in media over the last decade, I could see this being an absolute goldmine for all parties involved.
And today, I'm gonna share on how I think a revival of the Disney Heroes franchise should play out.
.It would aim more towards a older audience, mostly teenagers, similar to the Disney Villains franchise. It wouldn't really focus all that much on toys like the Disney Princesses, though there would be some figurines here and there, instead focusing on media that's more accessible with a older crowd like novels, comic books, video games, and even animation.
.Unlike it's previous iteration, and to that extension the Disney Princesses, it would be more gender-neutral, featuring male and female representatives of most of the represented films as members of the roster.
.Also unlike the Princesses, this franchise has its own backstory. Various Disney villains have joined forces in other to further their respective goals. In retaliation, a group of various Disney heroes, led by Merlin, have united to fight against the villainous alliance and protect their respective realms. I know it's a pretty simple premise, but I think it's the perfect that way.
.The franchise will have a major focus on action and adventure....which for a franchise like this, should be expected.
.Many of the characters will be receiving redesigns in the veins of the ones done for the franchise back in 2005, which give off a fantasy warrior, almost Dungeons n' Dragons vibe. While these wouldn't be to the extent as say, Disney Mirrorverse, they would clearly by different from the characters' usual attire and makes them come off as more like warriors ready for adventure and battle.
.The series will essentially expand on the worlds of the films and bring in elements from their original source materials, official continuations like the TV shows, and even the cultures they represent.
Okay, now that we got the major elements out of the way, I'm gonna briefly share who would be apart of the roster for this new franchise, and list them in chronological order of movie release.
.Alice
.Peter Pan
.Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip
.Merlin and Arthur
.Mowgli
.Robin Hood
.Ariel and Eric
.Belle and Beast
.Aladdin and Jasmine
.Simba
.Pocahontas and John Smith
.Quasimodo
.Hercules and Megara
.Fa Mulan and Li Shang
.Tarzan and Jane Porter
.Milo Thatch and Kida Nedakh
.Jim Hawkins
.Tiana and Naveen
.Rapunzel and Eugene Fitzherbert
.Merida
.Anna and Elsa
.Moana and Maui
Just imagine.....seeing this iconic heroes going on various adventures, from the hottest deserts to the deepest jungles. Fighting against mythical monsters, thieves, wild beasts, villainous knights, deadly invaders, mysterious spirits and swashbuckling pirates!
Anyway, that's all for now. I'm planning to go more in-depth on this idea, fleshing out the characters and their worlds.
If you have any ideas for this franchise, let me know.
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