otay! so it begins! i toss my hat into the burning ring of blog!

what we have here is a testament to one of my favorite Disney designers of all time: George McGinnis!

it goes without saying what tremendous individual talents went into the shaping of Walt Disney's master concept, Disneyland. i'm sucha harcore fan of Walt and his team that i won't even attempt to touch upon that overall appreciation right now.

many of the thoughts found here are my own opinion and are written from that perspective. i absolutely invite everyone to correct my missed facts or misguided thoughts on a given subject. these blog posts are about my impressions of the given subjects and should be taken in editorial context.

for this first entry on my blog, i pulled an image (from an original slide) that showcases what magic can happen when so few are able to design so much: i give you the 1967-1977 Tomorrowland in Disneyland, USA! many were involved in the creation of this white washed, streamlined world of the future yet none had such a creative voice as the master Imagineer, George McGinnis.

this slide showcases the perfect blend of late 1970s Space Mountain with the late 1960s Apollo vision of the Rocket Jets ride. seemless to be sure but there is a common thread between these decade wide counterparts....

Disneyland's 'World of the Future' in 1955 was in many ways, outdated before the ceremonial ground was broken in 1954. this has absolutely no bearing on the wonderful artists and visionaries who designed this promising glimpse into the future, yet 1955-1966 Tomorrowland was in many ways, following the curve of futurist visions before it.

by 1967, a new voice had become paramount at the Glendale , Ca offices of WED Enterprises and that voice was allowed to sing out in absolute clarity. McGinnis was a new generation of Imagineer. one of the many Art Center grads (like Bob Gurr before him) who jumped into the field with fresh ideas and enthusiasm for something that seemed to fade in the post Sputnik area of scientific practicality: STYLE! George McGinnis took industrial design at Disney theme parks away from the freeform approach of tailfins and atomic symbols and steered it in the direction of moderne futurists such Saul Bass, Raymond Loewy, Eero Saarinen and Bob McCall.

this first post is mainly a stab to get my feet wet. as i get caught up in the blogging process, i'll try to add to the string of McGinnis appreciation and move ahead into another of my favorite Disney theme destination projects: 1982-85 EPCOT Center!!!!!