Today we say goodbye to the Maliboomer. For the last ten years it has been shooting screaming people into the sky above Disney California Adventure. It is a “Space Shot” attraction that is manufactured by S&S Power. It shoots people rapidly into the air with compressed air and then they bounce back down to earth on a cushions of air. For Disney California Adventure, the Maliboomer was meant to mimic the “high striker” games found at many boardwalks or carnivals. These were the games where someone would use a hammer to hit a lever that launches a puck into the air, ideally making a bell ring at the top if you are strong enough.

I would say it was an old friend but really, it wasn’t for me. I experienced this attraction once and that was plenty. I sat into my seat and the shield was lowered before me…and it smelled like cleaning solution… I immediately recognized why… and felt sick to my stomach. Too late to do anything about it, I was shot up in the air and then yo yo’d my way back down to the ground. Thankfully, I hadn’t eaten recently or the smell would surely have done me in.

After today, the Maliboomer will no longer be available to guests at theDisneyland Resort. It will be dismantled in the near future as part of a massive project to put more Disney in Disney California Adventure. The question I do have to ask… will you miss the Maliboomer?

Make it a GREAT day!

-Mr. DAPs

Recently, Dave has been telling the story of how Cargo got his raygun and then what happens when he gets it. It has been absolutely hilarious. You can check it out at www.spacebase8.com. There is an RSS feed there and I’d highly recommend subscribing to it! It makes for a nice laugh to start the day off.  He has a very definitive style for Space Base 8 that is retro yet there definitely is a modern twist to it. There are also a lot of sci fi and other references within the strip. In fact, there might be a likeness of theEnterprise in one of the strips for you Star Trek fans.  My personal favorite involved a lighthouse robot being messed with by a lamp… yes, a lamp. It is in full color and is absolutely brilliant. His schematic of the raygun is pretty funny as well! This brings me to my question of the day. Do chicks really dig rayguns? What do you think?

Make it a GREAT day!

-Mr. DAPs

You may or may not realize this but John Williams wasn’t the guy who came in and arranged the music for Star Tours. A guy named Richard Bellis was actually the guy who pulled together the music and arranged it for the original Star Tours. There is an amazing interview with Bellis over at the Endor Express if you want to read more about him and some of his history working musically in the Disney Theme Parks. Part of the interview focuses on his work on Star Tours and Indiana Jones Adventure.  Here is a brief excerpt:

Tell us about your work on Star Tours and Indiana Jones Adventure. Did you collaborate much with John Williams for either of these or did the Walt Disney Imagineers know exactly what cues they wanted and where?

Unfortunately I didn’t get to work with John Williams personally. I, like so many of my colleagues, am a huge fan of his work, so it was a special treat to be able to go through his scores and sketches to see exactly what he had done. He is a brilliant musician. None of the music was “temped” in when I came on board either of these projects. I am usually brought in early enough that things are still on paper or prototypes are being mocked-up in the workshop. It’s the perfect time to bring in the music person in my opinion. We did quite a bit of editing John’s music together to get it just right for Star Tours. The picture would keep changing and getting better and we would re-work the music. An evolutionary process. Then, only when we thought everything was “set in stone” did we commit to a recording session with an 86 piece orchestra in order to create a seamless score for the attraction.

The Indiana Jones attraction was the second time I had worked with John’s music from these movies. The first was the Indiana Jones Stunt Show for Florida. This was a particularly interesting project because the timing of the cues would continually change since the “action” was being performed live in each show. Unforeseen problems like the air in the tires of the revolving plane would heat up in the hot Florida afternoon and make the plane revolve faster than it did in the early morning or late evening hours. We used a truck in which we would edit the music on site as the stunt performers rehearsed and got up-to-speed.

There’s quite a bit of music for both Star Tours and Indiana Jones Adventure in the queue as well that doesn’t involve the music of John Williams. In Star Tours, there’s the classic chime, video segments, and the K-Droid radio station — Did you write all the music for these or did you collaborate with anyone else?

The “Announce Chime” is mine as is the “Status Board” music with descriptions of trips to the various other planets. The music in the boom box is a piece I wrote for an concept that never came to fruition. It was called the Droids Room (which is still the official title of the music). The music, I’m delighted to say, has shown up on a great number of Disney Parks CDs. While it sounds electronic, all of the instruments were played by live players on instruments that had electronic manipulations available. For example, an EWI (electronic woodwind instrument), drum pads, electric bass with phasing, etc. Remember, this was over 20 years ago. The one exception was the percussion, which consisted of (percussionist Steve Forman’s) a collection of oxygen bottles and a Mazda hubcap strung with springs (the Mazdaphone).

The Mazdaphone! I’d very much like to see that. Now, I have heard that the Announcement Chime was inspired by another John Williams score, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Is that true?

The IDEA of the announce chime being musically related to Star Tours music probably came from Close Encounters. I used those notes in the Status Board compositions as well. The idea for me was that while this was the future, somewhere along the way, an Ad agency guy (probably in New York) was involved in putting together an Ad campaign for the Star Tours Company, complete with their own “jingle” or theme song. I actually did the same thing for Alien Encounter with the song “We’re Seizing the Future” (“Grasping the Moment – Fleecing the Buyer”)

Talk about an incredible process! For me, this is actually one of the most exciting parts about attraction development. The music in both movies and attractions can make or break either. Never underestimate the power of musical storytelling. Now it is time to tell a new story at Star Tours as The Adventure Continues. John Williams as again declined to personally score the music for Star Tours. For whatever reason, Richard Bellis is not returning to score Star Tours II: The Adventure Continues. Instead, Disney has invited Michael Giacchino will be scoring Star Tours II: The Adventure Continues. It is said that he will be incorporating the original Star Tours theme song. It can also be assumed that he will be using some original Star Wars music along with some of his own creation. Michael Giacchino has partnered with Disney Imagineering before. He scored Space Mountain: Mission 2 in Disneyland Paris, the current version of Space Mountain at Disneyland in California, and Space Mountain in Hong Kong Disneyland. He also has composed for Pixar, writing the scores for UP and Ratatouille. He also composed the score for J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie and LOST.

A friend recently posted this article on his facebook and I definitely think it is worth sharing. In it, the author writes about the ten things he misses the most about Disneyland in the past. It really got me thinking, what things do I miss from the past? What things do YOU miss from the Disneyland of the past? While Disneyland will never be finished and will always be growing and evolving, it also has some wonderful memories and a beautiful history. It is on these memories and rich heritage that new ideas and attractions are built from. It is a very tricky balance to continue forward and work to build a newer and better Disneyland while still remembering and respecting the Disneyland of the past. It is often quite easy to fall back into the trap of the old ways are the better ways and grumble about anything that is new. It is much harder to look at what made the old things great and take those ingredients to make something new that is even greater! While we all miss things of the past, we have to learn from them to make the future even better! Disneyland has a long and bright future ahead of it.

Walt Disney once said, “I have blind faith in the policy that quality, tempered with good judgment and showmanship, will win against all odds.” It seems to me that the powers that be (I have a feeling with some influence from John Lasseter) are recognizing that and acting on it. Of course this doesn’t apply to everything in the Disneyland Resort and there will always be room for improvement. Let’s just hope that they continue to work on this.

As I write this I do have to think back to things I remember as a child about Disneyland that no longer happen. Some of these things were even more recent. I hear so frequently how people miss seeing Mickey Mouse and his friends just walking around Disneyland (I once saw him riding a Mickey mobile in Disneyland Paris, was AWESOME!). After all, Disneyland is where Mickey Mouse lives. Why wouldn’t he walk around? Another memory that is frequently brought up is Tomorrowland’s People Mover. Then there is the old Skyway, Rocket to the Moon, House of the Future, Adventure Thru Inner Space, Fort Wilderness, Nature’s Wonderland, the Mike Fink Keelboats, and so many others. Oh, and did I mention Animazement? 

Of course the disappearance of these attractions have led to new and wonderful attractions like Big Thunder Mountain, Star Tours, or Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters to name just a few. The disappearance of an old parking lot led to a new theme park and while it has taken a few years to polish it is beginning to really shine, especially with the World of Color! We can still look back fondly on the attractions and shows of the past. I for one personally miss the People Moverand Animazement a lot. They were favorites. What do attractions or shows do you remember with fondness? What are some of your own favorite memories of the past?

Make it a GREAT day!

-Mr. DAPs

Does your work on the Star Trek series influence the way you approached Battlestar?

Yeah, working at Star Trek all those years really was the place that I learned the craft of television writing, in story, in plot, structure, and character. It taught me how to write and produce TV. When I came to Battlestar, I also decided I wanted to break all the rules that Star Trek had about how it did stories. From the beginning, we decided that if Star Trek did something, Battlestar was not going to do it and we would try to, in every way we could, make a different show than what Star Trek did.

If someone offered you a Star Trek series of your own, would you take it?

I’d seriously consider it. I think, at the moment, the franchise is in good hands. JJ Abrams has a really good take on it, I thought the last movie was very good. I’m confident that he’s going to chart a direction for Star Trek for the foreseeable future.

There was MUCH more to this article, and you can find it over at www.trekmovie.com, but that’s all he had on Star Trek. As I mentioned before, CBS has no plans for a new Star Trek television show. This doesn’t mean that they won’t get excited by another successful Star Trek movie from the J.J. Abrams crew and want to get in on the action… or more honestly, profits. Ron Moore isn’t the only one who has showed interest in being a part of a potential new Star Trek show either. Other Star Trek vets including Robert Orci, Manny Coto, and Bryan Fuller have expressed interest in putting a new Star Trek television series into warp.

So here is where I have to take a few moments and ask a few questions. First off, is the world ready for another Star Trek television show or are we still oversaturated from the end of Deep Space 9 overlapped with Voyager, and then Enterprise all while The Next Generation was still playing in reruns?  Can any of these people bring a new life to the series with the same excitement and vibrancy that comes from someone like J.J. Abrams? Are there still new things to do with a Star Trek television series that stays true to what Star Trek has always been yet also attract a new generation of fans? And more important perhaps, would a new show retain new fans? There are a lot of questions that the powers that be really need to spend a lot of time considering. I don’t know what the right answers are and I don’t really have an opinion (shocking I know!) one way or another. I do think that IF something is done, they really need to up the quality of the show in every aspect from previous shows and make it the best sci fi show anywhere on television!

David Scott Smith is one of these men who have chosen to pursue the dream. Armed with his paper, pen, and an incredible imagination Dave has created a new look at the future (or perhaps the past?) in space. He has developed an ambitiously broad range of characters to create quite the ensemble. What makes this even more impressive is that they all are interesting and worth getting to know. He has developed relationships through his story arcs that are very real and relatable. The reader can see things happen that have happened before and will happen again to people around the world, perhaps even the reader. At the same time, Dave makes each strip humorous with the ability to stand alone. This is a real talent and I can’t imagine the amount of work put into making this happen three times a week!

The look has undergone some changes since he began publishing Space Base 8 less than a year ago.  The characters have developed. The style of the animation has evolved.  New characters have been created. With most comics these things could often go unnoticed by the average person and a fan of the comic might enjoy taking note of this. Dave has made it easier for his fans though in a couple of ways. The first is in his blog, www.monkeyalwayswins.com where he talks about the development of Space Base 8 and anything that pops into his mind that could possibly relate to Space Base 8.  Another thing he has done is created what he is calling his Sketchbook on Space Base 8 itself. In it, you can see various sketches he has made through the development process. Check this part out to see various sketches of Cargo, Lighthouse, and Space Base 8 itself! I’d guess that Dave will put more up there in the future and I can’t wait!

If you haven’t checked out Space Base 8 yet, you need to. If you have NEVER looked at it before, I would suggest going to www.spacebase8.com and then clicking on the link that says FIRST right under the strip. Then you can follow Space Base 8’s storyline from its inception to today! I have really enjoyed getting to follow this strip and I hope you will too. Leave comments for Dave and show him some love! Let’s help his dream get bigger and better and perhaps someday you’ll be able to say that you were a fan way back when a little blog was highlighting Dave Scott Smith and a comic strip that would someday be hugely famous!

About Space Base 8:

Space Base 8 is a comic strip about monkeys, rocketships, robots, space aliens, and a space station called Space Base 8. It is created by David Scott Smith, who very much likes all of those things listed above. He likes you, too.

This comic strip used to appear on your interwebs five days a week, Monday through Friday. Then the cartoonist collapsed from exhaustion and since then this comic strip only appears three days a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Someday five days a week will happen again, don’t you know. So hold yer breath.

The era of the space shuttle is drawing to a close. With less than a year to go before the program is retired, witnessing first hand a space shuttle launch or land is becoming something that very few people will be able to say they were able to do. This morning the space shuttle Discovery launched at about half past 6. It was a magnificent launch and one lucky photographer, err excuse me.. I meant skilled photographer, witnessed and took the picture that is even more rare. He took a picture of the space shuttle Discovery blasting off past Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Kent Phillips was this lucky man and I must give a big hat tip to him. He camped out bright and early this morning to get these amazing photographs. They were taken near Country Bear Jamboree in Frontierland.

The first shot is of the actual lift off and the second is the sun reflecting off the remains of Discovery's exhaust trail. 

I personally am quite sad to see the space shuttle retire. I have always been a huge fan of the space program and NASA. Growing up many of our childhood games revolved around going to space. I love the hope and direction the space program gives to the future. I personally would like to think that it is an optimistic message. I'd like to think that the technology and science developed for the space program will benefit humankind in general. Here is hoping that the end of the space shuttle program will lead to something newer and better! 

Leonard Nimoy is returning to Star Trek again. Nimoy, who starred in the return of Star Trek this year will be narrating the introduction and also will be in some of the key scenes and in-game events for Star Trek Online.

“I am happy to be involved with Star Trek Online. In this game, the essence of Star Trek -- exploration and adventure -- lives long and prospers," Nimony said. "I'm pleased that a whole new generation of fans will be able to discover new frontiers in the Star Trek universe."

Zachary Quinto will also be joining the voice cast of Star Trek Online. He will be the voice of the tutorial.

Star Trek Online takes place approximately 30 years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis and players will be able to visit many locations familiar to Star Trek fans as they play the game. Some locations will include Deep Space K-7 (tribbles anyone?), Andoria, Mutara Sector (KAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHNNNNNNNNNN!), H’atoria, Wolf 359 (Resistance is futile), Gateway (Guardian of Forever’s home), Vulcan, Qo’noS, Risa, and Deep Space 9 to name a few. In each location players will be able to visit and perform different missions.

I’m looking forward to seeing this next spring. It is looking like it will be a really amazing game if it is everything it seems to be! I’ll definitely keep you updated as I find out more!

You can find out more about Star Trek Online at www.startrekonline.com

Yesterday in the middle of the Mojave Desert, Sir Richard Branson unveiled what will be “the start of commercial space travel.” He went on to tell the gathered dignitaries that “you become the astronaut.”

Aboard what ship you ask? Why the Enterprise of course! I haven’t found out of it this is a specific reference to Star Trek’s Enterprise or not but I don’t care. It’s cool. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger officially named the ship saying, "This is the stuff of science fiction movies and now it has become a reality. It's really amazing.” He continued on saying, "It opens up the space experience to ordinary people around the world."

In approximately 18 months, the Enterprise will start taking passengers on 2/1/2 hour long sub-orbital flights. The Enterprise will be able to accommodate six passengers and two pilots. The passengers will (and already 300 have) pay $200,000 per flight which includes five minutes of weightlessness.

The 22-yard long Enterprise is the first of six ships that will be in Branson’s fleet before all is said and done for this $450 million project. The Enterprise will be carried to an altitude of 11 miles by a twin hulled mother ship called Eve. Eve will then release the Enterprise and it will accelerate within seconds to 2,500 miles per hour as it climbs to 65 miles above Earth. It will then float back down to Earth.

Currently a spaceport is being built in New Mexico to accommodate these flights. Eyes are already looking forward though as to how this type of experience could someday turn into a viable means of transportation. Potentially it could reduce the time for a flight from London, England to Sydney, Australia to a mere 2 hours!

If I had an extra 200,000 sitting around, I totally would be all over this…especially for a chance to ride aboard the Enterprise! Yes, I’m a geek but that is why I’m writing this column and why you read it! If my information is accurate (I’m pretty sure it is on this case), the last big named ship to carry the name Enterprise was Nasa’s first Space Shuttle orbiter. It however, did not have engines or a heat shield and was only for tests. There also wasn’t a chance for anyone but Nasa officials to get aboard this. With the VSS Enterprise, anyone can ride her (with $200,000 of course). As we get more info on this, I think I’ll post it. Branson hopes that by 2020 there could be five competing companies…one just hopes this means lower prices! I wonder if any of the Star Trek cast will decide this is something they need to do…