Artist Steve Thompson talks about the inspiration behind his eerie new Disney Store release.
As summer draws to a close, The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland prepares for Jack Skellington to take over with his spooky Christmas mashup through the end of the year holidays. But the ghostly retreat evokes Halloween all year long and has become a Disney Store staple for collections inspired by the beloved attraction.
With the latest Haunted Mansion merch drop, you can bring some of the spectral energy of the ride home for your seasonal fall decor. Two of the most standout pieces from the collection are the Disney Store light-up stretching portrait icon figures by artist and product design manager Steve Thompson. The incredibly detailed statues look like animation come to life, depicting tightrope walker Sarah Sally Slater over her crocodile and the Dynamite Gentleman on his precarious barrel.
io9 recently caught up with Thompson, who shared original concept art of the figures with us, to discuss his process for the figures and his relationship with Disneyland as it celebrates 70 years.
Sabina Graves, io9: Could you elaborate on the inspiration behind your unique interpretation of the Sally and Dynamite Gentleman figures?
Steve Thompson: I’ve been a fan of Haunted Mansion since my very first trip to Disneyland back in 1980. One of my favorite rooms in the attraction is, of course, the stretching room and its portraits. As with any new project, I never want to repeat myself. We have done some very cool collectibles, ornaments, and artwork of these characters in the past that stay very true to the portrait characters as you know them. So, for me the challenge was, how do we portray these characters in a new way?
The portraits in the stretching room have been painted by different artists over the years.
