Jason Surrell Appearances Announced
From The Magic Kingdom to the Movies
Artwork © Disney
"So--ye comes seeking adventure and salty old pirates, aye? Sure, ye've come to the proper place. But keep a weather-eye open, mates, and hold on tight...with both hands if you please. There be squalls ahead. And Davy Jones waiting for them what don't obey."
Join us at the MAGIC KINGDOM® as Disney hosts a special appearance by author, screenwriter, and Walt Disney Imagineering Show Writer Jason Surrell who will be on hand to sign his latest book, Pirates of the Caribbean: From The Magic Kingdom To The Movies.
.
Book Signings with Jason Surrell
Friday, October 28, 2005
1:30pm - 3:30pm & 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Magic Kingdom: Pirates Bazaar, Adventureland
Saturday, October 29, 2005
3:00pm - 5:00pm
MGM Studios: Writers' Stop
The Pirates of the Caribbean: From The Magic Kingdom To The Movies book will be offered for $22.95, plus tax.
Theme Park Admission Required. Information subject to change without notice.
Source: WDW Event Services
_______________
Be sure to check out Keep To The Code's set visit report by Lady Killigrew, including concept art and a first look at Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest at this link!
_______________
Keep To The Code visits author Ridley Pearson
By Keep To The Code administration staffer Captain Teach
There are some pretty neat jobs out there. Testing roller coasters. Tasting new types of candy bars. Giving Lindsey Lohan back rubs. Fun stuff.
Getting paid to write.
Cool.
Getting paid to write for Disney.
WAY cool.
Cover art © Disney
Ridley Pearson is one of those guys lucky enough to get paid to write for the Mouse (Jason Surrell is another such person but we're not talking about him or his new book on Pirates of the Caribbean, so if you think I'm going to mention that the book comes out very, very soon or provide a convenient link to where you can order it from Keep To The Code, you're sadly mistaken).
In the past, Disney has flirted with the young adult and children's fiction categories that have become more popular ever since Harry Potter reminded kids that it's fun to read things other than the instructions to the latest Playstation video game. With books such as Peter and the Starcatchers (co-written with Dave Barry) and The Kingdom Keepers, both Disney and author Ridley Pearson have entered the field and hit the ground running.
The Kingdom Keepers is the latest book that features new and unique takes on Disney standards. The novel centers around five young teens who are tapped as models for theme park "guides" that suddenly find themselves pitted against Disney villains and witches that threaten both the future of Disney World and the stability of the world outside its walls. Kinda like Westworld for ten year-olds (which is ironic since Westworld author Michael Crichton is on record saying that his story was inspired by the Disney theme parks. The original Stepford Wives was also based on the concept of evolving Disney technology. Boy, Disney sure scares a lot of science fiction guys). There's more to the tale than animatronics run amuck, but if you want to know just what these other "things" are, you'll have to grab the book and read it for yourself (heh heh heh...).
On Friday October 21st, Mr. Pearson was on hand at the Contemporary Resort hotel in Disney World to sign copies of his work, and I, Captain Van der Decken and Doctor Bacchus swung by to get our books inscribed.
Viewer's left to right: Captain Van der Decken, "Rancid Rob," Ridley Pearson, Doctor Bacchus and Captain Teach.
The event on the fourth floor concourse had a nice crowd while we were there; plenty of folks were getting books (each book purchased also included a limited edition The Kingdom Keepers pin and 50 free points for the online game Virtual Magic Kingdom), audio readings and other items autographed by both Ridley and Rancid Rob, a cast member with a thick Spinal Tap accent cavorting around dressed as a pirate (and also signing his name to items). Mr. Pearson was a delightful, accessible guy who got into the spirit of things, swapping lines and jabs with Rob. Far too often I've met authors who were locked away in their own little world, insular to the point of alienating the folks who keep them employed. Not so Pearson. He was warm and open and let his fans know that he genuinely appreciated their support and presence.
And even better, he got my Pink Floyd joke.
On the right side of the table where Mr. Pearson was signing books, sat one of those optical illusion dishes where you put an object at the bottom of a bowl and the reflective interior makes the object appear to be floating in space. For some reason, the object in this particular bowl was a tiny pig. So I get up to the table and glance down at this hovering pig and my first thought is "Pigs on the Wing" off of the album Animals.
"Dude", I said to Ridley, "now you've totally got me thinking of Pink Floyd."
He paused a moment, then glanced at the pig and burst out laughing. Then he told me that his next book was about a bunch of ten year-old kids who get stuck in the Pink Floyd discography and have to fight their way out. It's going to be called Wish You Were on the Dark Side of the Pig.
Okay, I'm lying. He's not really writing a book about kids stuck in the works of Pink Floyd. But if Disney's hiring more writers, I'd be happy to give it a shot...and if that job's not open, tell Lindsey Lohan I give a mean back rub.
______________
Send news items to KeepToTheCodeNews@gmail.com. Please include contacts and sources if possible.
<< Home