Saturday, December 31, 2011

2011 Year End Review

ImNotBad.com had gotten off to a very slow start when the site first opened in 2008, but this year there were over 100 posts, 7 artist interviews, and 19 merchandise reviews.



The Jessica Rabbit merchandise news had slowed down a lot since there was a huge cut-back in DisneyStore.com pins. Only 36 Jessica pins were released in 2011, 6 of which came from DisneyStore.com (that is a huge difference from the over 100 Jessica pins released in 2007.) The remaining 30 Jessica pins released in 2011 came from the parks or The Disney Soda Fountain Studio Store. There was no Halloween or Christmas series either, which had many people asking why this happened. Disney pins as a whole seemed to be scaled back considerably, with not only Jessica, but many fan-favorite characters going missing throughout the year.

The Jessica Rabbit Premium Format Figure had long been rumored by Sideshow Collectibles - creating other Disney characters like Maleficent and Captain Hook down the line. Finally Jessica was revealed just before the San Diego Comic Con in July, and had everyone drooling. Sadly, the lack of an exciting Exclusive Edition and high limited edition size put people off - although as of now the Exclusive Edition is still sold out and everyone seems to agree it will be the best and most accurate Jessica Rabbit statue ever. With every company on an 80's kick, you would think there would have been a big resurgence in Roger and Jessica merchandise. That surely was not the case. Thundercats, He-Man, Ghostbusters, Smurfs, and soon even Jem, are all getting back in the public eye - so why not Jessica?

Disney Parks did have some offerings besides pins this year. A new Jessica Rabbit art print by Darren Wilson was released during the last quarter of the year, and back in the beginning of the year, I'm not bad... I'm just drawn to chocolate candy was released with an image of Jessica on the box.

It did seem to be a year of celebrities drawing inspiration from Jessica. Angelina Jolie, Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna, and more donned a look very similar to that of Jessica - and a tight red dress was a hit for many women at different events, and Jessica Rabbit became a popular costume for Halloween.

We had some fantastic interviews from different Jessica Rabbit artists found only on this site- including the creator of Jessica Rabbit, Gary K Wolf. Pin designer, Wendy Gell, told us which real life Princess received one of the first ever Jessica Rabbit pins, while doll designer, Lisa Temming, explained exactly why the look of the Mattel Jessica Rabbit doll was changed at the last minute.



The biggest news was discovering that Jessica Rabbit was one of the characters in the Disney On Ice Show - unfortunately that was was back in 1990, and as of now I have not seen any photos of her in the show. Another discovery by this site was that the building which housed the Jessica's store was home of the Dick Tracy Store first. That meant the Jessica Rabbit store could have only been open for about a year and a half. The sequel film to Who Framed Roger Rabbit may have stalled, but this Jessica Rabbit website is still going. Hopefully, there will be many more exciting interviews and developments over the next year. Stay Tooned!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Monday, December 19, 2011

Roger Rabbit Sequel Stalled

According to slashFilm, the Who Framed Roger Rabbit Sequel has been stalled.

In a recent interview with producer Kathleen Kennedy, she claims that she and collaborator Steven Spielberg were not planning to get involved in Robert Zemeckis‘ long-gestating sequel in the near future. “We’ve attempted a script, but it’s not really moving forward right now,” said Kennedy. “That’s not to say it won’t in the future, but there’s no spotlight on it now.”

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Exclusive Jessica Rabbit Creator Interview - Gary Wolf



For Walt Disney, it all started with a mouse. For Gary Wolf, it all started with a blue cow. In grade school, Gary K. Wolf was already thinking outside the box by coloring a cow bright blue. Even though his teacher criticized it as "silly," his parents embraced his creativity when he told them the cow was all alone and therefore colored it blue.

They encouraged him to read - and he did. Comic books were his passion, but as he got older he branched out to noir mysteries and science fiction. Gary Wolf went on to become an author, screenwriter, lecturer and entertainment consultant. He is well know for being the creator of Roger and Jessica Rabbit. The premise to his story, Who Censored Roger Rabbit, came to him while watching Saturday morning cartoons. His story of zany characters living side-by-side with humans was hard to sell, but after many rejections, a small publishing company bought the idea. The film adaptation, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, went on to become a multi-million dollar success, earning Gary a Hugo Award for screen writing, and introduced some of the most unique characters to the Disney library. What followed in its wake was a new golden age of traditionally animated Disney films, and influenced the creation of new Disney parks.

I had the honor of interviewing Gary Wolf to bring you some exclusive information found only on this site. Where did he get inspiration to create Jessica Rabbit? Who called him to discuss making his book into a movie? Did Disney ever have Jessica make a live appearance? Find out!




ImNotBad.com:
What was your first published work?

Gary Wolf:
A short story in Worlds of Tomorrow called Love Story.


INB:
What inspired you to write Who Censored Roger Rabbit ?

Gary:
I had written and published a number of short stories and novels. I was always trying to push the envelope. Write things that were completely unique, things which nobody had ever thought of before. One Saturday morning I was watching cartoons on TV. (For research, I told my wife!) I wasn’t that enchanted with the cartoons themselves, but suddenly I really started to notice the commercials. You had the Trix Rabbit, Cap’n Crunch, Snap, Crackle and Pop. Cartoon characters, talking to real kids, and nobody seemed to think that was odd. That gave me my first inspiration. What if you had a world where cartoon characters were real? What kind of world would that be?

Monday, December 5, 2011

Disney On Ice Show With Jessica Rabbit

According to The Disney Wiki, Roger Rabbit made a guest appearances in two of the Disney on Ice shows. During his first appearance at the Walt Disney World on Ice: 10th Anniversary show in 1991, Roger helps Scrooge McDuck find Huey, Dewey and Louie who all disappeared when a time machine wreaks havoc. Feeling bad for Scrooge, Roger brings him to Eddie Valiant's office. Roger and Eddie try to cheer up Scrooge by telling him jokes, but it does not seem to work. Then Jessica Rabbit joins in!

Friday, November 25, 2011

Jessica Rabbit Premium Format Poll Results

A few months ago ImNotBad.com conducted it's first opinion poll to see who would be buying the Jessica Rabbit Premium Format statue by Sideshow Collectibles. Out of 100 voters, 49 said yes - but surprisingly 22 said No and 29 said Maybe. Though it seems the majority will be getting the statue, if we add the No's and Maybe's - that is 51%. So, it still seems to be a pretty split feeling on the statue with most people not quite sure still. Perhaps it is the price, or the lack of an interesting Exclusive version. Still, the Exclusive version of the Premium Format is sold out as of right now, but the regular edition is amongst the highest edition size by Sideshow at 1500.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Jessica Rabbit Premium Format Sold Out

According to the Sideshow Collectibles website, the Jessica Rabbit Premium Format Figure Exclusive Version is sold out! This exclusive version included a special art print of Jessica. The regular version (which does not include the print) is still available on Sideshow Collectibles website. There is finally a set edition size for the regular version, which is a very high 1500. Sideshow is also having it's own Black Friday sale, beginning today. Head on over there to see if you can snag some good holiday deals on select merchandise.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

New Jessica Rabbit Art at Disneyland


Sent over by a dedicated Jessica Rabbit fan, there is some new artwork for sale in Disney Parks. Take a look at the cartoon diva in all her glory. There is a framed version that sells for a few hundred dollars, but there is also an unframed version that sells for a much more affordable $20.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Kelly Clarkson Inspired By Jessica Rabbit

At the 2011 American Music Awards, everyone seems to think that singer Kelly Clarkson's look was inspired by Jessica Rabbit. She is just one of many celebrities that are going for the look, with a sparkling, skin-tight red dress. Her song, "Mr. Know It All" began with a piano and kelly being surrounded by men in trench coats, fedoras, and cameras - very reminiscent to Eddie and Jessica if you ask me. She continued the song in a very jazz style. Head over to PopCrush to read more and watch the performance.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Is Angelina The Human Jessica Rabbit


An article on Women24.com is holding an opinion poll - asking if Angelina Jolie is the equivalent of the human version of Jessica Rabbit. While in Japan to promote Brad Pitt's new film, Angelina wore a very form fitting red dress. She is on a growing list of celebrities who might be opting for a Jessica Rabbit-inspired look. Head over to Women24.com to take the poll!

Monday, November 14, 2011

5 Cartoon Character Beauty Lines We’d Love to See - News - FashionEtc.com

Over at FASHIONetc.com, they are asking for some new cosmetics based on some of the most popular cartoon characters - like Jem, The Chipettes, and Jessica Rabbit! With the female Disney Villains, Tinker Bell, Barbie, and Wonder Woman having their own line of inspired make-up and accessories, could a Jessica Rabbit line be too much of a stretch. Some must-haves include eye liner, purple eyeshadow, and bright red lipstick.

Read their article:5 Cartoon Character Beauty Lines We’d Love to See - News - FashionEtc.com

Friday, November 11, 2011

Jessica Rabbit Preproduction Artwork

Feast your eyes on what could have been. This is a picture of Marvin Acme and an early version of what Jessica Rabbit was supposed to look like. This depiction of Jessica was SO close to being the final version, that you can still see it in the movie. In the Who Framed Roger Rabbit film, when Eddie is looking at the newspaper after talking to Baby Herman, you can see this image if you pause it at the right moment. When the animation had to begin creation, her look was changed at the last second to the Jessica Rabbit we know now. Her face is very different, and almost looks close to a young Kathleen Turner (who supplied her speaking voice). The top of her dress was different and her gloves are much shorter.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Pin Preview - Jessica Decades Second Series and more



The Disney Soda Fountain and Studio Store isn't going to let the lack of pins for Halloween pass quietly. This month, they are releasing SIX different Jessica Rabbit pins - just in case your wallet was getting bored!

The first pin is the Jessica Thanksgiving pin, being released on November 5th. This is only a limited edition of 150 and will see for $10.95 each.

The next pins to be released on November 19th are part of the Jessica Rabbit Decades series. This continues from the first series of Jessica dressed in clothes from 1910, 20, 30 and 40's. The new series will be 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's. They are limited to 300 each (note the 1970's edition size is probably wrong on the flyer) and will sell for $10.95 each.

Last, there will be a Roger and Jessica Lightbulb series pin released on November 26th. Roger and Jessica are together next to a Christmas lightbulb. These pins might be a little bigger as they are selling for $12.95 each and a limited edition of 150.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Jessica Rabbit Designer Collection Doll

Here is my art for a Disney Designer Leading Ladies Collection Jessica Rabbit Doll. Maybe one day Disney will decide to make more charactes for the line. Here's hoping!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Pin Preview - Jessica Stocking

It's not even Halloween yet and already we have Christmas starting to show up around the corner. Many people have been disappointed by the serious lack of Jessica Rabbit pins from DisneyStore.com. There was no "Jessica As" costume series released this year, and at this point we might assume the Christmas selection will be small too. However Disney Soda Fountain and Studio Store has been trying to keep things going and is showing a preview for the Jessica Stocking pin. Technically speaking, it's a "Roger" stocking as his name appears on it, but Jessica is there inside. If you are sharp-eyed enough, you will notice that the particular pose by Jessica is taken from the Who Framed Roger Rabbit movie, just after she drops Marvin Acme's handkerchief. She is just Drawn with Christmas decorations to make it set the proper holiday. This is the main complaint about pins now. Where is all the new art? Reusing images, or lifting images from a movie, is not the same as creating a whole new pose. As of late, it seems to be all we are getting.


Monday, October 17, 2011

Hayden Panettiere as Jessica Rabbit


Celebs still show their appreciation for classic cartoon divas. Singer Hayden Panettiere dressed up as Jessica Rabbit for a recent Halloween party - and she certainly wears the costume quite well.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Jessica Rabbit Merchandise Review #40 - Jessica and Mickey Shirt


Seldom have we seen any merchandise of Jessica Rabbit and another Disney character - especially when it comes to Mickey Mouse himself! The World of Disney New York offered a shirt that should have been a big deal, but seemed to fall flat for some unknown reason. Lets find out why!



Monday, October 3, 2011

Jessica Rabbit Halloween Costume

Every year people are on the search for the perfect Jessica Rabbit Halloween Costume. Thanks to HalloweenCostumes.com, you can have the chance to look just like your favorite cartoon diva this year. It's also a perfect costume to wear if you'd like to draw some attention at the next big convention. But, even if Jessica is not your fave, HalloweenCostumes.com has the biggest character selection around.



Friday, September 30, 2011

Jessica Rabbit Paper Pal

Have you ever wanted a paper doll of a certain character or celebrity who you idolize? Thanks to talented artist, Izabela "Izzy" Stafford, now is your chance to have your very own Paper Pal.



Friday, September 23, 2011

dollMAGEDDON

While I'm not an avid doll collector, there are certainly some that catch my eye from time to time. One series that did was the Disney Princess Designer Collection. There was a Limited Edition pin set released of the artwork for all ten Disney Princess - Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Jasmine, Belle, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana and Rapunzel. The pin set was only available at the D23 Expo in August, and is now selling for big bucks on eBay.



To read about dollMAGEDDON 2 - Disney Villains CLICK HERE

To read about dollMAGEDDON 3 - 2013 Collection CLICK HERE

What was this doll-crazed experience like, and what does this have to do with Jessica? Well, read on...

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Music Video - Holli Would, Betty Boop and Jessica Rabbit



This awsome video by Mark features Holli Would, Betty Boop and Jessica Rabbit - set to the song "You Gotta Get A Gimmick" from the musical Gypsy.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Ink and Paint Club Snowglobe reissued

The Ink and Paint Club Snowglobe Frame is again available on DisneyStore.com. This is quite a few years old so it's surprising to see this listed again on the website. If you missed it the first time around, here is your second chance.

If you want to know more about this snowglobe, read my Merchandise Review.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Pin Preview - Witch Jessica at Disney Soda Fountain Store




Jessica Rabbit's first Halloween pin for 2011 has shown up. Jessica Rabbit is dressed as a Witch, all in black, and taking flight on her broom. The pins will be available at the Disney Soda Fountain Studio Store on October 7th. This time around - the Limited Edition size has been dropped down to only 150. Each pin will be $10.95.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Today

"Here, age relives fond memories of the past...and here, youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future."
-Walt Disney

Friday, September 9, 2011

Jessica Rabbit Halloween Costumes

Every year people are on the search for the perfect Jessica Rabbit Halloween Costume. Disney only officially released one back in 2005, which was never released again. This Halloween, you might get the chance to look just like your favorite cartoon diva. HalloweenCostumes.com will be getting a Jessica-style costume complete with long red dress and purple gloves - a must have for your Jessica Rabbit costume. There will hopefully be a review of this costume with more photos when the costume becomes available in September. Check back here for more info - and take a moment to visit the Halloween Costumes website for tons of costume and accessory selections.

Click Above

Friday, September 2, 2011

Exclusive Jessica Rabbit Artist Interview - Tim Rogerson



As a rising star in the art world, Tim Rogerson casts his artwork with a very evident energy and passion, inspired by the works of Picasso and Matisse.

While studying at the prestigious Ringling School of Art and Design, Mr. Rogerson gained a reputation as an upcoming artist and influence in his own right. In 2009, Mr. Rogerson was named Official Artist for Disney's first ever D23 Expo where he created his most ambitious work to date, "In The Company of Legends," which now sits in the Disney vault as a piece of Disney history.

Learn more about Tim's unique style from the master himself, how he began to work for Disney, and why it took some time to get his first Jessica Rabbit piece approved.


Friday, August 26, 2011

Jessica Rabbit Merchandise Review #39 - Double-Sided Mug



Disney started to release a new line of character mugs that were double-sided. The front of the character would be on the front, and the rear of the mug had their... rear! It took a while, but Disney finally released a Jessica Rabbit double-sided mug in 2004-2005.


Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Pin Preview - 110 Legacy Collection Roger and Jessica

Here is a preview, finally, of the 110 Legacy Collection Roger and Jessica Rabbit pin. This pin has been available through the Japan Disney Store, but has taken quite a long time to show up in the US. There is no official release date, but the collection, celebrating what would have been Walt Disney's 110 birthday, features pins of various movies being released each Monday on DisneyStore.com. Keep checking in the coming weeks. Each pin is on a special backer card to commemorate the occasion.Roger, along with Benny the Cab and Jessica, are featured in this set to honor their achievements as classic Disney characters in a groundbreaking movie. Jessica will feature glitter fill on her dress.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

The Dick Tracy Store 1990

While searching youtube, I came across a video which confirms the Jessica's store was originally the Dick Tracy store. The video states that this is August of 1990. This means that before Jessica's came along, the Dick Tracy store was housed in that very same building. It also means the Jessica's store was open for a shorter time. The Jessica's store was operating in 1991, as I was fortunate enough to pay a visit. It was closed in 1992 when I went back a year later. This means it could have only been open about a year and a half, not three years as I previously thought.



Breeze Way / The entrance to the Dick Tracy Store


Friday, August 19, 2011

D23 Expo 2011

Here are some photos from the D23 Expo in California. Jessica Rabbit does have some presence there, especially since one of the featured movies with props on display is Who Framed Roger Rabbit. There was a Jessica Rabbit fine are painting hanging in the halls of the Expo. This is a very art deco piece, with Jessica sitting on what appears to be Benny the Cab upon closer inspection. This painting has never been seen before, and its use of vibrant colors and artistic edges make this a stunning Jessica Rabbit piece. Thanks to Andoni for this photo.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Jessica Rabbit Premium Format Pre Order Now Available

The Jessica Rabbit Premium Format Figure is now available for pre-order at Sideshow Collectibles website. A few things to know before ordering. You can sign up for their newsletter to get a coupon code good for $10 off. When doing the pre-order, they do not yet have the cost of shipping added to it yet, and the exact date of release is yet to be determined but scheduled for the first quarter of 2012. You must register to the Sideshow website to order. The Exclusive edition which comes with a print is limited to 750. The edition size for the regular edition is yet to be determined. Keep in mind, you may order the statue as long as supplies last, on a first come first serve basis. The Flex Pay option is available, allowing you to pay only $96.67 monthly.

Jessica Rabbit Sideshow Exclusive Edition

Jessica Rabbit Regular Edition

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Jessica Rabbit Premium Format Exclusive

The Jessica Rabbit Premium Format just made its official debut on the Sideshow Collectibles website just mere minutes ago and there is already a swarm of backlash over the Exclusive version being offered. People were hoping for some sort of additional piece to be added on or to go alongside with the Jessica Rabbit Premium Format figure, however the Exclusive piece has been revealed to be an art print of the statue itself, with Jessica's autograph and kiss.