This comic is based on the beloved EPCOT ride Journey into Imagination. As such, why don't we talk a little about the ride. A ride/pavilion dedicated to imagination might seem out of place in a theme park dedicated to science, technology and world culture. I, however, would argue that it was a perfect fit. As Dreamfinder famously reminded us all, one little spark of inspiration is at the heart of all creation. Submarines started out as an imaginary machine dreamed up by Jules Verne. Then they became real, and today hundreds of Nautilus' prowl the depths of the oceans. Similarly, Robert Goddard was inspired to create rockets after he read War of the Worlds. Dozens of scientists and inventors have been inspired by what they saw on Star Trek.
The point being, all of these inventions wouldn't have been possible without someone dreaming them up and imagining them first. Imagination is the spark that leads to several scientific discoveries, and many wonderful artistic creations. In fact, you could even go as far as to say that without imagination EPCOT, and Disney World as a whole, wouldn't exist.
Journey into Imagination debuted in 1983 and delighted guests of all ages with a whimsical journey into...well, into imagination of course. Dreamfinder and Figment delighted guests by showing them all of the wonderful things imagination is capable of doing. Throughout the ride there was a bit of a theme of "science and imagination can work together to solve the world's problems" which is a pretty great, and fairly timeless, lesson to impart. Dreamfinder and Figment are notable for being one of the few walk-around characters early EPCOT had. When it first started out, EPCOT had a strict policy of not incorporating pre-existing Disney characters into the park. For a while, Dreamfinder and Figment were the unofficial mascots of EPCOT.
Unfortunately, in 1998 the ride closed down are part of a contract with the ride's sponsor Kodak. EPCOT had a policy of having rides sponsored by various companies. This was to provide the companies with free advertising in the hopes that they would help pay for the upkeep of the rides. This model...didn't quite work out, to put it succinctly. By the late 1990s Kodak was in some serious financial trouble as digital cameras began to replace convention film. They didn't want anything to do with Journey into Imagination, but were contractually obligated to renovated. So, they went with the cheapest solution they could find.
The new version completely removed Dreamfinder and Figment and stared Eric Idle. Idle played a scientist who insults the guest for having no imagination, but he fixes that with the power of science...I guess. Unsurprisingly, this version, called Journey into YOUR Imagination, was universally hated and closed down in 2001. In 2002 the ride opened again as Journey into Imagination with Figment. This version starts out similar to the second version, but quickly goes off-the-rails as Figment takes over and brings things, somewhat, back to the original ride. While better received than the second, fans agree that this version just doesn't have the magic of the original. Especially since Dreamfinder is still nowhere to be seen.
Okay, now that we've talked about the ride, let's talk about the comic. So, as you may have surmised, this comic is very much an origin story for Dreamfinder and Figment. Dreamfinder is very much cut from the same cloth as character such as Willy Wonka or Ms. Frizzle. They're characters you don't know much about, but you don't need to know much, because they're just that awesome. As such giving these characters backstories must be handled with great care, because there is a lot that can go wrong. So, how does it work for this comic? Quite well, quite well indeed.
Even before Blarion embraces his destiny as Dreamfinder do see little hints of what is to come. He's good natured, friendly and wants to make the world a better place. Yet at the same time he's being kept down by various forces in his life, such as his boss, and needs Figment to show him that his dreams aren't in vain. Or to put it another way, Figment shows him that a dream can be a dream come true. If you pay attention, you'll spot many references to the original version of Journey into Imagination throughout this comic. Also, there is an introduction at the beginning of the comic written by famous Disney imagineer Tony Baxter.
The artwork wasn't the best I've ever seen, but it gets the job done. There were a few touches I did appreciate. Figment, and everyone else from the realm of imagination, has somewhat more vibrant coloring than the real-world characters. He's also noticeably more cartoony, which is in keeping with his appearance, and make him standout more. Blarion also takes on a more whimsical art style once he fully embraces his destiny as The Dreamfinder.
The realm of imagination was a joy to experience. I loved the Audio Archipelago, home of the Sound Sprites, and all the various sound puns it had. For example, when Blarion and Figment get arrested they are put in a jail cell at the bottom of the Archipelago known as the Bassment. They were arrested because, apparently, failing to speak in alliteration is one of the most heinous crimes to the Sound Sprites. In other puns, our heroes get swept up in the gales of a brainstorm at one point. The entire realm of imagination was a joy to experience because of how whimsical it was.
I liked that the real-world portions are set during the Edwardian era. Dreamfinder and his inventions have always had a bit of a steampunk feel to them. The Edwardian era was a more optimistic time than the Victorian era. Of course, four years later all of that hope and optimism was dashed by World War I, so good that Blarion become Dreamfinder when he did.
On that note, I feel like the concept of Dreamfinder could have been introduced a bit better. Now granted, we all know that's what Blarion is destined to become, but within the context of the story, it kind of comes out of left field. It wouldn't be too hard to fix. We know Figment was his childhood imaginary friend, so maybe include a few lines/scenes about how he used to play games or tell stories where he went on adventures with Figment as Dreamfinder.
This is really just a minor point, overall this comic was a joy from start to finish. I'm not the only one who thought this. Figment went on to be a surprise hit for Marvel, even Disney CEO Bob Iger was taken by surprise, and a sequel was immediately ordered. Before you ask, yes, I will review that one eventually.
If there is a message to take from this comic I think it is this. Trying means that you might fail, and that can be scary, but never trying means you never succeed. You have the power to achieve your dreams within you, even if you don't know it yet. All in all, an excellent message to impart to readers, and very in keeping with the theme of the ride. I should mention that this is an excellent all ages comic. Of course, this is a Disney creation, so that is to be expected.
Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I hope you all enjoyed this review very much, and I will see you all next time.
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