Between Books - Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel's Tween Empire

 

“These are... A gift. Probably from the cable company. We're getting the Disney Channel now. Merry Christmas.” Scott Calvin, The Santa Clause

In 1994, this line hit a little different. The Disney Channel was along with pay channels like HBO, Cinemax, and Showtime for those who paid extra for the cable packages. That was something I was not going to do as a young adult, especially since the programming was meant for really really young kids. That left my young adult years only seeing the Disney Channel on preview weekends, where those pay channels would try to get more subscribers by showing off their finest shows, so maybe I’d catch a classic Disney movie that weekend. For me, the Disney Channel was a luxury that as a kid my family would have never paid for or couldn’t pay for being off a cable network. The channel's founding in 1983 was a non-issue for me, with Michael Eisner showcasing Disney programming on Sunday nights being more important to my childhood.

But Santa Scott’s line in 1994 did point out a major change as the Disney Channel joined the basic cable lineup. As a parent, I had a first-row seat to some of the Disney channel’s most iconic shows like Wizards of Waverly Place, Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and High School Musical. I’ll admit, I didn’t hate it, with some of these tween shows still giving me a little chuckle.

Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel's Tween Empire by Ashley Spencer is a journalistic history of the Disney Channel’s rise and the creation of media superstars that became more than household names. Spencer outlines the creation of the channel and the addition of experienced executives who began to channel Nickelodeon for kid’s television as they moved from a pay to a basic channel. The channel began to be taken more seriously as creators from network sitcoms were forced to find work outside of primetime. This combined with new likable actors began to create a slate of shows that became popular beyond their 22-minute programs. The real rise began with Even Stevens and Lizzie McGuire, which began to show Disney executives the possibilities of the future, while they made plenty of mistakes with handling talent and non-program opportunities. By the time of Hannah Montana and High School Musical, Disney had learned how to best capture the multiple outlets their stars could dominate. Finally, the Disney Channel with the Jonas Brothers looked to capitalize on star power already made in place of creating their own superstars. In the end, the story of the Disney Channel is one of learning as the success of the channel and how to properly manage young stars evolved over time. And finally, it is the story of a Disney outlet that received little respect as it grew from a niche outlet to the superstar factory it became for well over a decade.

Spencer’s writing is extremely engaging and interesting. Disney High was one of those hard-to-put-down books, as Spencer was able to pull me directly into the story of the Disney Channel. It is a must-read story for me. I think that is true for both Disney and non-Disney fans, as Spencer presents a story that is easy to enter and stay with for everyone.

One thing that Disney High reminds us of is that Disney executives can be harsh. The sad part of the story of the Disney Channel is that financially executives had to be aware of the budget. And they took cost-cutting measures that were often impersonal and hurtful to creators and crew. For example, the goal was to reach a set number of episodes, so the program could be syndicated for a quarter. At that point, unless the show was a super success, the program would be canceled. Or shows would be extended episodes for a season to avoid pay increases or the show would be rebranded for the same reason. It was not atypical for a showrunner to be let go before their salary would become budget unfriendly even if they were nominated for an Emmy.

Another recurring theme in the book is the mix of managing young talent. Being in the public eye could often create physical and mental health challenges for the kid stars. At the same time, for some of the actors who had difficult home lives, the set and their cast families were safe heavens. But even in those safe heavens, Disney was still budget-conscious and could get into protracted negotiations with the kids’ representation. Due to image standards, Disney may not have been as supportive in situations where the kids were victims but needed to be seen by the public as apologetic for making typical teen mistakes. While externally, I think we still joke about the stereotype of the Disney Channel star, in the end, Disney was a large organization where there were wins and losses on how to best support kids. And sadly some of those losses left emotional scars on youngsters. And every Disney Channel star has a story that goes beyond the generalization.

Despite being a little too old for the peak of the Disney Channel, I still look on it fondly as a parent who used this entertainment to bring the family together. Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel's Tween Empire by Ashley Spencer allowed me to be thoroughly engaged as I looked back on that time, feeling both joy and sadness. In the end, she shares a story of the growth of an important, yet often ignored, media outlet. Readers also get views of the people who made that growth happen and were caught up in the momentum of the machine. For me, it is the stories of the kids, cast, and crew that made me continue to feel attached to the entertainment they created and for which I hope they continue to be proud of on their resumes.

 

Review Copy Provided for Review

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Between Books - Star Wars: The HIgh Republic Beware the Nameless

I promise I am not trying to hate read the High Republic!

Star Wars: The High Republic Beware the Nameless by Zoraida Córdova is a book for ages 8 to 12, which brings me to some questions about the architecture of the High Republic blueprint. These questions range from who is the intended audience and when and how you reveal important plot points.

Star Wars: The High Republic Beware the Nameless by Zoraida Córdova is a straightforward mid-reader adventure tale. Padawan Ram Jomaram, who we’ve met before, is given the mission to capture some of the Nihil’s Nameless. It appears he has been successful enough in the past to get an important mission but not enough to be promoted to Knight. His mission team is a group of young padawans and the daughter of the senator. Boom, we get a switch-up and the youngsters of this group are separated from Ram and go on their own adventure where they meet a young inquisitive Hutt, fight the Nameless, and attempt to save survivors of a Nihil attack.

Overall, the story is meant for high elementary and middle school readers, and the action revolves around them in a story that has plenty of adventure targeted to that age range. So I won’t hate review this! I did leave the book wondering about what the kids are reading and the line between adolescent and adult. When I was in Middle School, I tended to read adventure stories, so I think Córdova’s story is mostly appropriate to the age range. But it also felt like it was right on the line as a tense and brutal story. We’ve seen the Nameless in adult-aged books kill Jedi and it is harsh. This harshness does return here, spoiler not everyone you meet will make it. So I did question if the level of violence was a good fit for the intended audience. But this is from someone who was this age before books like The Hunger Games with it’s fill of even more horrific violence. When I place it in that light, it does seem like something one would find for this reading group. I will say as an older reader, it felt more straightforward without twists and turns than the stories targeted for older readers.

Let’s focus on the book for just one more moment. I do think that one of the hardest things to do in the High Republic is introduce new characters. Córdova is really successful with the introduction of Churo the Hutt. Churo has a name every Disney fan will love. He also is a character that is one of the easiest aliens to imagine in your mind. He is highly likable and easy to cheer for, he has a lot of anxiety, more than a Hutt should have. Córdova in this story provides Churo a complete arc that tells a whole chapter of his life here, while also making us want to turn the page and see what the next chapter of his book is titled. For a project that overall has failed to make me like more than a character or two, it was refreshing to have one new entry stand out.

Yoda takes a seat and chats with the kids.

Let’s get away from the book for a second. I learned a lot about the Nameless in this book. I feel like there were aspects of what the Jedi know about the Nameless, the impacts of the Nameless attacks, and even how the Jedi see the Nameless that while hinted at in the adult High Republic books were clarified more strongly in this text. I found myself wondering if this text, outside of the main adult story line, was the place where readers should be looking for these clarifications. Are there going to be adults who never read this book due to the listed age range? Maybe Córdova hoped to give clarity to a youth reader, but I kept thinking shouldn’t Avar Kriss be discovering this? Even the fact there was a Nameless hunt felt like it should have been placed in the main story. And then the newest High Republic threat the Blight showed up, and I felt yet again I was getting more information than I got in the adult books where we watched heroes study the infection. Good on you Córdova, but the architects may have missed some of their strongest impact points.

Star Wars: The High Republic Beware the Nameless by Zoraida Córdova is a fine youth adventure story. I think the younger you are the better you will enjoy it. Córdova does give us a young new hero that I think is easy for readers of all ages to understand and enjoy. But I did walk away with more questions about how the High Republic is designed and more clarity on the Nameless. 

 

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Dreaming Disney - Galactic Empire

How big of a Star Wars fan am I? Big enough to use my Republic credits for tickets to a metal music show where grown men cosplayed and played heavy metal versions of Star Wars theme songs and instrumental pieces! Yeah, I’m a nerd!

Galactic Empire is a five-piece band that rocks the galaxy. As noted they primarily play Star Wars themes but with a heavy rock edge. The five members dress up as their own Star Wars characters. We get Dark Vader, a Sith Lord on lead guitar. Don’t forget the Mandalorian drummer, Boba Sett. We get an alien, a bounty hunter, and a trooper to fill out the band…a band that plays the Emperor’s favorite hits!

I personally began listening to them online. They showed up in a music feed as a suggestion, a suggestion where the Force was strong! I read a lot of books with instrumentals playing in the background. When I read a Star Wars book, I play themed music. And Galactic Empire spiced up the mix from the regular orchestral John Williams themes I was playing when visiting a galaxy far far away.

I recently attended a Galactic Empire concert live. I pulled the Between Bride into this wildness who stared with awe and fear as I jammed out to “Cantina Band” a smidge more than a grown man should. I think the first question about going to a Galactic Empire concert is literally, will I fit in? I found the crowd to be nerds like me mostly! Some were Star Wars bounding, some wore Star Wars novelty shirts like me, while others were clearly metal fans. But almost everyone was really there to have a good time. It never felt as overwhelming as a convention, and reminded it most of when I saw Dick Dale playing in a grimy college bar with just a mix of open-minded fans.

Now, here’s my biggest complaint. They did move away from just Star Wars anthems. They played the “Indiana Jones Theme” which they have also released. But they also played “Main Theme” from Pirates of the Caribbean and “The Avengers Main Theme” which were true bangers, and I really want to be able to access recordings of them when reading in other genres. But perhaps, those tunes are the dark side! 

The band Galactic Empire is fun. They dress up and don’t take themselves too seriously while making some really fun music. Would I go again, yes! And I really do hope they continue to put out metal versions of some of my favorite Disney themes, including those from other galaxies. 

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Between Books - Directing at Disney

What does a director of an animated film do? What did Walt Disney do as “director” as he opened his 1923 cartoon studio? What do directors do today? Honestly, it may be more complicated than you think!

Directing at Disney: The Original Directors of Walt’s Animated Films by Don Peri and Pete Doctor outlines the history of animation directors from pre-Disney Brothers Studios to the retirement of one of the original Nine Old Men Woolie Reitherman. Peri and Doctor start the book dropping us into early 20th-century animation, a time when animators were assigned scenes and largely were unsupervised by studio leadership in scene production. Walt Disney, as the visionary creative force behind his studio, took on a bigger role at his shop, dictating and approving the shots in his cartoon shorts. As the studio grew, Ub Iwerks, would take on a more supervisory role taking some of the roles from Disney that we would label directorial today. As this division of labor was more defined as the studio grew, Walt Disney filled the role of creative visionary with directors taking on the coordination and supervisory roles. And while not called directors, Iwerks and Burt Gillett took on these direction roles allowing Disney to focus his attention elsewhere. Director Dave Hand would fight to even better define the role of Disney directors in organization and authority, with the hope that the organization could create an efficient creative machine…but Disney would often interfere with the efficiencies Hand desired through his personality. Peri and Doctor provide chapters to highlight other key Disney directors such as Ben Sharpsteen, and Wilfred Jackson, up until Reitherman, detailing the evolution of organizational, supervisory, and creative roles including the differences between directors, sequence directors, and other directing roles. Much of this evolution follows the trail of creative vision, moving fully from Disney as a producer to Reitherman as director providing his own stories much like modern Disney directors do today.

There is a lot to love about this book. It easily could have slid into a reference-type book with a dull narrative. The tools of a reference book are here, with eye-catching illustrations that detail complicated organizational relationships and appendixes that list out titles and credits for directing-type positions. But Peri and Doctor run from reference only and use their chapters to provide us with biographical stories that clearly show roles, authority, and change. They often come with personality. For example, Sharpsteen is a figure that I have often seen animators complain about as a company man who was macro-managing. Peri and Doctor don’t run from this characterization. But they do place in the context of the needs of the studio at the time and Sharpsteen’s personality. What others may have seen as overbearing, Sharpsteen saw as parental. This personality element makes this more than a bland reference that sits on a shelf just to answer a trivia question or comparison data. It is a story of people working within a changing organization, and often struggling with this change.

There is a line between publicity and history that can sometimes be merged in the corporate press of a major firm. I can see how modern leadership would have loved a book that came out and said, “Everything was fine.” But the book to me illustrates the tension. Walt Disney’s interests changed. The book details the lives of individuals who had opinions of their own about how to best make animated films and shorts and often did not agree with each other. Some personalities fell out of favor with Walt Disney himself. Maybe because of Doctor’s authority within modern Disney, I feel a story is told that does not make heroes out of legends or hide the tension. For example, Dave Hand who loved structure as seen by his reproduced organization chart, did have personality conflicts with Walt Disney. This led to a falling out that left Hand outside of the studio. How others saw directors like Sharpsteen and Reitherman is clear. Maybe along with Doctor’s current personal authority within the company, this tension between guidance and authority is found in his journey, and something he was very well aware of, as being a leader is not always about being beloved.

Directing at Disney: The Original Directors of Walt’s Animated Films by Don Peri and Pete Doctor is a gorgeously illustrated book telling a story of organizational evolution and the personalities that helped build the changing role of animation directors. It is a frank discussion about change within a corporate body and the tensions that this creates. Peri and Doctor note the years they worked on this volume, and it was well-spent by providing a book that allows us to see the directors and not just the trivia.