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Episode 54: Jason Folkerts - PART 1
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This week's episode brings you part 1 of our conversation with artist Jason Folkerts who shares his love of Disney and how it has inspired his artwork, as well as, some of his pretty cool ideas for artistic events at WDW!
DISCLAIMER: We are not an affiliate of the Walt Disney Company nor do we speak for the brand or the company. Any and all Disney-owned audio, characters, and likenesses are their property and theirs alone.
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Sharing the Magic' Podcast
00:00:01
Speaker
Welcome to Sharing the Magic, the podcast that takes you on a journey through the enchanting worlds of Disney. Each week, we're joined by a special guest, whether they're a magician creating moments of astonishment or a Disney expert sharing the secrets behind the magic of the happiest place on Earth. Together we'll uncover the stories, inspirations, and behind the scenes tales that bring these worlds to life. So, get ready to be spellbound and transported to a place where dreams come true.
Meet Guest Jason Fulkert
00:00:55
Speaker
Hello and welcome to another episode of Sharing the Magic. I'm your host Barry, and tonight we have a different kind of guest than what we usually have. We usually have guests come in who have actually worked either directly with Disney or on a movie, you know, if they've done something that impacts to Disney, but we're switching a little little bit different. We have a gentleman here tonight who still impacts the Disney community. He's a big fan and I am happy to introduce him, but first let's introduce our ghost tonight. First want to say hello to Matt. Matt, how you doing tonight?
00:01:36
Speaker
I'm doing great. Barry, it's my favorite night of the week, getting to talk Disney and see all of you guys. And Barry, I'm so excited. It's been a while that you and I have been on a show together. I know you were on a couple of episodes ago, but I'm going to say welcome back. It's very nice to see your face. And I'm very excited for our guest tonight. Yeah, it's great to be back. We had Brian during us tonight. How you doing, Brian? I'm doing great, Barry, also on you know Matt's Point. It's been a minute since we've seen you or I've seen
Jason's Artistic Journey Begins
00:02:06
Speaker
you on a show. So I want to welcome you back as well. But super excited about our guest tonight and super excited to talk some Disney and whatever else may bridge the topics this evening.
00:02:19
Speaker
Absolutely. And I want to introduce one of our new newer co-hosts, Dawn. Dawn, how are you doing tonight? Hi, Barry. I'm so glad to join this team and learn more about Disney. And last but not least, we have the main dog, Jeff. Jeff, I'm not main. we're We're all, we're all main on here. But you're the main dog. You're the main dog. Oh yeah. Yeah. D A W G not to be fused with D O double G has a different dog. Right. So I'm a big, uh, goofy fan. I love goofy. So I've, uh,
00:02:54
Speaker
I'm just going to introduce some Goofy's voice if you don't mind. Oh, gorgeous. Oh, hey there, Jason. Well, it's nice to have you on this here podcast. I can't wait to hear about all your Disney art adventures and your awesome cartooning work. Let's have a blast. ah Thank you. That's awesome. Thank you. goy so Yes. So our guest tonight is artist Jason Fulkert. Jason, I'm a big fan of yours. The only thing I know how to draw is a very poorly head of Snoopy and my kids make fun of me all the time since my kids have artistic tendencies. So I'm really not sure who their real dad is because it's not me.
00:03:45
Speaker
but because they all can draw yeah and I can't draw at all. My stick figures laugh at me when I draw them. So Jason, welcome to our show. And I guess my first question is, is Where did it all begin for you? Well, first of all, thank you for the home aged. I'm glad you draw Snoopy because i'm I'm talking to you from my my home in Minnetonka, which is Minneapolis, St. Paul. So Charles Schultz, if you're into cartooning, which I love cartoonists, this is the home of Charles Schultz, the creator of Peanuts. So I don't know if you knew that, but this is where he did it all. um Where did it all begin? It's kind of a funny story. um
00:04:25
Speaker
I had a lot of energy as a child I think ah a lot of parents can relate to this you have that kid and I know Barry you mentioned that you have children you might have a couple of kids with a little bit of energy in their system I was that guy I was I was a I was a mover and a groover and I was at times driving my parents crazy I'm sure my mom recollects and I don't remember this but I was in the emergency room at least first 10 years of my life so I was you know the kid who would climb up on top of the roof and jump off because someone dared me to or whatever but Anyway, this is a true story. um And it's kind of has a weird comeback on in my life. I, um we went to a church and you know, that thing's where you go to a church and you have a squirrely kid and you know, he's always talking and running around and going crazy during the the church service. My mother would take, she found out that she could take those little tiny offering envelopes that they used to have in church pews. And she would take those on those little tiny, and those little orange pencils that only go in church pews, you know? And then they, she would hand them to me and the hymnal
00:05:18
Speaker
and I would put the thing on there and hand me a pencil, and I would literally just start to draw, and it was the one thing that would shut me up. It was the one thing that would calm my spirit. And so here I am sitting in church, and I would start drawing cartoons. So for a couple of years, my mother would hand me these things, and I literally would be drawing, and at that time, I liked superheroes. So I'd be drawing like Mr. Fantastic, I liked the Fantastic Four, and all the Jack Kirby world, and all that, when I was a little guy. So I was drawing all those, and Johnny Quest, that's how old I am. Then doing all these just cartoons, and Spider-Man, and everything, Batman, And then we get done with the service. And I don't think she wanted to take them, whatever, because I have all these little scribbles all over these offering envelopes. She literally was sticking them and putting them in the hymnal, a little that I know, and just putting the hymnal back. The round story a long way back, how I got involved. So I fell in love with art at an early age. And that's where I discovered I had some skills. I think my parents noticed that.
00:06:06
Speaker
And then they began to just really support me in that journey. Funny thing he is many years later, I went back to the church that my parents attended and all that later in their whole life. And a lady came up to me, a friend of theirs, an older woman now, and she said, I'm not sure she was going through. They had, they're going to throw all these hymnals away. These old ones in a storage room, they're going to get rid of them. And she found a like, dozens of my little sketches in these books and she held on to them and she thought they were connected to me somehow and I actually she handed them back to me. Is that crazy story or what like 35 40 years later? Yeah, and so it kind of paid off well, but then the other quick say I say if I got started was
00:06:42
Speaker
Another true story of my parents and it shows because when I was born mid 60s and to be fair and it it's funny how much the art world has changed even though we all love Disney and Disney was cranking it big time and the first evolution of all their movies and ah animation was exploding. It still was one of those things at least where I grew up. I grew up in South Dakota and I love my state but it was one of those places where I grew up where artists You might have been an artist, but there was never any sense you could make a career at drawing. um It was not one of those things that you did. You never thought that would amount to, like, what's a career behind that? So my parents are were a little bit different. I had really supportive parents of my art when I was very little on, and they really pushed me into art opportunities where they could find them. I'll never forget I had this true i would get on through story. I was probably in third, fourth, third grade.
00:07:28
Speaker
And I don't know why, but I went to the bathroom. You want to raise your hand? Can I go to the restroom? I went down to the restroom in the in the elementary school. I went to a Robert Frost Elementary. Give him a plug. And I was sitting in there doing what kids do, going to the bathroom. And I don't know why, but I had a black marker, a Sharpie with me. And I began to doodle and draw cartoons on the metal wall in the urinal, you know, those like the the little boxes. Well, I drew some cartoons on the wall, and then I left. And then I got called down to the office because I was the only, because my style was kind of unique. And even then they knew I was a cartoon kid and I got busted. I had to go after school and send the principals off. my mom and dad My mom came down. I mean, and then I can't believe it. The teacher, the principal, my mom and I all after school walked all the way down to the bathroom, went into the bathroom and we opened the the urinal stall, went into the stall and we all staring at this.
00:08:16
Speaker
And I ever forget the principal said, well, what are we going to do about this? Clearly he did it. And my mother looked at them, looked at the teacher and she said, well, I definitely will deal with this, help to clean it. He will be punished. And then it's kind of quiet. Put my head down. And then she said to the principal and the teacher, and I never forgot this my whole life. She said, but you got to admit it's really darn good. It really is. It's really good. how I thought at that moment, my mom is the coolest mom. i It didn't matter how bad she punished you at that point. It was like, you could punish me for a year. Right. So that was kind of a journey. I had a lot of people supporting. I drew everything. My parents were very supportive all the way through. By the time I got to middle school and into high school, I was known as the Doodler kid. I was the kid who would draw. And actually, when I was in middle school,
00:08:56
Speaker
I started drawing, like, superhero stuff on book covers. If you remember, I'm old and enough to remember book covers. they They'd have these books they'd give you every year, like science books, math books. And then you'd get a white cover, a blank thing, and they'd wrap it around the book, and you know, so they'd keep it safe. And then in study hall, I was drawn Spider-Man or something on a book cover. And the kid next to me said, like, man. That's pretty cool. Can you do it on my cover? And I don't know why I said this, but I said, yeah, give me a dollar and I'll do it. And I was like a seventh grader and he literally pulled out some of his lunch money and I'm in study hall and I'm like, cool. I go, what do you want? It goes Wolverine. So I drew Wolverine and I got a buck and I was making money. And then my mother found out about it because she was doing my laundry, took my pants out at 10 bucks, which is a lot of money back then. Seven days. And so where'd you get the money? And I told her I was doing, I was taking kids lunch money.
00:09:37
Speaker
Long story short, um i it was a good journey. So I kind of got into art at an early age and just was constantly surrounded by it. I love that. Yeah. yeah I was making money early on. My mother wanted to give money back. She was like, you got to get the money back. Of course, my dad is more pregnant. at it He's like, what are you talking about? The kids making money.
Influence of Disney on Jason's Art
00:09:56
Speaker
that's So, you know, you can go two ways with that, though, because my kids every Sunday, they draw in church. So it surprises me how many um offering envelopes are still left after that. But
00:10:11
Speaker
Seems like you have a lot of like Calvin Hobbs in you like like you were Calvin growing up to where oh me where you were. We're going to go down that route. We're going to go there. We're going to go there. Yeah, we're going to. So so you do. You had some talent. What what were the big things that you you like to draw when you were a kid? You mentioned like superheroes. I mean, did you draw Disney? Did you draw Hanna Barbera, Warner Brothers? Yeah, the thing that and we'll get to the know that with the connection with Disney, um you know, I came from a pretty working class family. My exposure to the Disney sense was, you know, the idea of ever going to ah to one of the amusement parks when I was a young kid was kind of almost an impossible dream living in South Dakota. um And, you know, like a lot of them, I would see the wonderful world of Disney on Sunday night. And for a lot of people of my age and and older, that was a you know pivotal thing as a kid.
00:11:07
Speaker
Um, you know, you just look forward to it so much. They would show the cartoons and different segments of movies. And of course, the big the big thing was they'd show the park was a way to advertise for the park. And so to be honest, um, yeah that was always my dream to be able to go to that and experience that. And then my parents surprised us one a year and I was about 10 years old. And we went, we took the the long drive South Dakota, went to Disney world. And when I went to the park, I probably had a different experience. I experienced a lot of kids in that. I fell in love with the park immediately and obviously about Disney and of course what everybody does when they are at that age and the parents and the experience of that. But even at that age, and I talked to my parents later about this, I was fascinated by the design of the park, how they laid out the park, you know, the way in which just the
00:11:48
Speaker
the overall color pattern and the scope of it and the all of that really just had a big impact on me. um And so at an early age, I started drawing a lot more Disney stuff because of the exposure and the experience and really kind of studying it more and kind of falling in love with it, finding out as I got older, even by the time I was in high school, the philosophy of Walt Disney, um kind of the idea, the the man behind the man behind the ideas and all that, all that genesis of that of that journey. really shaped, I think today, we could say modern entertainment, you know, and how we view it, how we experience it. And it just became, for me, a real fascination of not just the art, which I've always loved in drawing, and i' you know I've been a political cartoonist, children's books, a lot of illustrative work, um comic book stuff, things like that, murals. But for me, I was always more about what fascinates me about Disney is
00:12:36
Speaker
And I am a big fan of that. And if you go to my, if you see my work I've done, I really am fascinated by the attractions and the design and scope. And I know you've had guests on who've done that. They build these things and the detail in which they they care for like your visual acumen in the all the senses. That's the other thing. I think Disney, was one of the companies that inspired me to say I also was a museum director and and design things, engaging all of your senses in the in the experience of Disney. i I'm fascinated. I think they were of the first, it was definitely an amusement park to go to the extreme levels they've gone to. to not to an to almost It's almost as if you could look at a beautiful painting in which their storyboards created
00:13:15
Speaker
And then they they literally were able to grab you out of out of our world and pull you into a painting to not only see the colors and the vibrancy of the ideas come to life, but the smells, the sounds, ah just the environment that you're immersed in, they do it so well. um And for me, that's always been kind of ah um a pilgrimage. I try to get to Disney once or twice
From Passion to Career in Art
00:13:34
Speaker
a year. And for me, when I go, my friends probably hate it, but I'm looking at all those things more than I have some other things. but It's just ah an amazing experience. like I know all of you experienced it as well. you know When did it turn from, so I know when you're a kid, you have your little side hustle going on, getting that dollar for writing on book covers. When did it or when and how did you turn it from the passion to what you do? like What was that transition like and what was that feeling that first time you got to to say, wow, this is now what I what i love is what I do.
00:14:10
Speaker
Ah, that's a good question. You know, it's, it's always funny. I think, uh, I think artists, it's such an unusual kind of pursuit and that I think a lot of people when they hear artists, there's a starving artist mantra or whatever you want to call it. But what I found out is that there's as many varied degrees within the art world, especially kind of what I do in past you can take. And then of course the motivations you do, why you do what you do. And I've been really blessed. I feel like I've had a lot of open door opportunities to do a variety of art in a lot of different mediums and a lot of different ways. i've As I said to many people, i I was kind of raised by parents who were very, I would call progressive at the time, saying if a door opens itself, at least where I grew up, walk through it. And I've certainly done that in the art world.
00:14:53
Speaker
And I think for me, when things really changed, when I grew from realizing, you know, just as a, again, as a kid growing up and doing and getting people saying good job and winning some art awards or things of that nature, is the first time I started doing political cartoons or editorial cartoons at a newspaper. And I kind of fell into that. It was another just a door that opened that someone helped open for me. And that's often the case. It's doors don't magically open by themselves. Usually people are opening them for you to walk through. And I walked through it at a very young age. I was 17 and I did my first editorial cartoon for a newspaper in South Dakota. And I think what changed for me was that I realized not just doing the art, but having an impact with your art where people
00:15:34
Speaker
engage it in such a way that it creates a dialogue or lets them think or experience something ah that kind of pushes them forward to in their own thought process. So I don't forget that feeling of seeing something printed in a paper and then having the first time when somebody actually came back and talked to me about the content or ah that how that cartoon and encapsulated a thought. And what I found was really interesting is that someone could love it and someone could hate it. yeah And I kind of got both ends on that when I did it at a young age. But here's the point, it elicited a reaction. yeah And I think by eliciting a reaction, that really motivated me to want to explore this in a lot of other ways to impact um people with the power of art. I think
00:16:16
Speaker
And then around about a way, we're going to go to the Disney. It's been interesting. I draw a ton of Disney things. People see my draw. I do a lot of live art on my Facebook page. And what's interesting about that, even though I'm not a paid Disney artist and I'm drawing these things, it's opened so many doors. Oh, yeah, I bet. as a springboard to so many art opportunities educationally, which is a big passion of mine and many, many areas that I just I love doing because I love the concept and who Disney is. so I'm a fan artist, which I think is a amazing world. I love it since social media really exploded. And I went through that where I, you know, I started out as a line artist for ad agencies in college back when nobody had computers and we were drawn. I drew ceiling fans for ads for, you know, you know.
00:17:01
Speaker
And now I look at what the world that's been on my lifetime of art and it's incredible. I think That aspect alone in the fan art world be it, you know DC Marvel Disney um Has just changed the dynamics and a creative level that is unbelievable and I've watched that evolution and I've been really fortunate to um to kind of walk through those many doors in different ways as that's evolved and I Really, I think the other thing that is done, we talk about change things, is this the opportunity it's given me to meet people who are incredibly creative individuals from all spectrums, especially even artists, that I never would have ever had that opportunity just by me even doing fan art.
00:17:43
Speaker
I've had a chance to talk to some folks in the Disney side of things that are working for that company but we have a shared love of art and I just feel so blessed and so enriched in my life meeting people and building relationships so secondary to all that is an income making a living at it and that's such a blessing too but when I look back at my life I go man it the adventures, the people, the stories, the journey that art has provided me I just, I sometimes I'm amazed at it where it's taken me from being for big small kids, South Dakota, drawing stuff on a stall in a bathroom at L a lot of frost rates. Um, now honest question, do you still draw things in a stall with it? I mean, I'm just I'm just saying. Well, you never know. Listen, I don't know. I'm not judging if you do. I mean, I kind of once you're listening, you all know this. I've been to truck stops. You're driving, you're traveling, you know, you're going to get there. There are days I am tempted to pull out a Sharpie and go, you know what? It'd be good to do like a little little Leonardo da Vinci kind of vibe or something.
00:18:48
Speaker
but so I mean, you're bored. Right. When bless people's week, you know, you're you're you're in the stall. You're like, I know. i I will tell you, yes, I mean, I won't say how, but there are times I'm like, come on, that's the best you got. I can do better than that. yeah So Jason, I actually have a question for you you. You have worked in a number of areas, obviously, not just in the art world, but in reference to Disney, one of the complaints in recent years is Disney's Imagineers, their artists, some of their directions have pulled away from some of that original creativity.
00:19:27
Speaker
And, you know, people have got into doing things over again or re theming instead of creating or bringing new ideas to the table. And one of the things I think fascinating about your history, looking back at what you've done, I mean, you've worked in ministry. You've worked in teaching. You've had the opportunity to be a leader or inspire others. And my question is, you know, Joe Rode recently came back as one of the most iconic Disney Imagineers and is now teaching the next generation of Imagineers. Right.
00:20:06
Speaker
With your experience in such a variety of art mediums, how do you find yourself you know inspiring the next generation of artists with the touches you're able to have with these amazing people, amazing interactions due to your own talents? How do you inspire the next generation? Well, I've always thought it's fascinating. I've become kind of a yeah on the side as well, ah you know, as and as you all are. You you fall in love with with the and I think it is that it's the never and the unceasing curiosity and captivating and energy that Disney created from its founder, Walt. And I and I always feel like, you know, if we could take a time capsule back to many things in life, it'd be interesting to go back to the day when Walt
00:20:52
Speaker
was envisioning the idea of Disney both in motion pictures. I mean, you know, we can't forget certainly with the parks and the imagineers, the level of creativity and that first generation. And I get to that. But but but they had a foundation in the fact that wall was such a pioneer in his own right when he was such a young man even living in Kansas City. He was trying things with like stop motion and live action. and And he was always that guy pushing the envelope of the technology mixed with the creativity and an endless boundless energy. that people said he had. But what I find interesting, the question you asked is like that younger generation that generation of those imagineers who kind of set that high bar. What I think is fascinating when you study their their story and some of these individuals who unfortunately now are for the most part gone, maybe one or two or left who have that direct connection to Walt in the first days of Imagineering that are really instrumental.
00:21:43
Speaker
is that so much was born out of desperation. You know what I mean? um It was as if they were thrown in and because it was a desperation to make this park work against all odds, the money was always a stress issue. um Nobody really was believing in them. And the funny thing about stress, or at least being thrown into the fire that way, when you already have an area in your life, maybe whether it be music or art or whatever that avocation may be, I find it's interesting that when you kind of get thrown against the wall, creativity has a tendency sometimes to really blossom and explode forth and out of part part desperation. um um And part of it is, of course, making keeping your credibility alive at the finances and all the things that go around it. And I think that's that was what was such a great genesis. They didn't know it would work. They had never tried it before. It was all new. And it just bred all this innovative curiosity and passion to do something outstanding today.
00:22:37
Speaker
I'm not saying we don't have that, but it's a very different culture and system, almost like a farming system um in which you're nurtured and created and brought through a system. I'm so glad I didn't know that with Joe Rode coming back and having such an imprint, because he certainly is that guy. um What I hope sometimes that that we don't also learn that innovation sometimes comes out of being up against the wall, so to speak. I got to be honest with you, in my own world, sometimes I look back on the things that I have done in art, or even like when I was designing at a museum where we redesigned a museum, a lot of the most creative things that I look back and the things that probably have lasting power or I'm most proud of are inside myself. I'm going, oh, but you have no idea the story behind the story because it was a kind of a Hail Mary kind of hoping we can get this done. um We were up against the ah we' we're up against the wall financially. We're up against the wall on time. In fact, I'm a big believer in deadlines because I think sometimes deadlines
00:23:31
Speaker
force and push the artist to ah another level of expectation and creativity. I think that's a good thing to have. So that's what I think. And I'm going to, and I, by no means, I want to be very careful when I answer this question and I'll be quiet about this, but my admiration for what they do all the time under the pressure is amazing, but I do think in some ways in the last five or 10 years, they've struggled to find their footing again on coming up with some, hence I say it's an original idea, or being a little bit more innovative or creative and pushing themselves beyond what is just expected or, oh yeah, because we know that could marketing wise do well and and all the polling and all the data says it's going to be a hit, then they go down that path. And I always think, gosh, I'm sure
00:24:20
Speaker
If Walt Disney and all those all the yeah the naysayers told him about all the reasons this would fail, he didn't give up. But he'd feel like that was the way we're going to push through and really find an audience. And you know today, that's a great question. I think we have to instill in young people an adventurous spirit, a risk-taking spirit. A creative spirit is born out of that. And the best artists, you study them, no matter what field it's in, music and again, in the fine arts or any of those areas, you usually find it's when they're up against the wall and they got to produce something that great magic happens. yeah And I don't know how you really train someone to do that.
00:24:55
Speaker
I mean, um but I don't know about young people. You said young people,
Finding an Artistic Niche in Disney Imagery
00:24:59
Speaker
though. I'm like, I think maybe that's just how life goes sometimes. there are I'm i'm all always you you're going to like this because there's so many stories of people that like they don't hit their creative stride till they're in their 50s or their 60s. That's right. Right. There's a there's a great quote, Jeff, that speaks to that. Actually, that was in a song used. It was a commencement address that was put to music called Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen. If you ever have the opportunity to check it out, it's it's but it's so true. And one of the lines in that, you know, speaks to your point, some of the most, you know, like he says, most 20 year olds have no idea what they want to do with their life.
00:25:44
Speaker
But some of the most interesting 40 year olds I met don't either. That's right. and ah And it's a very valid point that there's a cyclical rotation to our lives where it is ever evolving. But yet we have the rotation of our knowledge coming back, that experience coming back. and how we view it differently each time it presents itself back to us. So in those opportunities to create art, I mean, even in your own career, I'm sure you are so versed in different styles of artwork. You you like mirroring. You do some, you know, you you have all these different things. Do you find yourself cyclically returning to things that are a favorite or yes. Do you? OK.
00:26:33
Speaker
I think that's the one thing that you find at age. and The older I get, I find there are things that I kind of gravitate to naturally, but I think that I have found, you know, you kind of find your rhythm too, and you kind of find your niche in life to a certain degree. And like for me, if we're talking, you know, from the Disney side of things, what has really taken off for me on a fan base, or at least people seem to connect well, um is when I draw like almost, I've done too, but I draw the attractions at the park. And I try to draw them. I try to find things that I i don't see ah being done. So if I go, let's say, to one of the you know the Disney art stores, and I'm at the park, and I'm looking, I do a little inventory, and I say, what is on the wall that I don't see on the wall that I'd like to see on the wall?
00:27:13
Speaker
And I started to draw some things years ago of favorite rides. But then I went a step further and I said, you know, not only that, but kind of iconic imagery, like a couple of my fan the fan favorites that I got the most yay about a three of. I'll tell you three that I find really interesting. I come back to you now and it's kind of my rhythm. But looking for those things, I drew. I was so impressed with the queue at Disney World for the Peter Pan ride. And I remember going through that the first time and I thought, my goodness, waiting in line is just as much fun almost as the ride itself. Because the way they designed walking through the home and all that. So I drew an image of the bedroom and the angle that is very popular where Tinkerbell is kind of zing zang and zipping around the room bouncing off the furniture.
00:28:03
Speaker
And that one got a lot of fanfare because it was something that normally, and that's kind of like going back to what I do. I guess the answer to that question is I find myself coming back to that theme a lot. I don't know why I do, but I look for imagery or things in the park that normally aren't getting drawn in a kind of a weird angle and then drawing it. um Another one that I did ah that was really popular is I drew the Club 33 Disney door. at Disneyland, which is, if you're a fan, you know what that is. I'll be like, what's that? It's like, well, that's a door that, you know, the the door that was there. And then I drew some like tentacles coming zinging out the side of the door because my kids used to ask me what was behind the door. I mean, and I would always say it was like something really magical or, you know, whatever. So I kind of drew that for my kids, but that one blew up from the Disney 33 club land world. I mean, they they thought that was the greatest thing since sliced bread. And then the last one I would share is I also, said I've done a lot of these, but the one I did that was unique was
00:28:55
Speaker
I did some research and I found out, you know, Walt's favorite, one of his favorite rides that he loved to go back to all the time was the Carousel at Disneyland. It's, you know, kind of iconic now. So I thought, well, that's interesting. And I discovered there was, I found an old photo going back to like the 50s of an actual, his favorite horse on the Carousel. that Walt actually had a horse that he specifically liked more than all the other ones. And so I drew that and I did that in fine detail. So I love coming back to things like that because one, I love the history of the park and two, it's just doggone fun to draw.
00:29:31
Speaker
but that's kind of where my niche has gone more and more in the last couple of years. And, um you know, I'm not stupid. I look on Facebook and when people like it a lot more, I'm like, oh, okay. I guess people like this stuff, you know, whatever. So yeah. I love your tower of terror lobby one that. um Oh yeah. That's another one. Yeah. That was phenomenal. That's, that's one of my favorite rides at Disney world. My girlfriend and I love going in there. We go up pretty much. what do you if you love it you Don't you just love the detail of it? Yes, and the lipstick on the glass and the little is like there's so much. There's so many things you can. And if you take the time to ask cast members to like just a ah sidebar to Disney, if you're a bit curious about the stories in those cues,
00:30:12
Speaker
Take a moment to ask a cast member if they don't know, they can get you in touch with the people that do. And we've got some amazing tours from cast members actually taking us into the queue part itself, like into the lobby of the Tower of Terror, not where the queue is. But into the actual lobby and teaching us the history of it, the check in desk, the lipstick on the glass, the little tidbits that you may not see from a distance. And, you know, your artwork really does bring a highlight to details that people don't always pay attention to. It gives you that little, you know,
00:30:52
Speaker
alternative viewpoint, as you said. And I really, really enjoyed that particular piece. um Thank you. the tower and ter that's ah That's a really cool one. Well, you know, when I studied that, I took a photo when I was there and I had never really, what I've also found um that I find fun to do, I now take weird photos. I'm only i'm like over there photographing like a light, you know, with a fire hydrant and a door. And I think people are like, what is this guy doing? You know, they're taking pictures of whatever, you know, and I'm over here taking a picture of that. But what I find is that this is what amazes me as't as a guy who loves design and art.
00:31:28
Speaker
the intention to detail about visual perspectives and then making, again, immersive environments to give you a feeling, there's nothing better. So when I started looking at that lobby, I'm glad you said that, it started to blow me away when I looked at the photo and I had zoom in and like the incredible amount of detail they put on on the tables and the dusting and the pens and and and like you said, the lipstick and the mirrors and the candles. and you just It's like a never ending, A rabbit hole of detail. that's a deepset Yeah, I cannot write that it separates you from so many other parks in that detail. You know, I mean, they're trying to catch up, but I walk through the queue just for that very reason because I love it so much. And then I do the chicken elevator down because I cannot write. your But on that same topic, I was actually gonna, okay, bring, you were talking about when you go to Disney World, that you love the attention to detail, the layout, the smells and the sounds. It's not so much going for the quintessential ride itself, although that we all appreciate that. But and I mean, as you know, Disney World is, I believe the only theme park in the world that has, or Disney has candles, they have candles with the smells. This is just, so what do you feel like that you have drawn
00:32:47
Speaker
that brings that feeling to you when you see it. We all know what other people's favorites are, but what is your favorite that kind of captures in that a picture is worth a thousand words or a feeling that you have done that kind of gives you that same feeling when you walked in the park and you appreciate the layout and the foliage and the smells Yeah. Does that make any sense? I think sometimes when I draw things, I have a tendency, Don, to I'm almost like in my mind revisiting ah and a moment in time and a feeling that and it brings into my heart with my children especially. We would spend quite a bit of time with our kids. I think some of my favorite drawings, when I look back on them, they were born out of a memory with my children. Like I'll give you an example.
00:33:30
Speaker
I was standing in line one time with my kids trying to get on Indiana Jones in Disneyland, the Forbidden Temple, I the Forbidden Temple. And it was a long line. If you've been there like in the summer, you know it. I mean, that's a very, still is a very popular ride. So that queue went, you know, all the way out, wrapped out, brought almost, you know, down to the, the, the jungle cruise entrance. Right. And, um, here's what I remember about it though. We were standing in line for whatever reason, the ride shut down. And so we were planted, we were already in this thing a ways. And I looked at them right. There was a, I don't know. People don't even really notice this, but there was an actual large truck Jeep. That's buried into the foliage right when you're coming into that ride.
00:34:10
Speaker
okay and here's what i remember i drew that it's the drawing of that jeep later and i came back but here's why i love it and people would never know but i would know so i was stuck there with my uh upper elementary kids for probably 40 minutes right can i tell you something maybe they were in middle school at this time but well i have three kids so probably a middle schooler and a couple elementary kids we had the best conversation just being a parent and a kid, standing in line, joking around. And I thought when's the last time that I as a parent had enough time even just to be with my kids in a great park, having a lot of fun, waiting on a great ride in a great environment.
Future Art Projects and Inspirations
00:34:46
Speaker
And just in my own heart, I cherished us just being together as a family and me talking to my kids. And I know I created for them a lasting memory with their dad.
00:34:56
Speaker
that I know when I'm an old man or when I pass away, they might say to their kids, you know, grandpa took me to Disneyland. And I remember being my dad and we had so much fun. I want to take you there and experience it with, and I hope that's still there. But the idea that, you know what I mean? I don't know if I'm capturing it. Well, sometimes when I draw, I know exactly, I'm drawing a lot of, no, you did. You know, that's my experience with my kids. And I think that it grabs onto people and I do a lot of these that I get parents who say, Oh, I love that rider. Oh, Oh, I like, I love the haunted mansion, you know, things like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that's one of my favorites and yet if you saw it, you'd probably say a big deal to cheat. Doesn't mean much to you. It means a lot to me. One more question. Are you going to the International Festival of the Arts at Epcot this year?
00:35:39
Speaker
Yes, let me tell you, I am going to try to get in. Now this is what I pitched to them and I hope they would accept it. So I'm going to throw this out nationally on this podcast. And I've done, I've also done, this is what I'd like to do. And I'm going to just tell you what I'd like to do. And I used to, I have done this several times. I would like to draw for like, well, it'd be hard at the Disney parks, but it'd be almost that I've drawn nonstop for 24 hours straight. Oh, wow. So what I do is I get, I'll get like a 20 foot long canvas by like three feet or a board. And I would like, let's say take Epcot. So I'd maybe start with the park opens and I'd go all the way to one in the morning. And I literally would not stop drawing except maybe run to the restroom, but I'd draw on the stall. No, but I would run to the restroom.
00:36:17
Speaker
like but the truck that i would all what What I would do is I would draw in cartoon form. Never stop. Right. away All the way. You're just like Sharpie just yeah on the wall. All the way down the sidewalk yeah and everybody back. But I would love to go. I've never seen this there. I've never seen this. yeah I would draw the entire iron cartoon format. I would draw it all out. All the entire Epcot. All the rides. All the attractions. All the all the theme lands. All of that. or Any of their kingdoms and then when it's done, Disney can have the drawing or put up. I don't care what they do with it, but I think that's a Guinness World Record application. Well, I did that and it's on. There is a video out there of me doing this. I did it for charity in Sioux Falls. I drew 110 buildings in downtown Sioux Falls, 24 hours straight downtown.
00:37:02
Speaker
And then after that they sold the painting and they all went to charity ah helping those who are homeless. And now I think it's in a bar, or the the final product was 22, 23 feet long by three feet. And it has all the downtown, everything in the fall, everything is there. And people would come and watch me and it was pretty it was a good thing. But I realized then that people really would enjoy that kind of stuff, making prints off it, whatever. So there you go, Disney. if I'd love to come and do that. And I don't think anybody else is doing it. So I'd do it. so And I think you could leave, but Jeff's right, you could leave a two foot by two foot open bare space in the canvas and fill that in with the stall and that finishes the artwork. So that mystery section has to be seen by visiting the stall. Sorry, ladies, this is a men only experience. That's right.
00:37:53
Speaker
Well, I'll tell your podcast listeners, if you go on the, if you go on to Google and you type in Jason Folker, it's 24 hour drawings who falls. They also videotaped it in high speed. So you can watch me do a 24 hours nonstop drawing in like about three and a half minutes. And I go all night. I had the bar crowd came out about one or two in the morning, kept me company. It was on us. It was great. You know, I just, it was a great time. And then here you don't. And here's what I think. You don't you don't insert the art as like if those are the bonus features. Right. While I'm in the bathroom, still doodling on the wall, snapshot it and be like, if you want to, the more you give, you'll get the bonus features. Here you go. And the other thing I could do is I would be open to hiding hidden mickeys and all the stalls around the different parks. See, that's for like a little mickey's. And then you'd have to run around and go to the different bathrooms and all the stalls to find the hidden mickey. I like it.
00:38:45
Speaker
Yeah, I'm a fan. I'm a fan. I would do it. I pay. I'll pay. be Well, the other the other thing you can do instead of the hidden Mickey's, you know, how popular where where's Waldo? You could do. Where is Walt's? That's right. You're a Walt. Walt. Oh. And I could have a lot of fun. Hide it in the stalls. That would be a lot of fun. So another idea, Disney, see that we're just booming with when innovation. All right. We're on the cutting edge of time and space and history. Who knew? Who knew in this year, podcasts were some good ideas. Well, I'm happy. Yeah.
00:39:21
Speaker
That doesn't happen all the time. So we'll take we'll take it with it. We'll take that with a grain of salt. So Jason, let me let me ask you, when you're not defacing bathrooms at Walt Disney World. um So you mentioned um doing Epcot. Have you also done Hollywood Studios? I think one of the the the best thing I love taking pictures of is like the key at ah the Muppets. you know, the under underneath the mat. um right you You know, at Magic Kingdom, my ah my background is one of one of of the my favorite pictures is because it's the castle behind Philharmagic. And I think that's one ah one of my one of my all time favorite views. And every time I go, I have to take take a picture of it just because it
00:40:10
Speaker
with the spires of philharmagic going up against the castle i think there's something um about you know you you mentioned that you know you see the spires you see different things and it's like especially like new fantasy land when you walk in that area and how they have ah have it set up now to where you're getting um just different feels when you walk through it and different textures and different things so what um So outside of I've got what are some of the bigger things that um that you've drew or that you're looking to draw? Right, right. Well, like I said, I really one of the I do like the idea about I love drawing the whole panoramic side of different parks. and I think that'd be a lot lot of fun to tackle.
00:40:56
Speaker
Yeah, I was one of those kids too and I would go to Disney. I just always loved the map illustrations. I don't know if you guys collect those, but and when I was, a especially a kid, I always liked opening up and getting the the bird's eye view of the actual maps. Interesting interestingly enough, I've liked it better when they were hand-drawn versus when they'd now become computerized. Because back in the day, before computers, artists would oftentimes, well, they would, create hand-drawn maps or panoramics looking down on the parks. I've always been fascinated by that, and I'm not against the computer side of it, but it's a little more sterile. There's something really fun about an artist's impression, I guess, of how they view those things. um I guess the things that I haven't drawn yet are things I'd like to tackle that are Disney-related, and I've done so many different things.
00:41:38
Speaker
You know, I've kind of gotten a really fascinated with some of the parks overseas, to be honest with you. I'd really like like to get over there. I've been fascinated lately with in Paris and different things that they're designing or have designed that I think is kind of underrated. Some people say that park. from a visual perspective and maybe because it's in France, I don't know, the art side of it. I think there was someone on your podcast just recently who was talking about this, I think, I'm not sure, but the idea that, you know, from a ah almost a cine a cinematic scope when they put that part together, like you were talking about certain angles and visuals, I'd love to tackle some of that. I did want, I don't know if you can see it, I pulled some art and I can show you, I don't know, I probably, ah yeah a lot of people are listening and they're not watching it on a video, but I did do a perspective of the castle. I'm trying to find it here, but of of that castle in a unique angle. And I thought, oh, this park is great. I'd love to do more there. I really would, you know, and see if there would be a surge in that. So that's kind of it for me, I guess. Yeah.
00:42:42
Speaker
And then sometimes just the little things too I like to do, like when Walt on the on on the anniversary of his death this last year, I, for example, I drew the the window ah in the firehouse else that has the lantern. That extinguishes itself, I think, on yeah and the and the anniversary of his death. and And in light of that, I drew actually the window with the the lantern in it, just the window, for example, that that view. And those are really nice and they're fun to do too because there's a real sentimental reason for that. And again, if you're a Disney person, you know what that is. If you just go in the parking or the history, you're not aware of that that window and the firehouse and things like that. so
00:43:22
Speaker
Well folks, that's it for part one of our conversation with Jason Fulkerts. Be sure to hit that follow button to catch part two when it releases next week and to stay up to date on all of our latest episodes as they come out. We also want to invite you to follow us on our social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at SharingTheMagicPod. Thank you all for tuning in, and until next time, keep sharing the magic.
00:43:53
Speaker
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