This week’s “One Day at Disney” short on Disney+ is giving us a first look at a slightly different appearance for the lovable purple pigment known as Figment, the mascot of EPCOT and the star of the many incarnations of Journey to Imagination in the park’s Imagination! Pavilion.
This week’s episode focuses on Alice Taylor, a VP of Content Innovation at Disney’s StudioLAB. From drones to augmented reality, Taylor uses innovation and emerging technologies to continue pushing the boundaries by which content can be created and shared with people around the world.
In the episode, we get to see various Figment designs by Story Artist Nak Yong Choi as he shapes and carves a physical clay model of the character in order to create a 3D rendering for VR capabilities and more.
You’ll notice the designs are a stark departure from Figment’s usual look, although the dragon has taken on a number of shapes as seen on merchandise over the past couple of years. Disney Parks has to then review these models, for the sake of character integrity.
Do note that the episode did not state a purpose or specific project for these new Figment designs, so it’s unknown if this is actually something for the park itself. However, given StudioLAB’s involvement with the Walt Disney Animation Studios, and beyond this could be for something more along the lines of an online series harkening back to the Figment educational cartoons which were planned and piloted in the ’80s, but never launched.
What do you think of this “new look” for Figment? One little spark of inspiration, and we may just have an entirely different dragon at EPCOT soon…
Leave Figment alone!!!! Original is the best! Figment does not need to be redesigned! And “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” -Cogsworth
I’d put money on a Disney+ series.
If you want to make a new dragon, then make a new dragon. But completely changing his look and calling this “Figment” will only confuse people. Disney’s good at pulling stunts like that though.
No. Just no. He looks like Dino from the Flintstones. please leave our beloved animated characters alone.
I was thinking like a cross between Snoopy and a hippo. It’s still not Figment, though!
Looks like The Fintstones’ “Dino” with Cupid wings. Why do today’s animators keep trying to “re-create” characters? If you want to change an existing character’s look, create a new character instead.
LEAVE. FIGMENT. ALONE!!!!!!
“New Figment Project”? ….YES!!! “New Figment Design?” ….OH HELL NO!!!!
No no no no no no no no no! Leave figment alone. He’s got a classic look that has lasted a long time. I hated the new look for mickey and the gang on the new cartoons and the new ride. Leave figment be!
Nooooooo! Keep Figment the same! Disney has changed enough! Leave something……please!
I think the look sucks and they just need to keep the original look
Did someone punch Figment in the nose? His muzzle is more refined, not swollen. Simplification of the features to make animation easier? First pie eyed Mickey and Minnie then Ren and Stimpy Goofy. Is the dumbing down of characters what we can expect now?
It is a bit hard to tell but from what I see, I don’t like the redesign.
Oh this should go over well with Disney Parks fans. They are very open minded to changes to beloved iconic characters.
Yuck
I do not like this new Figment. Leave my second favorite character ALONE.
Another travesty of Disney feeling it needs to make its original characters refreshed and redesigned to attract new fans. Everything nowadays is either erasing things from history, rebooting, or reinventing original successes.
They should realize society in the US is currently in the midst of a retro/80’s come back. If they were smart they’d leave the original figment design alone and if they plan to bring him back somehow, do so with that original 80s charm that made him so popular during the original days of EPCOT.
No, no, no, no, NO!!
Oh my dear god if they change Figment’s Park design to this I believe the world really IS ending in 2020.
LEAVE FIGGY ALONE. He is perfect the way he is!
This might work with cereal box characters, but this wont work for Figment. I like his “dragon tales” look- this new design looks like a dragonite wannabe.
If there’s a petition to keep his original design the same, please let me know so I can sign away! I HOPE to God this is just for some merchandise campaign line and NOT an over-all redesign.
Leave figment alone! Are you trying to get your customers to quit coming to your parks?
THATS A GOOD FIGMENT RIGHT THERE THATS A GENTLEMAN I COULD TRUST!!! I WOULD GIVE MY SSN TO THIS FIGMENT I LOVE HIM DEARLY