Trader Sam's Magic

Today I have a "two fer" WWD for you: The Head Shrinker and The Disney Experience. Both sites are created and maintained by Robert Nava aka. Trader Sam. The Head Shrinker is his bit of Disney musings, some personal, some just interesting stuff. The Disney Experience is one of the most interesting sites in the Disney Community. There is a ton of really interesting stuff here, especially for those interested in papercraft. Rumor has it that the Mouse is looking into buying the Disney Experience, if this comes to pass I hope that Sam continues to post on his blog. I wrote to Robert and here are his answers. Enjoy!


1. Why did you start a blog? or why Disney?

I don't know what the attraction is, but Web sites have always fascinated me (I have three or four at the moment). I suppose it's my innate love of creating something from nothing. It would also explain why I love being an artist.

The Disney Experience was originally called The Wonderful World of Icons,and it was up on October 9, 1999, just a few days after my first Internet connection. In my early collage years-before I had Internet access-I started designing icons of Disney characters for use on my
own computer. Back then, I did each 32 X 32 icon pixel-by-pixel. Literally! It was very time consuming. By the time I was able to post my very first Web site, I already had an archive of about sixty to eighty icons, far more than I would ever need for myself. So, it only seemed natural to share them with everyone else. Over time, other features were added, and the site quickly became far more than what it was intended. So much, so, that I decided to let the site spill over into the Head Shrinker.

The Head Shrinker is far more personal than the Disney Experience. It's a place where I can rant about anything I want. It's not meant to be family oriented or kid friendly, but I do often curb my emotions, language, and content a little bit. It really is more for me than it is for everyone else. Think of it as a window into who I really am, albeit a very tiny one.

Why Disney? Some of my earliest and most memorable memories are fragmented images of Disneyland. I guess I've always been a Disney fan, though it would take years for me to figure it out. It wasn't until Who Framed Roger Rabbit that I fell in love with animation, particularly Disney animation. My first serious drawing as an artist was a picture that I had copied from the VHS cover of that movie. I even made a makeshift drawing desk, using the top of my small dresser to draw on. A nightstand became my chair. From there, it just snowballed, and friends were asking me to draw Disney characters for them at school.


2. Do you have a blog that inspired you?

I don't have a Blog that inspired me. At the time, it seemed like everyone was blogging (and still are), so I thought I'd give it a shot. And, I'm still here.


3. Is there anyone in the Disney community that inspired you to get started or whom you admire?

One of my early favorites was DoomBuggies.com. The site's design was jaw-dropping, definitely something that no other Disney fan site had ever accomplished that I ever saw. Jeff Baham definite set the bar high, and I was determined to reach it with my site design.


4. What sites do you read each day?

I used to read MousePlanet several years ago. But, when Al Lutz and Kevin Yee broke off and started MiceAge, I quickly followed them. Al Lutz's Disneyland news updates, rare as they are, continue to be one of the highlights of my Internet experience.

I also love Disneyland photos; I can't get enough of them. MouseTimes.com and Darkbeer's photos are at the top of my list.

And, of course, I regularly check in on Haunted Dimensions. Ray Keim is a fellow Disney paper model designer, and he has an interest in the macabre, as I do.


5. What impact has it had on your life?

I've become well-known over the years, I think, most notably for my paper models. There really isn't a lot of quality paper models out there, so I'm a valued resource. Ray Keim's models are the only other models that meet or exceed my own. That sounded a little egocentric, but it's what I believe. When it comes to anything Disney, a person should expect nothing less than the very best.

I don't think my impact on the online Disney community has really sunken in yet. I've been doing this stuff for a little over eight years now, and it's still business as usual. I've recently been in contact with Disney regarding a proposal. It's private at the moment, plus the details are constantly changing, so any information would be out-of-date by the time anyone reads this.


6. Do your 'real world' friends know that you are a Disney blogger?

The most that my friends and family members know about me is that I'm a Disney fan. I don't spout out Disney facts and figures every time I open my mouth, like I know many others do. I've seen it, and it's not a pretty site. Disney is kind of personal, anyway, so I mainly keep it to myself.

Since I'm a little more revealing in my Blog than I am in real life, I tend to refrain from advertising the Head Shrinker to friends and family. There could be things in there that would rub someone the wrong way. It's best to keep everyone in the dark.