Bruce Gordon Passes Away

[ROBONICS95]

Bruce Gordon, a Disneyologist, Imagineer and author has passed on at the way too early age of 54. If you've never read his books "The Nickel Tour" or "Walt's Time", I highly recommend them for every Disney Geek. Blue Sky Disney wishes his family well during this sad time.

The stars in the sky just got a bit dimmer today...

http://blueskydisney.blogspot.com/

Imagineer, Author Bruce Gordon passes away
Longtime Imagineer and author Bruce Gordon has passed away. Gordon is best known to Disney fans for his books including The Nickel Tour and Walt's Time and for his performances at NFFC Conventions with fellow Imagineer and co-author David Mumford (who passed away in 2003).

http://www.laughingplace.com/Latest.asp?I1=ID&I2=2496

ADMIN NOTE:
Our MiceChat Partner site, www.o-meon.com has a very nice write up about Mr. Gordon's passing. http://www.micechat.com/forums/showthread.php/11_07_07_passings_bruce-82598.html

[ROBONICS95]

Jim Hill has posted a nice tribute to Bruce...

http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hi...1953-2007.aspx

[Rex Dopey24]

oh no thats sad rip.

[Lost Boy]

I knew both Bruce and David and this is very sad. They and Tony Baxter were the three Imagineers that always showed up at NFFC Conventions and other cons and gave some of the funniest and most informative talks and picture shows ever. I have the Nickel Tour and it is one of the most exhaustive and best books of Disneyland ever. So sad. Way too young.

[Datameister]

So sad...rest in peace. Condolences to his family and friends, too...

Anyone know the CoD?

[I Heart Disneyland]

How terribly sad. A young man at 54, with so much enthusiasm and passion for DL. My sympathy goes out to the family and friends.

[penguinsoda]

Too young to leave us....my thoughts with his family. My daughter has a copy of The Nickle Tour. Its out of print now. I hope they reissue it because it is a fantastic book!

[Pressler69]

Originally Posted by penguinsoda

Its out of print now. I hope they reissue it because it is a fantastic book!

Also because it's going for so much on eBay. I would like to see an official reissue just to get a copy at a fair price.

[Dustysage]

Bruce was one of the good ones. His "Nickel Tour" book remains one of the most popular Disney books of all time.



-Dusty

[CAspace]

So sad, so sad, let us have a moment of Silence for Bruce Gordon, may his legacy live on forever. May his family be comforted in this time of grief.

[nbodyhome]

That is very sad.

[Aladdin]

Sad he passed away, way too early.

Ten years ago, I planned a trip to Disneyland after hearing that
the Submarine Marine ride would be closing. (which fuelled the
fire for the animostity towards Pressler) I was so happy to have
a chance to ride the old subs one more time!

That same day, Bruce Gordon and Dave Mumford were signing
hard copy numbered limited editions of their "Nickle Tour" book.
And I had been searching all over WDW, DL, and other bookstores
for this book for a couple years, without success. I was absolutely
thrilled to finally track down a copy, AND have both Bruce and Dave
sign my copy! When asked if I wanted a particular number, I asked
if #55 was available. They smiled and said that would have been the
number they would have choosen. Oh, and the signing of the book
took place in The Disney Gallery!

Ten years later both Bruce and Dave have gone on, The Disney Gallery
has now sadly closed, and the Submarines have come back. I'm so glad
I had a chance to meet both Dave and Bruce, even for a just two or three
minutes.

[nbodyhome]

I was hoping to meet him in March at the Golden Horshoe event. You never know who won't be around anymore.

I have a lithograph, "The Disneyland Mountains of the Anaheim Range", with all sorts of autographs that I bought through Disneyland in 1999. Bruce Gordon had signed it, as well as John Hench, Tony Baxter, Harriet Burns, etc. I am glad I have that, it's really something special to me.

[Opus1guy]

We also knew Bruce (and the late David Mumford...who together formed the popular "Bruce & David Show" at Disney events) both fairly well. Seems very strange to have lost both of these creative talents at such young ages.

So sad. Our hearts and condolences go out to his friends and family.

[Circarama]

Mods: This is being posted in the Disneyland Forum because of Bruce Gordons contributions to Disneyland Park. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Los Angeles Times

Bruce Gordon, a formerlongtime Disney Imagineer who was involved in the creation of numerous Disney theme park attractions around the world and wrote or co-wrote an array of Disney-related books, has died. He was 56.

Gordon died at his home in Glendale on Tuesday, a Disney spokesman said. The cause of death has yet to be determined.

A Disneyland fan since he first visited the Anaheim theme park as a young boy shortly after it opened in 1955 -- he built models of Disneyland attractions in his garage while growing up and was a lifelong collector of Disneyland memorabilia -- Gordon launched his career at Walt Disney Imagineering as a model designer in 1980.

He played a key role in the creation of Splash Mountain at Disneyland in 1989 for which he was credited as "show producer": He was responsible for turning the creative vision into reality.

Gordon also was the show producer for the 1998 renovation of Tomorrowland, as well as for the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which opened at Disneyland in 2003; and for Tarzan's Treehouse, which opened in 1999.

When he left his position as a project director at Walt Disney Imagineering in 2005, he was the show producer for the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, which opened at Disneyland this year.

Tony Baxter, creative vice president at Walt Disney Imagineering, met Gordon in the early 1980s when Gordon was in charge of constructing all the props and sets for "Journey Into Imagination" for Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

"I recognized this guy was really special because he not only knew how to do it, but he understood the magic and the emotion of what we were trying to create," Baxter said. "We instantly became partners, because I'm an idea person and Bruce was someone who could make ideas real."

After leaving Walt Disney Imagineering, Gordon served as show producer and creative consultant for the upcoming Walt Disney Family Museum, which will be in San Francisco's Presidio area.

"When we conceived the idea of the museum, Bruce was at the top of our list of people we wished to engage to work with us," Diane Disney Miller, Walt Disney's daughter, said in a statement. "Bruce had a deep understanding and appreciation of my father as a man, not simply a brand or icon."

As much as Gordon was highly regarded as an Imagineer, he also was known for his sideline: writing books.

The first, co-written with fellow Imagineer David Mumford, was "Disneyland: The Nickel Tour," a 368-page history of Disneyland told through postcards of the park.

The idea for the 1998 book was hatched in 1983 when Mumford encountered Gordon leafing through a collection of old Disneyland postcards in his office. Mumford had his own collection of these colorful slices of park history.

"We thought that it would be fun to amplify the postcards with information behind what each card shows," Gordon told the Orange County Register in 1998. "We wanted all the stories that nobody ever heard before and that don't make it into the official guidebooks."

Gordon and Mumford had a draft of their massive manuscript completed by 1990, but Disney and several other publishers thought that it was too large and would be too expensive to print.

With the advent of sophisticated desktop publishing, however, the two authors finally decided to self-publish the 4 1/2 - pound book.

After Gordon spent his nights and weekends designing the book on his computer, he and Mumford reportedly mortgaged homes and borrowed money from friends to raise $100,000 to have an Italian printing house produce 3,000 copies.

"Disneyland: The Nickel Tour," which sold for $75 when ordered directly from the publishing house they founded, is widely regarded as the most authoritative book about the Magic Kingdom.

"It was not only comprehensive but refreshing in how someone from the inside was able to share secrets and stories in such an enjoyable manner; it's just a nice combination of fun and history," said David Koenig, the author of "Mouse Tales: A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland" and three other unauthorized Disney books.

Koenig, who knew Gordon, said he often would see him at Disneyana shows, where "he would give lighthearted presentations on some aspect of Disneyland history. He was an extremely clever, funny guy."

Koenig added: "Disneyland was the greatest passion of his life."

"Disneyland: The Nickel Tour," which went through two printings and is now out of print, was the first of numerous books Gordon turned out.

Among the others he wrote and designed were "The Art of Disneyland," "Disneyland: Then, Now and Forever," "Walt Disney World: Then, Now and Forever," and "The Art of Walt Disney World."

Gordon was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on April 18, 1951, and grew up in Palo Alto and Fullerton. He is survived by his father, Walter E. Gordon, and his sister, Nancy M. Gordon.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Church of the Recessional at Forest Lawn, 1712 S. Glendale Ave., Glendale.

Instead of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made in Gordon's name to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

I met Bruce at the 50th Anniversary event. He was such a nice guy... really down to earth.

His book, " The Nickel Tour" which he co-wrote with David Mumford is considered to be one of the best books ever written on Disneyland history.

Bruce's death is a real loss to the Disney community as was his firing in 2005.