9/1: Spider-Mouse

[Darth_Goofy]

Have you guys seen the inevitable Photoshop mash up contest on Worth1000.com as well as Freakingnews.com?

Worth1000.com | Photoshop Contests | Are you Worthy™ | contest

Disney + Marvel = ? Pictures - Strange Disney + Marvel = ? Pics

(I won first and second on Worth, and 4th on Freaking News!)

Fun stuff!

[ZeekSlider]

LOL *saves the Iron Man/Tron picture* I gotta show some of my geek friends this

[jmelrose]

Originally Posted by Orlando Sentinel, August 31, 2009

The Walt Disney Co. surprised the rest of the entertainment-media industry Monday -- KAPOW! -- by grabbing Marvel Entertainment Inc. and its 5,000 comic-book characters in a deal worth $4 billion.

The acquisition would give Disney rights to a wide variety of action characters and story lines that appeal to teenagers and young adults, particularly young males. Characters such as Spider-Man, X-Men and Iron Man have not only entertained generations of comic-book readers, they have in recent years produced a string of blockbuster movies for New York-based Marvel.

The deal apparently won't upend Disney's main theme-park rival, Universal Studios Inc., which has an entire area dedicated to Marvel characters in Islands of Adventure, one of two parks in its Universal Orlando resort.

Universal's long-standing agreement with Marvel gives it exclusive U.S. rights east of the Mississippi River to certain characters for use in theme-park attractions. And the agreement stands for as long as Universal continues to operate the Marvel Super Hero Island area, which features rides such as The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk Coaster and Doctor Doom's Fearfall.

Disney Acquiring Marvel Entertainment Inc.--OrlandoSentinel.com

So it would seem Disneyland and the overseas parks are the only ones that will be getting the big guns characters for Marvel-based attractions. In fact, it sounds like Universal could even expand on the the character lineup from Marvel they already have, should they so choose, as no one else (Disney or otherwise) has the theme-park rights east of the Mississippi. We don't know if all the characters in the agreement have been utilized as yet.

However, shops, themed restaurants (like that big space waiting to be filled where the Virgin Megastore used to be in Downtown Disney), and so forth would likely be fair game for the entire catalog. Meet-n-greets might be OK too. The lawyers and their fine tooth combs come into play now. I hope Disney makes a better set of costumes than the lame ones Universal puts out on-show.

Later in the article, they mention Disney planning to use "unknown diamonds" in Marvel's catalog... But probably not at WDW for attractions.

By the way, there's a pretty humorous poll in the article's sidebar worth checking out. I didn't vote... couldn't decide between the Spider-man or Hobgoblin options.

[MJMcB]

Originally Posted by jmelrose

In fact, it sounds like Universal could even expand on the the character lineup from Marvel they already have, should they so choose, as no one else (Disney or otherwise) has the theme-park rights east of the Mississippi. We don't know if all the characters in the agreement have been utilized as yet.

I believe Marvel, so now Disney, has the ability to say "no" to any planned attractions Uni could conceive