The Big Fig...
Figment, that is. The purple dragon from Journey into Imagination at Epcot. He's had a tough time over the past five years, but he's back where he belongs in his attraction in Future World. And while he never left the merchandise shops (apparently some folks at Disney always did realize he was popular- just not the ones who gave the order to nuke his ride...) his presence there has increased lately to coincide with his return to the glass pyramids of the imagination pavilion. One new item in particular, though, caught my eye on my last visit to Florida, and as soon as I saw it I knew it'd be following me home in spite of its cost and size... It's the most perfect 3D representation of Figment that I've ever seen, and it's almost life-size. It's wonderful to behold, and it's big. And, well, here it is...
Let's start with a front view. Well, front as far as the statue's plinth is concerned. The overall theme is artistic creativity (appropriate for Figment, no?) and the base is appropriately shaped like a palette with a couple of paint pots present. Disney sells several statues of various characters made like this one, and this is the only one that's labeled as to who it is- I guess they figure maybe some uncultured folk haven't heard of Figment. Anyway, one could take the label to be the front of the whole piece, and it doesn't look half bad from that angle.
Another view, from a lower angle this time.
Figment's front this time, rather than the base's. He looks almost contemplative in this shot, doesn't he?
View from the right.
The view from behind.
View from the left. I'm rather fond of this one.
Figment's plinth can be removed, of course. In fact, he's not attached to it at all- He's just held on by gravity and a slightly depressed surface where he's supposed to touch the base- this also serves as a guide for positioning him. He stands soundly on the palette but he's just a little wobbly by himself.
A closeup of Figment's head. Ain't he cute?
Another closeup, this time a side view. They really captured Figment's lines very well in this statue, and that's especially evident in the treatment of his snout... This statue is sold primarily in the "Art of Disney" stores along with multi-thousand dollar paintings and animation cels. To see this thing in person you can definitely tell it's intended to be a work of art and not a toy.
So, you may be wondering just how big this Figment is... Well, this shot shows him with a standard CD-ROM to give you a sense of scale. He stands eighteen inches tall (not including the palette) and the paintbrush he holds is twenty-one inches long from end to end. You should see the box he came in...
With the plinth back in place, here's another view with the CD. The palette is about three inches thick. Figment and the plinth are both fitted with velvety padding on the bottom so that they don't scratch that upon which they rest. As big as this whole assembly is, it doesn't actually weigh that much. Both Figment and his palette are made of resin and are hollow. They're weighty enough that one can tell that they're built well, but they are lighter than they look.
And finally, the statue's owner poses with his new treasure, providing a further sense of scale. Just don't ask where this thing is gonna be displayed permanently... No idea where the room is gonna come from...
These photos are a little overexposed, generally speaking- Figment's colors should be somewhat darker than they appear here. But this should give you the general idea.
Oh, and in case some of you were wondering... Yes, Araquan does in fact owe some of his look to Figment. I've used a plastic Figment as a sort of maquette for a few of the drawings I've done. Need to do more of those...
And... in case you're wondering how much this thing cost... Well, I'll just say that retail on one of these statues is $150, but with Cast discount I didn't quite pay that much myself.