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 Disney Adventures' fifth and final logo (2006–2007) | |
| Categories | Children,entertainment |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Twelve times per year |
| First issue | November 12, 1990 |
| Final issue | November 2007 |
| Company | Disney Publishing Worldwide (Disney Consumer Products) |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | Burbank, California |
| Language | English |
| ISSN | 1050-2491 |
Disney Adventures (also short-formed asD.A.) was an American children's entertainment and educational magazine published twelve (later ten) times per year byDisney Publishing Worldwide, a subsidiary ofDisney Consumer Products, a unit ofThe Walt Disney Company. It should not be confused with the (also defunct)Disney Magazine.Disney Adventures also contained the latest news concerning the Disney Channel.
Michael Lynton was inspired to start the magazine after noting the success ofTopolino, the ItalianMickey Mouse magazine, which included comics and features. The magazine was first published on October 9, 1990 (and cover dated November 12, 1990) and featured a wide assortment of educational material, entertainment news (from Disney and other studios), sports coverage, profiles of celebrities, user contributions, and puzzle games. Regular features included a guide to television, movies, books, and music called “Ticket”, factoids about unusual yet real things under the title “Weird Yet True”, and a sports guide that appeared during the late 1990s called “ESPN Action.” The first issue featured Canadian actorRick Moranis andBaloo fromTaleSpin on the cover.[1]
In the early years of the magazine, the comics actually featured in the magazine were standard Disney-based comics such asDuckTales,Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers,TaleSpin,Darkwing Duck,Goof Troop,Mickey Mouse,Gargoyles,Bonkers, and various adaptations of Disney feature films.
As the magazine evolved, non-Disney material from artists such asSergio Aragonés,Evan Dorkin,Matt Groening,William Van Horn, andJeff Smith began appearing with some regularity. In addition, well-knowncomic book industry names such asMarv Wolfman andHeidi MacDonald worked as comics editors for the magazine during the mid-to-late 1990s. Cover artwork for issues commonly featured an actor or musician interacting with a Disney cartoon character through 1995, and occasionally thereafter until 1998. Issues came out monthly with occasional special issues until 1999, when regular issues scaled back to ten times a year along with special issues.
The original slantedDisney Adventures logo survived in a few variations for all but the magazine's last year and a 7-month period in 1996 and 1997. Upon inception until March 1992, the logo was in a basic arched font, before being stylized (prominently with a bar added from the left of the A). In December 1996,D.A. changed its logo to a straight and more basic font, with a larger Disney logo, but reader complaints led to the prior logo being reinstated for the June 30, 1997 issue. Starting in April 1999, the logo's 3D effect was removed in favor of a drop shadow, which remained in usage until the final logo was introduced in September 2006. From April 1992 To January 1995 and From June 30, 1997 To March 1999, the long-standing taglineThe Magazine For Kids was a logo element in its underline.
From 1999 to 2007,Disney Adventures held an annual "Cool Pets Contest", featuring five of the "coolest" and most talented pets along with their owners. In later years,Disney Adventures included information on theDisney Channel and featured articles on the latest movies especially fromWalt Disney Pictures. The magazine offered features onWalt Disney Parks and Resorts as well as music, movies, trends, science, travel, games, puzzles, heroes, explorers and "real life adventures" (archaeology, extreme sports and other hobbies and careers).
On August 21, 2007, The Walt Disney Company announced thatDisney Adventures would be discontinued, with the final issuecover dated November 2007, which was the magazine's 17th "birthday".[2] The final issue's actual release date was October 16, 2007. For subscribers,Disney Adventures was normally replaced withSports Illustrated Kids orFamily Fun for the remainder of the subscription period. Some subscriptions were proactively converted toBoys' Life magazine, without any option for pro-rated refunds. Disney processed subscription refunds in March 2008.
The decision to cease publishingDisney Adventures evidently came rather suddenly, as the October 2007 issue contained a "Cool Christmas" subscription gift order form. It seems unlikely that the magazine would have sold subscriptions at that late date, had the staff known of its impending cancellation.
"Disney Adventures All-Stars" was a feature of the magazine that rewards the act of volunteering in the community. It was held once a year and all participants were awarded a prize, but after judging, one winner was selected to participate in a volunteer project with the hosts of that particular year.
In 2006, the hosts were the cast ofHigh School Musical. Previous hosts included the cast ofThe Suite Life of Zack & Cody and other Disney Channel stars.
In the last few years of its existence,Disney Adventures expanded its publication schedule to include an all-comics magazine,Comic Zone. In addition to Disney properties likeThe Lion King,Pirates of the Caribbean andAladdin,Disney Adventures published quite a bit of original comic material, such as:
Over the course of publication, a wide variety of comics professionals contributed to Disney Adventures Comic Zone section. Frequent contributors included: Garry Black,Art Baltazar,Eric Jones,Matt Feazell,Landry Walker,Rick Geary,Evan Dorkin,John Green,Bob Fingerman, Elizabeth Watsin,Christine Norrie andJeff Smith. The Fall 2007 issue reprinted the first six installments of theWalt Disney's Treasury of Classic Tales comic strip adaptation ofThe Black Hole drawn by Jack Kirby.[3] Early issues also contained chapters ofBone.
Disney Press released several collected volumes of Disney Adventures comics, two of which are Disney Adventures original creations. Each book is approximately 96 pages in length.
Disney Adventures was also published outside of America, notably inAustralia, where the magazine had now been published for over 10 years byACP Magazines Limited and was distributed to nearby Asia Pacific Islands andNew Zealand. Besides featuring Disney articles, Disney Adventures' Australian edition up to the mid-2000s also featured non-Disney articles particularly aboutHarry Potter andanime, where for a timeNeon Genesis Evangelion was heavily promoted.
During 1994 to 1996, the magazine had its own edition inMexico.
From December 2006 to February 2010, anIndian edition was published. Its 2010 cancellation was confirmed on the magazine's Facebook group; but the reason remains unknown as of this writing, as the magazine was very popular with its audience in India.
Ad Age reports that after 17 years, Disney has canceled Disney Adventures magazine
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