Friend Highlight #2: Brent Dodge, the WEDnesday Show, and From Screen to Theme

Hello and welcome back to another segment of "Friend Highlight". If you read my last "References" article, then you know what "From Screen to Theme" is. It is an excellent Disney reference book that details all the film references and tributes you can find at the Walt Disney World resort. But, "From Screen to Theme" isn't the only thing author Brent Dodge has done. He is the host of the weekly video podcast show, "The W.E.Dnesday Show" that also highlights the efforts of the Disney company. He also the curator of his own Disney website, the host of the Disney Movie Club and many, many other things.

I'll just let the man himself talk about it...

Hello Filmstrip Memories fans!

If I had to sum myself up in one word, it'd be dreamer. Unfortunately for you, I love to talk so you'll get a lot more than one word. I was born and raised in the wonderful state of Wisconsin. While growing up I was lucky enough to make several trips to the wonderful world of Disney on a somewhat regular basis.



I was hooked on the Disney parks and films and the two really helped shape me into the dreamer that I am today. I know what you're thinking, "You keep talking about being a dreamer, but that gets you no where unless you're a doer!"

I completely agree, but I didn't always. I often believed that you dream a dream and boom, that dream was fulfilled. Well, a lot of times dreams take an awful lot of work, and an awful lot of luck. While I was in college some representatives from the Walt Disney World College Program stopped by the campus to talk about this amazing opportunity they had for Disney fans like me. (Like I said though, I wasn't a doer, just a dreamer!)

So I didn't apply for the program and almost instantly I regretted it. The following year when they came back I jumped at the opportunity to join the College Program and was lucky enough to be a custodian. I know, being a custodian doesn't sound glamorous at all, but it's one of the few postitions that allows the cast member to walk around and interact with guests on a regular basis.

It's a good thing that was in the job requirement too, because one day while talking to a guest he asked where he could find all things Peter Pan throughout Walt Disney World. I pointed out every little detail I knew of, and while I was leaving the guest he said, "You know, there really should be a book about this." I thought, there really should, but kept sweeping the streets of Fantasyland without thinking about the man's insanely wise words.

A few years later while student teaching in a Kindergarten classroom, the class was watching Disney's Robin Hood for nap time. All of a sudden everything clicked with what that wise man told me years before and I began to write every reference to Robin Hood in the parks that I could think of. When I finished with Robin Hood I moved on to Aladdin, Lion King, Cinderella, and more.

Next thing I knew I was a doer. I began to work my butt off for a book that was called Disney by Movie. While talking to a friend, she pointed out that From Screen to Theme had a nicer ring to it, and I agreed.

Take a breath for intermission.



And we're back. While working on From Screen to Theme I realized I needed to promote my book, even though it wasn't released yet. I decided to start a chat room with a few people that knew about my book. I sat down in front of a webcam and they'd ask me Disney related questions in a chat room. We had so much fun that we decided to do the chat again a few days later. And again a few days after that. And then we decided to make it a regular thing that would occur on a weekly basis.



One viewer suggested we meet on Wednesday's since Walt Disney's initials (W.E.D.) were the first three letters in Wednesday. So out of that the W.E.D.nesday Show! was created.

In March of 2010 From Screen to Theme: A Guide to Disney Animated Film References Found Throughout the Walt Disney World Resort was published and I moved back down to Florida.

Yeah, things can get tough money wise from time to time, but I'm a dreamer and I believe everything will work out in the long run.
Now, don't you wish I would have stuck with a one word description of myself?

And there you go, folks! A dream made real! If you want to chat with Brent Dodge visit him and the rest of us friends at From Screen to Theme. The W.E.D.nesday Show happens every Wednesday at 9:30 PM.

Thanks for reading!