Designer Times
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47. Tommy Walker Productions Spacecraft 1985

Right after the success of the August 1984 Los Angeles Olympics Spacecraft project, our team, then known as The Phoenix Group (as in rise from ashes), began efforts to form a new company. We had a core group of ex-Disney folks too valuable to let drift in the wind. Some of this group had started out in the summer of 1981 as Animated Show Productions (ASP) which later changed it's name to Applied Entertainment Systems (AES).

The whole purpose was originally to develop the RiverTowne Animated Restaurant Show for Animated Playhouses. Along the way, ASP/AES was invited to do a number of projects for Universal Studios Tour and others as well as for Michael Jackson and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Since the main deal, the restaurants, were doomed, AES as the side show went bankrupt. Sort of like the dog died but the chopped off tail still quivered in the dust. We were not going to die like that.

By the last week of December 1984, a new company, Sequoia Creative, was born. Like the original restaurant deal, Sequoia was financed by venture capital investors, this time led by Triangle Investments in Sherman Oaks, California. We now had an office at Triangle close to Disney and Universal, but no manufacturing plant. Triangle and Sequoia then argued over....get a project, then we'll get a factory vs get a factory then the projects will come. While this was going on, we got a request for a small Spacecraft.

Tommy Walker Productions, previously involved in the 1984 Olympics Spacecraft, wanted a small 30 foot diameter version of the 50 foot diameter Olympic Spacecraft. And they wanted it in less than three weeks at a cost of $20,000. Our new Sequoia management said no way can that be done....just the project management fees alone would exceed that amount. I took a closer look and saw an opportunity. Dave Schweninger, Sequoia's President said "it can't be done, go ahead and try it on your own, but not on Sequoia's time".

Wow! I bit off a risky chunk right then. I gathered up some hungry ex-AES guys to fabricate the thing from my quickie sketches...Rod Duff Jr., Bruce Hayes, John Corn, and Craig Barr. We set up shop in a backyard garage and received a contract from Tommy Walker Productions. I'd just bought a new MacIntosh computer to keep track of everything with. I found that the financial and production management skills I'd picked up from the Olympics project allowed me to do the business along with the engineering.

After a regular work day at Sequoia, I'd make parts sketches at night for the guys to buy material and machine up the detail parts. As fast as I had ideas for the purchased compnents, I'd drive around town buying them and delivering then to the garage after work. Tommy's Project Manager, Deena Sterr, checked in on our progress every couple of days. She wanted to know everything since she would be the Show Operator when the Spacecraft would go out on a show date. (Deena later bought the Spacecraft from Walker and operated it herself for a number of years).