D23 Presents the 20th Anniversary of Disney�s The Rocketeer
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He began by asking a basic question: who was most responsible for the film. William Stout volunteered that the characters first came to life on a drawing board in his studio. Dave Stevens actually sublet a space from someone who was subletting the front of the studio. The Rocketeer first saw the light of day as a backup feature in another comic book, before it went on to a life of its own.

Smith next asked for details on how the character made the leap from printed page to silver screen. Writers De Meo and Bilson here picked up the story. They first encountered The Rocketeer in the bins at the Golden Apple, a noted comic shop in Los Angeles. Convinced it would make a great cinematic property, they tracked down Dave Stevens and discovered they had something in common: “We’re nostalgic for our parent’s childhood.” After spending some six years to bring The Rocketeer to life on the screen, they concluded, “This is absolutely Dave Stevens’ vision.”

Kevin Smith readily agreed, calling The Rocketeer the finest adaptation of comic novel to film. He called it an elegant film, one that stood the test of time after twenty years. Director Johnston described Dave Smith’s work as “a huge inspiration.” He had just made his first film, “Honey I Shrunk the Kids,” also for Disney. Stevens was named a producer on the film, and proved to be a hands-on collaborator.  Johnston pointed out that Stevens practically hand sculpted the Rocketeer’s helmet after expressing dissatisfaction with the initial designs.

Johnston did express regret over the “hero shot” on top of Griffith Observatory. “If only it had been windy that night.” They couldn’t afford a large enough fan to send the American flag fluttering behind the Rocketeer, a key image in the comic novel.

Smith next turned to Bill Campbell, the star of The Rocketeer, asking if it was true he had cut his hair to match the image of the comic book character. Campbell laughed, “I was working at the Renaissance Faire at the time.” Though he couldn’t cut his rather long hair, he did note that the character looked like him. Or rather, he looked like Dave Stevens, which was good, since the Rocketeer’s Cliff Secord was clearly Dave Stevens himself.

Rick Baker was asked when his involvement in The Rocketeer began. He recalled that it was Dave Stevens who approached him. He wanted to add a character to the film based on 1940s horror star Rondo Hatton, whose sinister features were caused by acromegaly, a disorder of the pituitary gland.

Kevin Smith pointed out that there were many Academy Awards represented on the stage that night. Director Joe Johnston had one, and Rick Baker had seven or eight. Baker interrupted to say, “Seven. So far.”

Smith next turned to Rocketeer star Bill Campbell, asking if the suit was comfortable, and if he had any specific memories memories of wearing it on the set. Campbell reflected for a moment before describing it as very stylish, comfortable, and even sexy. “I was utterly thrilled,” he said. “Here I was in my first film and I was having the time of my life.” He started to make a few more comments, but seemed tongue-tied. Smith helpfully prompted, “She’s not here tonight,” a good-natured reference to co-star Jennifer Connelly. He turned to Joe Johnston and, noting the obvious on-screen chemistry between the two stars, asked if he ever had to say, “cut.” Johnston joked, “No, I wanted to watch!”

Smith wound up the interview by asking for any highlights of the film shoot. Johnston said, “It’s a lot funnier than I remember it being.” When asked about the possibility of a sequel, the writers said that the numbers just didn’t add up. Joe Johnston summed it up, saying there was, “A lot of talk on June 20, none on June 21.”

Kevin Smith thanked the panel for sharing their memories of working together to bring The Rocketeer to the big screen. He then teased the crowd, telling them that director Joe Johnston had brought along something from his latest project, the eagerly anticipated new feature version of Captain America. True enough, the audience was then treated to a sneak peek at the newest trailer for the Marvel feature.

Following the screening at the El Capitan Theater, the crowd made their way down Hollywood Boulevard to the nearby Hollywood Museum, where the Disney Archives had assembled a special exhibit of Rocketeer artifacts. Among the items on display were rocket packs, costumes, and models used in the making of the film. One case held original licensed merchandise, including trading cards, candy dispensers, and The Rocketeer lunchbox. A costumed Rocketeer was on hand for photos. As an added attraction, video monitors played the TV special “Rocketeer: Excitement in the Air,” not seen since its original 1991 airing.

Special merchandise was also available. The Disney Archives offered pins, t-shirts, posters, mugs, and a limited edition “director’s model” of the Bulldog Café, seen in the film. Creature Features offered a selection of posters, derived from or inspired by The Rocketeer. All participants received a souvenir patch, depicting the event logo.

Below is a video of an interview with the panel and on the following pages are dozens of pictures from the event.