Disney Dialogues

James is a writer, keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and author of  How Does Disney Do That? and Where Are We Going So Fast?  His background also includes being a blogger for the Chicago Tribune Media Group,  and columnist for the Chicago Tribune and Pioneer Press, along with being an adjunct professor and Communications Advisory Board Member for the School of Communications at Loyola University Chicago, and a Guest Speaker for DePaul University Chicago. For more exclusive interviews join us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@PeteMcDevittShow/featuredOriginal YouTube air date May 6, 2025.

Beau Hufford is an author and illustrator of three books with a diverse creative career. He spent over 20 years teaching caricature and drawing, while also finding success as a professional photographer.With a degree in Photography and Design, Beau tackles his work with a precise hand, an attention to detail and an exhausting excitement for color and composition. He has designed countless brands and intellectual properties including Devilicious, Culture Coffee, Kawaii Hawaii and Jankytown. and the comic book “In Space”. He is an award winning cartoonist and writer as well as a seasoned photojournalistic photographer. He is the author and illustrator of three art and entertainment books and has curated many art conventions and live art gallery shows across the country. He has also spent over 20 years as a teacher and caricature artist drawing live in front of crowds of onlookers.His work blends his sense of humor, obsession for design and cartoonish sensibilities with street art and photography to place him comfortably into the low-brow art movement. Beau has an exhausting excitement tor color and composition. He is an award-winning cartoonist and writer as well as a seasoned photo-journalistic photographer. He is the author and illustrator of three art and entertainment books and has curated many art conventions and gallery shows. His work has been featured in apparel, products and home goods.As an illustrator, his work blends his sense of humor, obsession for design and cartoonish sensibilities with street art, design and photography to place him comfortably into the commercial art movement. For more exclusive interviews join us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@PeteMcDevittShow/featuredOriginal YouTube air date April 22, 2025.

Rob Surette has performed over 4,000 speed painting shows worldwide and holds six world records for his artistry. His work has been acknowledged by Barack Obama and published in Time magazine.Rob Surette has been drawing since the age of three and is a graduate of Saint Anselm College, launching a career that has taken him to national television appearances on the Today Show, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. He has performed over 4,000 speed-painting shows worldwide, set six world records with his artistry, appeared in Super Bowl commercials, been published in Time magazine, and received recognition from Barack Obama.Rob is an official top-tier master fine artist for Disney, Lucasfilm, DC, DreamWorks, and The Muppets, with his work showcased in museums and fine art galleries around the globe. He has also created custom masterpieces for icons such as Beyoncé, Julie Andrews, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, further cementing his legacy as one of the world’s most celebrated live artists.Rob Surette has been drawing since the age of three and is a graduate of Saint Anselm College, launching a career that has taken him to national television appearances on the Today Show, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. He has performed over 4,000 speed-painting shows worldwide, set six world records with his artistry, appeared in Super Bowl commercials, been published in Time magazine, and received recognition from Barack Obama.Rob is an official top-tier master fine artist for Disney, Lucasfilm, DC, DreamWorks, and The Muppets, with his work showcased in museums and fine art galleries around the globe. He has also created custom masterpieces for icons such as Beyoncé, Julie Andrews, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, further cementing his legacy as one of the world’s most celebrated live artists.For more exclusive interviews join us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@PeteMcDevittShow/featuredOriginal YouTube air date April 8, 2025.

Noah Elias has been voted as one of the top 25 artists in the world and was recognized by Microsoft as one of the 10 most influential companies with under 10 employees. He has also partnered with Disney, bringing his bold and innovative creative art to the Disney portfolio.From selling art door to door on his bike at 16 years old, Noah Elias built a successful creative career over 30+ years, working with the likes of Disney, Costco, Lexus, MTV, Universal Pictures, Lucasfilm, Microsoft, and more. He was voted one of the Top 25 Artists in the World by Art Business News magazine, and his business was named by Microsoft as one of the 10 most influential companies under 10 employees. Noah is the founder and CEO of Great Flood Publishing, Inc., and his agency, Noah Studios, has executed major projects for impactful organizations around the world. As well as teaching aspiring artists how to make a living from pursuing their passion, Noah continues to partner with Disney and does regular on-site events at DisneyLand.In addition to being a world-class artist, Noah is an author, coach, and thought leader who consults with other artists, personalities, organizations, and businesses around the world. Dedicated to using their family business as a mission for good, Noah and his wife, Chantel, and their children, Griffin and Noah, have partnered together to support Acres of Love, which cares for special needs AIDS orphans in South Africa.

Mark Page was an art director for Walt Disney Imagineering and a highly accomplished visual development artist. He has also worked as a background designer for Netflix, bringing rich world-building and storytelling to the screen.Mark Page has loved to draw since the young age of five years old. Comic book heroes and cartoon characters were hisfavorite subjects to copy. Mark continued to hone his drawingand creative abilities, along with a strong since of storytelling, throughout his adolescent years. After graduating from high school, Mark earned scholarships and grants that ultimately helped him attend and graduate from the prestigiousArtCenter college of Design in Pasadena California.Mark has gone on to work in the entertainment industry on projects in animation, product design, hospitality design, and for the most part of his career, acting as a designer and Art Director of theme park attractions for Walt Disney Imagineering. He also worked at Netflix animation as a visual development artist and background designer.  Next Mark worked at ForeVR Games designing worlds in Virtual Reality.As a creative designer, art director, illustrator, and storyteller Mark now has taken the opportunity to start his own design firm, Mark Page Design Inc.His clients include the Disney Company, Airbnb, Bloomberg, Advent, Sea World,Spin Master, The Thinkwell Group, and many more.For more exclusive interviews join us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@PeteMcDevittShow/featuredOriginal YouTube air date March 20, 2025.

Kenny Yamada is a freelance Disney artist whose work has been featured at the Disney Gallery and showcased in Disney parks. He is also a YouTube content creator who shares his creativity and passion for Disney art with a wide audience.

Fenway Fan is an internationally recognized artist whose work has earned honors from Disney. His artwork has been prominently displayed in Tokyo, Boston, and at Disney locations around the world.Fenway Fan is an interdisciplinary artist whose work explores light, consciousness, and inner architecture through painting, stained glass, and live transmission performance.Her signature Refraction series translates subtle energetic states into abstract visual form, creating portals that invite viewers into presence, attunement, and recognition. Fan’s work spans physical and digital mediums, with recent expansion into immersive experiences and XR-based light installations. Her art has been exhibited internationally at venues such as Tokyo Tower Art Fair, Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, Disney Parks, and Boston City Hall. Disney honored her as “The Grandest Vision” Artist in a global documentary celebrating creators whose work embodies imagination, emotional resonance, and visionary storytelling.

A former Cast Member, Bonnie launched Mouse Marketplace in 2020 and published his first book in September 2025.Bonnie Cribbs is a happy-go-lucky encourager who loves bringing Joy to others. After 24 years in the magazine industry and decades of volunteer work in ministry in Nashville, he moved to Celebration, Florida, to live near Walt Disney World. A former Cast Member, he launched Mouse Marketplace in 2020, now home to 100,000+ Disney fans. Most days, you’ll find him walking the parks, sharing magic, and cheering people on.The Most Happiest Joy on Earth is a 30 Day Devotional written by a Former Cast Member and frequent park-goer (yes, I even walk the parks just to get my steps in!).Each day’s reading combines Disney-inspired stories—rides, shows, and those magical Main Street moments—with scripture and reflection. You’ll discover encouragement to:✨ Find joy in everyday moments✨ Trust God with childlike faith✨ See life with fresh “first-time visitor” eyes✨ Deepen your walk with practical journal promptFor more exclusive interviews join us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@PeteMcDevittShow/featuredOriginal YouTube air date March 4, 2025.

BONUS EPISODE - Dave Perillo is a freelance illustrator and designer based in the Philadelphia area. His signature retro art style is rooted in his love of mid-century modern aesthetics and classic Americana design.Dave is a freelance Illustrator and designer based out of the Philly burbs.  In 1st grade, I revealed in my autobiography Me Book that I wanted to be the cartoon character Ziggy.  I also wanted to be an artist.  With the help of an Ed Emberly drawing book, hours of cartoons and a “healthy” diet of sugary cereals, I doodled my way through school on to college to study graphic design. Taking classes like typography and color theory helped make me a better illustrator. My retro art style developed from my love of the mid-century modern aesthetic. I'm inspired by Walt Disney, Mary Blair, Charles Schultz, Jim Flora, Ray Harryhausen, Roy Lichtenstein, Jim Henson, Hanna Barbera,  1950’s Sci-Fi Movies, The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock and character advertising icons.  As a kid I always drew what I liked.  I still get to do that today.  I feel very fortunate to have a career I love.  And...if things don't work out in the art world - I could still be Ziggy!    Clients include:Disney • Pixar • Target • Warner Bros • 20th Century Fox • Universal • CBS • Dreamworks • Lionsgate • Laika • Marvel Studios • DC Comics • Nickelodeon • Cartoon Network • Lucasfilm • Mattel • Hasbro • USAopoly • Galison/Mudpuppy • Simon & Schuster • Penguin Random House • Bento Box Entertainment • Wawa Inc. • Purina • Peanuts • The Beatles • MetallicaFor more exclusive interviews join us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@PeteMcDevittShow/featuredOriginal YouTube air date April 26, 2022

Shane Grammer is an urban-inspired artist and sculptor whose bold, expressive style has gained international recognition. His work has been featured worldwide and prominently displayed in Disney park galleries around the globe. Shane excels in directing, managing, and leading teams across conceptual design, fabrication, and the installation of global projects. His artistic footprint spans cities worldwide, gracing places like Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Cambodia, South Korea, and Dubai, with his paintings prominently displayed in Disney Park Galleries across the globe.Shane's achievements include noteworthy coverage in the LA Times for his work in Paradise, acknowledgment as one of the Best Pictures of 2019 by the Associated Press, and features in prestigious publications like the New York Times and Washington Post. His engaging presence extends to appearances on NBC's Sunday Morning Show with Willie Geist and National Geographic.For more exclusive interviews join us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@PeteMcDevittShow/featuredOriginal YouTube air date 2-11-2025

Dave Avanzino is a fine artist and scenic designer living in the Southern California area.  For more than a two decades, Dave has created numerous one-of-a-kind, limited and open edition pieces for Disneyland®, Walt Disney World® and the Disney Cruise Line.  He typically works in a 3-D style and creates mixed-media paper sculptures in shadowbox frames.  Recently Dave has been converting some of his artwork into 2-D formats that can be reproduced as Canvas Giclées and Matted Deluxe Prints while working to keep some of the character and depth of his dimensional works.   His unique, dimensional style presents familiar characters, words and phrases in a fresh new way.  Dave uses a variety of materials including paper, wood, metal, wire, etc., to create his artwork.  He enjoys combining different textures, colors and materials and depth in order to make his designs literally pop off the page.  One of the elements Dave enjoys including in his artwork, in addition to the characters, is words.  The great library of classic Disney films and attractions has given him an endless source of rich, wonderful words and phrases he can create his artwork around.  Whether it's a quote by the Evil Queen from Snow White or the name of a Disney® theme park, Dave can come up with a way to represent it in his distinctive dimensional style.  ​Over the past few years Dave has been designing a series of unique Tiki-themed signs and artwork. The first ones were whimsical Tiki Bar Signs featuring unique names and signature drinks. These were produced as limited edition handmade paper sculptures and reproduced as wrapped canvases, wood signs and matted prints. In addition he has designed and created a series of one-of-a-kind paper sculpture Tikis. Dave has also recently introduced a line of artwork he calls "Tiki Bots" which are a mashup of Tiki Culture and Mid-Century Robots. 

Chris Crump started his career in 1973, working with his father, Rolly, as an apprentice carpenter for Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus World. In the late 1980s, Chris started his career at Walt Disney Imagineering, where he worked as a Production Designer and Executive until his retirement in 2016.During his time as an Imagineer, Chris worked on The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure at Disney California Adventure, and he was also part of the team which received the 2002 Thea Award for Best New Theme Park (Tokyo DisneySea) from the Themed Entertainment Association.

Terri Hardin is a world-renowned master sculptor, exceptional concept artist, and elite American puppeteer. As a Disney Imagineer, she’s widely celebrated for her contributions to both the Jim Henson Company and the Walt Disney Company.** Our guest worked for The Jim Henson Company for over 30 years, performing in Dinosaurs, The Flintstones, The Indian in the Cupboard and The Country Bears.**Our accomplished guest was hired by Disney Studios where she helped design the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and The Dragon's Lair attractions at Disneyland Paris.**She has personal connections and is part of respected social circles with names Disney Legends John Hench, Xtencio, Bob Gurr, Rolly Crump, Harriet Burns, Alice and Marc Davis, and Roy Disney Jr just to name a few. **Additionally her direct reports while working as an Imagineer were Disney Legends Marty Sklar and Tony Baxter.**At Walt Disney Imagineering her imprint can been seen on 12 key attractions including Star Tours, Splash Mountain, Muppet*Vision 3D, Big Thunder Mountain, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and Journey Into Imagination to name a few.** Our guest is credited with 41 Filmography acknowledgements including titles like The Muppet Movie, Men in Black, King Kong and Bruno.**Her talents in the blockbuster Ghostbusters were impactful as played both of the demon dogs at the "Temple of Zuul" and served as a puppeteer for both the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man and the ghost librarian seen at the opening of the film.For more exclusive interviews join us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@PeteMcDevittShow/featuredOriginal YouTube air date April 16, 2024.

John DeCuir Jr. is an accomplished art director who worked on major motion pictures and served as a project design designer for Walt Disney and collaborated on creative projects connected to Jim Henson.John DeCuir, Jr. has designed feature films, films for television and themed exhibitions in Italy, Spain, France, England, Ireland, Japan, Canada, and throughout the United States. He has been credited as Art Director on Ghostbusters and Production Designer on Top Gun Sister Act II, Turner & Hooch, Fright Night and many others. He was a student apprentice on, Cleopatra, Agony & the Ecstacy and Taming of the Shrew. In his years working at Disney, he was credited as Project Designer, on the master plan for Walt Disney's EPCOT & World Showcase He was project designer for Spaceship Earth & the original Communicore. John also assisted Disney in other theme park film attractions such as Jim Henson's 3_D Muppet Movie, Alien Encounter, and EPCOT's Energy pavilion. He received his Bachelor of Architecture degree (cum laude) from the University of Southern California and completed two years of graduate work at USC's Institute of Building Research & Technology. He has lectured and taught at UCLA, USC, The American Film Institute, Columbia College Chicago and Asbury University. In addition, he also conducts an online class, Design For Film, Television & Theater and is working on two books, The Architecture of Illusion and Travels with Dad.For more exclusive interviews join us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@PeteMcDevittShow/featuredOriginal YouTube air date 3-26-24

The Dapper Danielle is a beloved Disney content creator and published author and artist known for her stylish DisneyBounding looks and creative fashion storytelling.- Macro-level influencer on TikTok and micro-niche influencer on Instagram that weaves together historical facts and modern-day entertainment.- Since 2020, Danielle's TikTok presence has grown to 391,80000 followers and 12.7 million likes with an average engagement of 16%.- #thedapperdanielle hashtag has been viewed over 56 Million times on TikTok.- Danielle's expansion to Instagram has gained 46,000 followers since the fall of 2022 with follower growth increasing by an average of 33% per month.- On Instagram, over 79,000 accounts engage with Danielle's Reels and static content in 90 days with over 900,000 accounts reached.For more exclusive interviews join us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@PeteMcDevittShow/featuredOriginal YouTube air date March 6, 2024

Joel Payne has worked closely with Disney, Disney Imagineers, and Digital Backlot, building a strong foundation within the creative Disney landscape. He has made his mark in the world of artistry through his contributions to Disney Fine Art.A native Californian, Joel Christopher Payne's story starts with a life changing moment at the age four that would change the course of his life forever. Joel tells us, “My earliest memory that inspired my career came when I was riding on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and I looked up to my mom and said, Look Mom! Look how real the robots are!! At which point my mother without hesitation replied , -son, those are the waiters at the Blue Bayou... You'd think I was destroyed... but it was in that moment that I realized just how amazing Walt Disney really was. I couldn't tell difference between the fantasy and the real thing and I knew that I wanted to learn how to harness this kind of unique magic!” Disneyland and Disney feature animation would ignited a lifelong passion in Joel that would lead him to inspire others through his own style of breakthrough art.In 1996, Joel finally got his chance to work with Disney on “Disney's Virtual Jungle Cruise” ride still in operation in Florida's Disneyquest. Responsible for creating the rides river rafting track and 3D backgrounds, Payne learned from Disney Imagineers about the power of storytelling, color and lighting techniques that he still uses in his paintings today.From 1996 to present day, Joel would go on to build 3D worlds for Steven Spielberg's “Sky Pirates”, Art Directing Disney's Atlantis the video game, Mortal Kombat:Shaolin Monks, Max Steel and Star Ship Troopers:Roughnecks, Silent Hill:Homecoming and Baldur's Gate:Dark Alliance. He would also score film music for world renown Stan Winston.In 2008 Joel would head up Universal Studios very first virtual version of their world famous Backlot facades creating digital doubles of the famous "Back to the future courtyard" and in 2009 Joel's company Digital Backlot would design 75 original 3D characters for the project Growums. Featured on the show “The View” Joel not only animated the growums characters, but like Walt, voiced several of the lead characters to the tune of more than 100 cartoons.For more exclusive interviews join us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@PeteMcDevittShow/featuredOriginal YouTube air date 2-27-24

Gary K. Wolf is best known as the author of Who Censored Roger Rabbit? (1981), which was adapted into the hit Disney feature-length film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).Gary's works include:Killerbowl (September 26, 1975) A Generation Removed (May 27, 1977) The Resurrectionist (July 20, 1979)Who Censored Roger Rabbit? (June 6, 1981) Who P-P-P-Plugged Roger Rabbit? Amityville House of Pancakes Vol 3 Space Vulture (March 4, 2008) Penumbra eMag Vol 1 Issue 10 (July 2012) The Late Great Show! (October 5, 2012)Typical Day (December 7, 2012) Who Wacked Roger Rabbit? (November 29, 2013)Jessica Rabbit: XERIOUS Business (May 4, 2022)For more exclusive interviews join us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@PeteMcDevittShow/featuredOriginal YouTube air date 2-6-24