Fuzzball from Captain EO
When I was very young my parents tape-recorded a TV special that was promoting the Captain EO film that started playing in Disney Parks in 1986. I loved the special, as it aligned perfectly with my existing Michael Jackson obsession, but for some reason I thought that putting the VHS tape into the player prompted actors to assemble halfway across the country to perform just for me. I understood the concept of how live TV worked, but learning that little bit of basic knowledge somehow made me think everything I saw appear on TV worked that way. All of this is a long way of explaining that I loved a Captain EO plush of the character Fuzzball, acquired years later when we eventually visited Disney World. There’s something special that happens when a character that’s lived inside your TV for so long becomes a tangible reality. – Matt Novak
