Old school LK fans

[TheBlackCatCrossing]

Okay, I see that we have a lot of young'uns here. I think it's great that LK has a new generation of fans, but I was wondering if there was anyone else out there who saw LK when it originally came out and if you remember how HUGE it was. True, last year we had promos and that included some billboards with Mufasa and Simba, the Subway bags and the Walmart toys. It brought back nostalgia. Anyone else wanna share their memories? Here is some of what I remember.

1. The first piece of LK merch I owned was a Scar toy they had at Burger King. Maybe that's why I am so attached to him!

2. I watched it the day before I started school (It was year round, NOT traditional) and I remember the teacher asked us what we did during summer break. A girl said that she saw LK the day before and I thought 'ME TOO!!' I know I saw it on a Sunday. I am showing my age here!

3. After the movie, my dad and I went to the merch. He bought me a Timon watch. I don't know what happened to it, but I still have this Simba and Mufasa watch that came out in 1995. It's missing one of the latches but I intend to fix it! I haven't used it in years and I don't plan to toss it.

4. I was taking piano lessons around this time and I learned the chord progression to 'Circle of Life' and 'CYFTLT'.

5. Had bedsheets, lots of stuffed animals included purring Simba and purring Nala. Anyone else had these?

6. Do you remember hearing Elton John's "Can you feel the love tonight?" on the radio CONSTANTLY?

7. The Pride Rock playset.

8. I remember this store called FEDCO. It's like Target today. My father bought me the LK storybook. Disney had a series. I was looking for it a few months ago but could not find it. I ended up getting a replacement at Walmart. I was very disappointed that some of the pages in the original did not make it in this version. Anyone else know what I am referring to?

I still have a lot of this crap somewhere in the garage. HAHA.

Anyone else?

[HasiraKali]

Me. I saw it opening day. I'd had my birthday party the weekend before (even though my birthday is in July), and my sister got me the soundtrack. I listened to it and I was kind of hooked, so I convinced my parents to take me on opening day, June 24th. It was all down hill from there, as they say. I saw it over 50 times that summer. I have the ticket stubs in a box somewhere.

I got, and still have, all of the original plush from the Disney Store (I still sleep with Simba. I've had to repaint his eyes several times over the years, but I'm never getting rid of him), the play sets, band aides, the infamous shaving kit, books, bed sheets, all of it. If it had TLK on it, I saved up and bought it.

I had TLK school supplies for that school year as well. I was going into 6th grade, so I got made fun of for it a lot, but I didn't care. I wore TLK shirts all the time, I even had a pair of TLK shorts. I soon became known as "Lion Queen" at school and I insisted that they call me "Simba Malkia" which was my first screen name on Yahoo. Then someone started calling me "LadyNala" and that one stuck harder. I collected fan art and fan fiction that I kept in a binder that I took EVERYWHERE. I still have it and look at it from time to time.

Things really haven't changed much. When ebay came along, I was able to get TLK stuff from all over the world. I found friends, mostly online, who also shared my interest. I also discovered my furry side thanks to TLK and finally started to find myself.

I owe a lot to TLK really. I've met a lot of friends because of it, and it's really embedded itself into my life. I wish I had a TARDIS so I could go back and tell all of those people in middle and high school that I wasn't "going through a phase".

I'm not sure which story book you're talking about, but there are so many out that doesn't surprise me. Most of them have different covers, but the text and images inside are exactly the same. My favorite one is a gorgeous blue one that was a Disney Store exclusive. It has Mufasa and Simba on the cover. The artwork inside is so awesome.

[TheBlackCatCrossing]

^Lion King is one of those films that helps 'define' you, isn't it? I made a lot of fanart for it. i watched a lot of Disney films in theatres as most kids did back then, but LK was "MINE".

This is the one I was referring to, HasiraKali: http://www.mouseplanet.com/notebook/lionkingbook.jpg

I also had the soundtrack. I remember one of my parents buying it and I was in the car just looking at it.

[HasiraKali]

Oh yes that one. I actually had to get another copy of that one in high school because some idiot in my algebra class stole it from me. He gave it back and said, "I fixed it for you." It was completely defaced. I cried so hard. One of my friends actually confronted him in the parking lot the next morning because I'm usually pretty good at controlling myself, but that just pushed me over the edge and it really pissed him off. Didn't help it was one of the last things my grandmother had given me.

[AdAstrα]

I don't know if I truly fit in this category....I did see TLK when it came out in '94 and have loved it ever since, but I was only 2 years old when I first saw it and therefore don't remember as much as I would like to! For example I have no recollection of seeing it at the cinema, which I know that I did. It was the first time I ever went so it must've been a huge deal to me then...but I was so young. I do remember getting the VHS and watching it for the first time at home in my little red armchair, and I do remember dad going away on business trips and returning with TLK merchandise such as action figures and plushies (most of which I still have). I had TLK bed sheets and clothes, books and cassette tapes. I don't think I quite understood how huge it was at the time, I mean I recall seeing TLK stuff everywhere but at 2-3 years old I probably didn't really think about it. I just knew that I loved it and wanted it all haha! I played TLK with my friends and would constantly walk around quoting characters from the film, pretending I was a lion....probably drove my parents crazy. I wish I'd been just a few years older when it came out so I could remember even more...but I'm thankful for the memories I do have and will cherish them forever. Considering how young I was I should be glad I remember anything at all, which just shows what a tremendous impact this film had on me back then, and still has to this day.

[nathalie]

*raises hand*

I was 11 at the time.
I saw a "making-of" on TV before the movie came to theaters in Belgium. And I was totally in love with Jonathan
They showed bits and clips from the movie & songs, and I was just hooked on those little pieces of songs right away.
Became a huge Elton John fan in that time aswell, finally saw him live in 2005.

I didn't see it on opening night, but a few days later in Dutch.
I then convinced my parents to take me and see the English version.

My very first Lion King item I got, was a Dutch CD, telling the story & 3 songs + sing-a-long song CD.

In 1995 it was still playing, and I believe my parents wanted to take me and see Jumanji, but when we got to the theater, I noticed Lion King was still playing, and saw it again in Dutch.

Later on I got some more stuff, also binders, and I was so pride when I got them from my mom, I wanted to take it to school, but since I was an outsider, being bullied alot, I putted paper on the outside of the binder, so it would still be with me everyday, but others couldn't see it was actually Lion King.

Growing up I never really told anyone how much I liked this movie, I've been bullied all my life, and telling them I love Lion King would definatly had made it worse.
Maybe that's why I'm not all like "in your face" with my stuff.
If you walk into my room, or the houses I previous lived in, you couldn't really tell how much I do love this movie.

I also remember when the VHS came out, I would wait till my parents would leave the house and I'd be home alone, I'd put on the VHS, and pretend to be Simba, watch the whole movie, and talk along together with Simba

[TheBlackCatCrossing]

[quote="HasiraKali"]Oh yes that one. I actually had to get another copy of that one in high school because some idiot in my algebra class stole it from me. He gave it back and said, "I fixed it for you." It was completely defaced. I cried so hard. One of my friends actually confronted him in the parking lot the next morning because I'm usually pretty good at controlling myself, but that just pushed me over the edge and it really pissed him off. Didn't help it was one of the last things my grandmother had given me.[/quote]


Man, that sucks. I am sorry to hear that. I don't know what is it about kids in middle school or high school that steal or deface stuff that isn't theres. Pisses me off. I'm sorry that happened to you.

Nathalie, there shouldn't be any shame in being an LK fan. I have, shall we say, run into difficult people. It's their problem if they give you issue about that. I bet you the same people that give you crap for liking LK also have something 'childish' that they like.

AdAstra, that's cool.

Here are some more:

1. Made A LOT of fanart. I remember being obsessive about the ears.

2. Purring Nala and Purring Simba

3. LK finger puppets!!

4. Skybox trading cards. These were very precious to me.

5. Watching Timon and Pumbaa, the cartoon on the Disney afternoon during weekdays. Anyone else? I do remember thinking how weird it was that they had more 'human' elements. Stuff that you COULD NOT see passing in the film.

6.

[nathalie]

True. But kids, and even 18-years olds can be very cruel.
And since I was already getting bullied, I definatly wasn't giving them anything extra to pick on me

[TheBlackCatCrossing]

^I understand. There can be some real jerks out there. I don't go showing off my fandoms. Not all of them at least. I understand why you want to be private. I am 'quiet' about some of my other fandoms.

[AdAstrα]

I watched the Timon and Pumbaa show all the time! It still occasionally airs on Disney Channel, although nowadays I just find it kind of silly. I used to really love it though.