Atlas is a character from The Animated Atlas of the World educational short formerly shown in SeaBase Alpha at The Living Seas in Epcot.
Background[]
Development History[]
The Atlas character was created for the educational short The Animated Atlas of the World formerly shown in The Living Seas at Epcot, which opened on January 15, 1986 to provide educational information about Earth and its oceans. The animation used for Atlas was provided by Andreas Deja for the short's animation.
The Living Seas closed in 2005 to make way for The Seas with Nemo & Friends which opened in 2007, resulting in The Animated Atlas of the World to be removed to make way for its Finding Nemo theme.
Role in the short[]
Atlas is first seen telling the narrator that he feels the changes on Earth, telling which the narrator replies to him to get used to the Earth changing. Atlas replies to the narrator, telling him that Earth has been going through a lot of changes, telling him that he might have to take a few moments out of eternity to explain about the changes to him. Atlas curiously asks the narrator of why the seasons change just as he shows the topic centered around weather.
Throughout the sequence, Atlas teaches the narrator about the topic centered around the water cycle, telling him that the water cycle controls the effects of the weather with help of the wind. He then continues telling the narrator more topics such how the Earth rotates, how the bent currents bring water to the equator from pole to pole and how waves are formed. After the topic, Atlas teaches the narrator of what Earth would be like if it was dry and had no water and what would happen to the marine species if there was no water on Earth which the narrator understands the topic of what Earth would be like if there was no water and why water is important to Earth.
The next topic Atlas teaches the narrator is about another topic centered around Pangea, a supercontinent that was on Earth many years ago, giving out a topic that cracks began splitting the continents apart, as well as information about edges of cracked plates moving continents as well as the layer of molten rocks beneath the Earth's crust. He then gives information to the narrator that when two plates pull apart, lava squirts up through the cracks and crews, which build new ocean floors. The narrator curiously asks Atlas of what happens when plates collide, which Atlas tells the narrator that one plate slips down beneath another plate when, performing a deep trench and pushing up mountains, as well as giving information that two plates hooking up in a different way, causing pressure continuously across Earth. After the topic, the narrator thanks Atlas for giving him the information about Earth and its oceans just before the short continues to the part where the narrator is giving information about how Earth was formed before Atlas sneezed, interrupting his narration.
Gallery[]
.jpg "Atlas (Disney Hercules).jpg (310 KB)")
Trivia[]
- Atlas' design is a caricature of Sylvester Stallone.
- Andreas Deja, who animated Atlas, would later animate the titular character from the 1997 Disney animated film, Hercules, another Greek mythology inspired project. A version of Atlas would later appear in Hercules: The Animated Series.