Shaman of Songs Mickey Ears
Celebrate a historic first with these enchanting Mickey ears - the debut collaboration between Avatar and the beloved Disney tradition of character headwear. Inspired by the mystical Shaman of Songs from Pandora - The World of Avatar's Na'vi River Journey attraction, these ears bring the magic of the Na'vi to life with intricate beaded details and flora inspired by the artists who created Pandora.
Wander into Windtraders within Pandora - The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and you’ll immediately recognize the bioluminescent glow and the otherworldly creatures that are omnipresent in Avatar merchandise. Behind every product — from apparel to collectibles — is a carefully crafted style guide that ensures each piece captures the magic of James Cameron’s Pandora. At the helm of this creative endeavor is Casey Jones, Disney Consumer Products’ Creative Lead for Avatar since 2013. We sat down with Casey to explore how he translates a cinematic universe into tangible products that fans can hold, wear, and treasure.
Ilu and Tulkun Button Up
Celebrate the ocean creatures of Pandora with this button-up inspired by Avatar: The Way of Water. Featuring the playful ilu and the majestic tulkun, this design brings the beauty of the Metkayina's world to your wardrobe.
Casey’s journey to becoming the creative director behind Avatar’s merchandise is a story that spans decades and bridges two entertainment giants. “I’ve been with Disney for 17 years after drawing comics for Marvel for around 15 years,” Casey explains. His transition from sequential storytelling to brand design brought a unique perspective to the world of consumer products: an understanding of how to capture narrative and emotion through visuals.
His work on Avatar began in 2013, when he began collaborating with late producer Jon Landau and the Lightstorm Entertainment team. “We worked closely with Joe Rohde’s team at Walt Disney Imagineering to make sure what we came up with reflected all the storytelling in the land being developed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom,” Casey recalls. What started as Parks style guides evolved into something much larger. “Over the years, I was lucky to continue working on Avatar, as my work grew from creating the Parks style guides into developing the licensing style guides for the films as well.”
At its core, a style guide serves as the bridge between screen and store. "A style guide is just a collection of artwork and assets that are used to create new product," Casey explains. "It's to extend the stories beyond the screen and into retail so that folks who love those stories can have a tangible piece of it. That's how I look at it, anyway." He pauses, then adds with a smile, "Really, it's just to make cool stuff!"
But creating “cool stuff” for Avatar requires more than artistic skill; it demands an intimate understanding of the world of Pandora. “Getting to work closely with filmmakers and artists like Jon Landau, Dylan Cole, and Richie Baneham has always been what grounded my approach with expanding Avatar into the Disney Parks and global licensing,” Casey says. “Knowing as much as I can about the world of Pandora gives me the foundation to create new art and design that goes out into the world for Avatar merchandise. It has to feel right.”
Floating Mountains Bucket Hat
Featuring Pandora's iconic floating mountains and banshees, this bucket hat offers double the magic—beautiful detail by day, glowing wonder by night.
Casey's creative process includes an unexpected element that helps him tap into Pandora's essence. "Honestly, the music from the films is so inspiring, too. When I'm doing the initial exploration and sketching ideas, I'll always be listening to the soundtracks, which really pull you in."
One of the most important guiding principles came from early conversations with Jon Landau himself. "Everything from Pandora should feel alien and not terrestrial," Casey emphasizes. "There is beauty and wonder, especially in the bioluminescence, but there is also so much on Pandora that is dangerous and aggressive." This duality — the balance between wonder and danger — informs every design decision.
Flora Glow Hoodie
Step into the bioluminescent world of Pandora with this purple hoodie inspired by concept art from Avatar's Dylan Cole. The design dazzles by day and glows at night, just like the bioluminescent world of the film!
What makes Avatar merchandise instantly recognizable? Casey points to the unparalleled work of Lightstorm's creative team: "It's the totally unique creature design and world building that Lightstorm's team has created. There's nothing else like it and nothing that has so much painstaking detail and effort behind it. There's a million things going on at once, and it really creates an immersive effect for the audience."
When it comes to translating this visual complexity into merchandise, certain elements have become essential to the Avatar brand. Perhaps the most effective visual element is bioluminescence. "Bioluminescence is the most meaningful takeaway," Casey explains. The glowing patterns that define Pandora's nighttime beauty have become a signature of Avatar merchandise, and Casey has even created specialized style guides that spotlight these bioluminescent patterns. The color story is carefully considered, with Casey working directly with the Lightstorm Art Department to select the Pantone color palettes, leaning heavily into those characteristic bioluminescent hues.
Interestingly, the approach differs when designing for Pandora - The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom. "We look at Windtraders as an outfitters store that is operated by the expats from Earth that decided to stay on Pandora and live there," Casey explains. "Because of that, the product here feels more familiar and is more like outdoor and camping gear. It's a fun extension to the story!" This narrative-driven approach to merchandising creates a more immersive experience for park visitors.
Soar Above Pandora Glow Hoodie
Soft light blue sets the perfect backdrop for Pandora's sacred woodsprites on this enchanting zip-up hoodie. The delicate seeds float across the front and back, creating a serene daytime look that transforms into glowing magic after dark.
The process of creating a style guide varies depending on scope. "It can be as quick as a few months, and can extend out into six months or longer," Casey notes. For newer films like Avatar: Fire and Ash, the process begins with unprecedented access to the creative source material.
"When we're creating a new style guide, we start with getting the tour of the art room with the concept art by Dylan Cole and Ben Procter," Casey describes. "We get an overview of what's to come with new characters, like Varang and the Ash People, then start putting together mood boards and work to develop and refine." It's an iterative process that sometimes involves revisiting concepts years later as the understanding of the world deepens.
The operation has grown significantly since those early days. "When we first started during the Parks opening, it was a small and lean team," Casey recalls. "With the sequels, Avatar is a large, global brand. We go to our internal Disney teams in Asia and Europe to get a sense of what consumers might respond to regionally.”
Balancing global trends with timeless storytelling is a constant consideration. "We definitely consider our global trend reports," Casey says, "and there are so many themes that naturally connect to the story. Organic aesthetics and nature as a focus for lifestyle is something that continues to be more important."
Splashing Tulkun Crewneck and Valley of Mo’ara Crewneck
Two worlds, one collection! The navy Splashing Tulkun Crewneck brings oceanic energy with the mighty tulkun, while its twin, the white Valley of Mo'ara Crewneck, takes inspiration from Pandora's breathtaking skies. Wear them separately or style them together for the ultimate Avatar pairing.
When asked about his favorite creature to draw, Casey doesn't hesitate: "The Banshee is my favorite to draw." He's created plenty of individual Banshee illustrations over the years for a variety of apparel items, and he’s designed countless Banshee toys and figurines, including the shoulder Banshee that's become a beloved Park experience in the Banshee Rookery at Windtraders. His personal connection to these designs is evident, and he's excited about upcoming involvement with the Anaheim projects. One fascinating detail Casey shares reveals the interconnected nature of the Avatar franchise: "With Avatar Flight of Passage, the film in the attraction that came out years before Avatar: The Way of Water, the ilu and other sea creatures were actually included in the ending." These Easter eggs demonstrate how deeply the creative team understands the broader narrative, planting seeds for stories that wouldn't unfold on screen for years to come.
Bioluminescence Banshee Button Up
Glowing banshees soar across this button-up inspired by the night skies of Pandora – The World of Avatar.
As our conversation draws to a close, Casey reflects on what this work means to him. "Hopefully anything I create captures the imagination of people that love the film," he says. "I've always been a huge Cameron guy. It's been the highlight of my career to work on the property since 2013."
His final message is for the fans who purchase Avatar merchandise: "Anyone who has picked up the merch, know that the people making it are big fans as well." It's this passion — from a creator who loves these films as much as the audience does — that ensures every style guide, every design, and every product carries the authentic spirit of Pandora.
As the Avatar franchise continues to expand with Avatar: Fire and Ash and beyond, Casey Jones and his team will continue their work as translators of wonder, turning cinematic magic into merchandise that allows fans to carry a piece of Pandora home with them. And in the glowing patterns, exciting new creatures, and the careful attention to detail, you can feel the care of someone who isn't just doing a job but living his dream.