For our project, we chose to explore the back story of Sid, the antagonist in Toy Story, one of Whedon’s first Hollywood projects. As an essential character to the plot line, this character receives relatively little to no back story. The viewer is first introduced to Sid as the crazy neighbor that destroys toys for fun. Andy’s toys are already scared of Sid stating “Oh no! Not Sid!” We thought it would be interesting to explore where Sid developed his destructive nature and establish the basis for the toys’ fear. We hope to provide an explanation for Sid’s psychological state, his family dynamic and how his backstory perpetuates the plot of Toy Story. We chose Toy Story because as a group, we had the most experience. We loved it, we grew up with it, and it seemed like a world in which we could explore in a manner that would be similar to something Whedon would do.

We chose a story board as our medium because we thought it would be the most effect method for reimagining Sid’s story, mimicking Pixar’s animation process. We were able to accomplish a foundation for how Sid became the antagonist while simultaneously creating a Whedon-esque parallel between Sid’s destruction of toys and the psychological payback the toys get on Sid. We decided that Sid’s troubled behavior was caused by his strained relationship with his abusive, alcoholic father and his constant comparison to his seemingly over privileged younger sister, Hannah.

We explored this family dynamic through multiple birthday sequences to create a contrast between Sid and Hannah’s upbringings. For Sid’s birthday, we establish a young, only child who doesn’t appreciate his parent’s gift because it wasn’t what he wanted. His father verbally abuses him for being selfish and unappreciative, creating tension and a basis for resentment. In later sequences, we explore Hannah’s birthday, demonstrating a very different, loving and supportive father. This comparison helps to show why Sid’s actions escalated at the party and what caused him to become the character that he is.

As a piece of fan fiction, we see this story as a way to expand the Toy Story universe by blurring the lines between an antagonist and a sympathetic character. As a viewer, we are never given a chance to feel for Sid in the way we would for other characters such as Andy or Woody. In the meantime, while waiting for another expansion of the Toy Story universe, it is within our fandom right to explore Sid as a sympathetic and perhaps redeemable character. In doing this, we were able to highlighted him in a way that might spark many possible future story arches.