Oh, and I posted this in a comment on the youtube page but given the HM love I know exists in this forum, thought I would post it here too:
"Just speculating but the Pirate connection in the Haunted Mansion comics might be the same connection for the proposed "mega theme" to link Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and Tom Sawyer Island thought the pirate Jean Lafitte. Where you board the Pirate boats is called Lafitte Landing and on Tom Sawyer Island is Lafitte's Tavern. But there was to be more - most noticeable is a bricked up archway in the wall out front of the Haunted Mansion with 1764 carved above - that was to be a catacombs housing treasures of Lafitte. There is also Lafitte's anchor and at one point the plan was for Lafitte to be the owner of the mansion, but that got changed. In later stories Master Gracey had a "secret association" with Lafitte. Lastly, you can find a lot of props from a former exhibit about Andrew Jackson in the attic scene of the Haunted Mansion. Andrew Jackson of course having a strong and interesting relationship with Jean Lafitte connected to the Battle of New Orleans."