General

The Uncensored Mouse

Jim Korkis returns with yet another multi-part story about comic books. This time around, it’s a tale about the Malibu Graphics group, a company that wanted to reprint classic Mickey Mouse comic strips from the 1930s. It’s just too bad that Disney’s lawyers had other ideas.

Published

21 years ago

September 8, 2003

Jim Korkis

Once upon a time (actually early 1989), the Mailbu Graphics group (Scott Rosenberg, Dave Olbrich, Tom Mason, Chris Ulm) was publishing the Eternity Comics line of independent black and white comic books.

Some of these comics featured original material like MEN IN BLACK (which later inspired the popular movie) and DINOSAURS FOR HIRE (which inspired a video game). Other comic books in their line featured reprints of comic strips (like the Shadow, Buck Rogers, Polly and Her Pals, etc.) and reprints of old comic books (like the Three Stooges and I LOVE LUCY). Fans of Bruce Timm (whose design work on BATMAN:THE ANIMATED SERIES and so many other animated series has literally transformed how action animated shows are designed) might want to track down some of the comic strip reprint books from Eternity Comics because they feature full color covers by a young Mr. Timm.

Eternity Comics were able to reprint many of these classic comic strips thanks to the collections of the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art. The San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection was the life work of author and collector Bill Blackbeard. In the Sixties when Blackbeard decided to write a history of comic strips, he found that there was no research center collecting complete runs of comic strips from American newspapers. He also discovered that many public and university libraries at the time were discarding older, bound newspapers after microfilming them. In order to acquire these materials, he established the SFACA as a non-profit organization in 1968. He began collecting newspapers from California libraries and then eventually expanded his collecting efforts until he had accumulated over seventy-five tons of material. (The collection consisted of 2.5 million clippings and tearsheets from American newspapers, dating from 1894 to 1996. Materials in the collection included clipped comic strips, single comic pages, complete Sunday comic sections, and entire newspapers.)

Many of the classic comic strip collections published in the last thirty years are thanks to Bill Blackbeard’s accumulation efforts which resulted in a source for some of the only existing copies of American comic strips. Supposedly, Blackbeard’s research revealed that the copyright on the early MICKEY MOUSE comic strip had not been maintained and of course, Malibu Graphics thought this was a wonderful opportunity.

A pirated reprint edition of the early MICKEY MOUSE comic strip had been in private circulation for several years at the time but was completely unavailable to the general public. There had been attempts in Europe to reprint the early strip as well. (In fact, in Europe, many years before ANOTHER RAINBOW, there were oversized black and white reprints of all the Carl Barks’ duck stories IN ENGLISH!)

Some of the later Floyd Gottfredson work on the MICKEY MOUSE comic strip had been reprinted in a variety of formats but with missing dialogue balloons, missing panels and some brutal censorship. (Just for the record, up to 1989, there were only two times that the Gottfredson strip had been reprinted exactly as originally published in the newspapers: MICKEY MOUSE BOOK No.3 by Whitman in 1934 which had the entire 1933 Wolf Barker Sunday page story in its original color and the Bill Blackbeard edited book SMITHSONIAN COLLECTION OF NEWSPAPER COMICS where the 1935 daily story “Race for Riches” was reprinted in black and white.)

So Malibu Graphics through its Eternity Comics line would reprint the earliest MICKEY MOUSE comic strips under the title THE UNCENSORED MOUSE. However, well aware that in the late Eighties, the Disney legal department generated three lawsuits a day against suspected copyright violators (which the Disney Company proudly trumpeted in a then current newspaper article), Malibu Graphics decided to put in as many safeguards as possible to avoid legal action.

Each issue would have a totally black cover and no where on the cover or the backcover would there be a mention of “Mickey Mouse.” There would be references to “a classic collection of Uncensored Floyd Gottfredson Comic Strips From the 1930s.” Inside the comic book, there would be the notice that “Mickey Mouse is a registered trademark of Walt Disney Productions” to demonstrate that they were not trying to challenge that fact. In addition, each issue would be bagged and sealed so that a casual buyer couldn’t flip through the comic book and mistake it for a Disney comic book. Basically, Malibu tried to do everything to indicate that while it may have had the right to publish the early comic strip, it was not intending to confuse the marketplace that this was an authorized Disney production.

THE UNCENSORED MOUSE was to be published twice a month beginning with the April 1989 issue and there were hopes that eventually, all the Mickey Mouse comic strips up to the mid-Thirties would be reprinted. The first issue featured the very first Mickey Mouse comic strip from January 13, 1930 (written by Walt Disney himself and drawn by Ub Iwerks) up to the March 5, 1930 installment. (The second issue reprinted the installments from March 6, 1930 to April 26, 1930. The third issue which was prepared and ready to go to press but never printed featured the strips from April 28, 1930 to June 18, 1930.)

Bill Blackbeard wrote a wonderful introduction for the first issue entitled “How Walt Disney Gave A Mickey to America-and Floyd Gottfredson Gave Us A Classic Mouse.” That first issue was also supplemented with some great extras like reproductions of an OAKLAND POST-ENQUIRER (the nation’s only newspaper to carry the strip from its start) page featuring the comic strip, the first Mickey Mouse Sunday page, a publicity drawing by Gottfredson for a 1936 issue of the HONOLULU ADVERTISER and more.

The second and never-printed third issue both had introductions by yours truly and I will reprint those pieces of priceless prose in part two of this article. In fact, the third issue would have been a great deal of fun as it recounted the story of Minnie Mouse inheriting Old Mortimer’s mansion and Pegleg Pete and the Old Shyster trying to get her to sign away ownership so they could find Mortimer’s map to a secret gold mine in Death Valley.

“I’ll never forgive Pegleg Pete for chaining me to this weight-I hope he breaks out with hives and scratches himself to death!!!” proclaims Mickey Mouse as he tries to rescue Minnie while locked to a ball and chain. Finally, he stumbles into a room filled with cheese and declares: “My gosh!! What cheese—if I only had a bottle of beer!!!”

The reason the third issue never saw print was that no sooner did the first two issues appeared at comic book shops than Disney filed a lawsuit claiming infringement of their character. At no time did Disney dispute that the original strips may have fallen into public domain, just as other Disney treasures had such as the Mickey Mouse cartoon, THE MAD DOCTOR, but also at no time did Disney confirm that the strips may have fallen into public domain.

Of course, due to the nature of the lawsuit, the Malibu Graphics group could not comment and Disney just offered a written statement to news organizations. So, ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT had to find an articulate, charming representative to comment on the situation. Failing to find such a person, they were somehow directed to me.

I appeared on ET on April 20, 1989. I never met Mary Hart who narrated the piece. They didn’t even send down my good friend, Leonard Maltin, to interview me and who probably could have commented on the whole situation quite insightfully. (Fans of old movies and Leonard Maltin should check out his website: www.leonardmaltin.com and should subscribe to his newsletter which is always a joy to receive in my mailbox.) Nope, ET sent down their film crew who hauled their equipment up a narrow stairway to my second floor apartment.

My living room was filled with Mickey Mouse items from posters to banks to toothbrushes to PVC figures and more. I even wore my red Mickey Mouse suspenders which I figured were not enough to invalidate my credibility but enough to give me a sense of fun.

The crew spent close to an hour in my apartment, filming every nook and cranny that had Disney items (although they avoided the Disney Orgy poster) and I brilliantly defended the Malibu Graphics group, gave a lengthy history of the Mickey Mouse strip, and an eloquent plea of why this material should be available for collectors. So, naturally, ET used a sound byte that I just tossed off after the official interview was finished.

That night, Mary Hart introduced the piece showing a young man at a comic book shop recoiling after opening a copy of THE UNCENSORED MOUSE and intoned: “Some collectors say the Mickey of the Thirties was simply a product of his time.”

That was the cue for a quick shot of me with the logo: “Jim Korkis. Comic Historian” as I stated: “Of course, the strips of the Thirties were much more bawdy anyway with ethnic stereotypes and very slapstick violence. And when Walt decided to come up with a comic strip he followed those examples.”

As I sat in front of the television set videotaping my moment of glory with my family, my first thought was “What was THAT?” Where was that hour of footage of thoughtful, well-phrased comments? What happened to all those comments that the film crew said were terrific? Why did the guy running the comic book shop get two quick shots and comments and I only got one? And a decade and a half later, I still bemoan the fact that given a second chance, I could have phrased my thoughts more effectively. Sigh.

In the long run, it didn’t matter what I said or didn’t say. Behind closed doors, Malibu Graphics and Disney reached a settlement before the issue went to court. Basically, it was quite clear that the Disney Company had enough money, enough time and enough lawyer-power to drag this suit through the courts forever and eventually drain the emotional and financial resources of Malibu Graphics. As with many court cases, it is not about justice or right and wrong but merely who plays a better game of legal mumbo-jumbo.

Of course, as part of the settlement, the folks at Malibu Graphics could not talk about the terms of the settlement and despite my personal friendship with them and my professional connection working on the comics, they have never to this day told me what happened behind closed doors. However, they didn’t seem unhappy with the results and Eternity Comics kept on publishing … everything except THE UNCENSORED MOUSE … and was eventually purchased by Marvel Comics.

Since readers of JIMHILLMEDIA always want to know the inside “secrets” behind the story, the best I can share with you is that the legal team borrowed books from my Disney library that featured photos from early Mickey Mouse cartoons and the questions I was asked have lead me to assume that part of Disney’s legal approach may have included the following questions: Have these strips ever been reprinted before in any format after their original publication, especially with a Disney copyright? Are there any images or dialogue in the early comic strips that were directly taken from still copyrighted black and white Mickey Mouse cartoons? Could a reasonable person legitimately confuse this publication with any type of Disney comic book that had ever been printed?

While there was some embarrassment that these early comic strips featured a more raucous Mickey Mouse than the current Disney Company icon and that there were some elements like exaggerated caricatures of African-American cannibals which were no longer acceptable in the Disney Universe, the main concern seemed to be not allowing anyone else to profit from a Disney product and to send a stern warning to anyone else who might even have been considering doing anything similar. (Notice how all those inexpensive videotapes that featured Disney cartoons and theatrical trailers that had slipped out of copyright disappeared from sale around the same time?) Later, the Disney Company published colorized versions of some of the early MICKEY MOUSE comic strips in DISNEY ADVENTURES magazine. Some of you may remember the court ruling on public domain black and white films. If you colorize a public domain film, you can legally copyright the colorized version.

Originally, each of two issues of THE UNCENSORED MOUSE that were published cost $2.50. Searching on eBay or in back issue bins of comic book shops, it is still possible to find copies for close to that original price although there are some sellers who seem to make a healthy living offering them for up to thirty dollars each. As part of the settlement, Eternity destroyed their stock of the issues but there were plenty that were distributed to comic book stores.

Sadly, it is doubtful that the Disney Company would ever consider reprinting these classic strips even in a limited collector’s edition for adults although it would be a wonderful way for the Company to celebrate Mickey’s 75th birthday by showing why the Mouse captured the hearts and imaginations of the world in the Thirties.

Next: Jim shares his historical introductions to UNCENSORED MOUSE #2 and the never printed #3 so that you can better understand the importance of reprinting the early years of the MICKEY MOUSE comic strip.

General

Seward Johnson bronzes add a surreal, artistic touch to NYC’s Garment District

Published

10 years ago

June 23, 2015

Jim Hill

Greetings from NYC. Nancy and I drove down from New
Hampshire yesterday because we'll be checking out
Disney Consumer Products' annual Holiday Showcase later today.

Anyway … After checking into our hotel (i.e., The Paul.
Which is located down in NYC's NoMad district), we decided to grab some dinner.
Which is how we wound up at the Melt Shop.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is this restaurant that only sells grilled cheese sandwiches.
This comfort food was delicious, but kind of on the heavy side.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is why — given that it was a beautiful summer night
— we'd then try and walk off our meals. We started our stroll down by the Empire
State Building
…

Photo by Jim Hill

… and eventually wound up just below Times
Square (right behind where the Waterford Crystal Times Square New
Year's Eve Ball is kept).

Photo by Jim Hill

But you know what we discovered en route? Right in the heart
of Manhattan's Garment District
along Broadway between 36th and 41st? This incredibly cool series of life-like
and life-sized sculptures that Seward
Johnson has created.

Photo by Jim Hill

And — yes — that is Abraham Lincoln (who seems to have
slipped out of WDW's Hall of Presidents when no one was looking and is now
leading tourists around Times Square). These 18 painted
bronze pieces (which were just installed late this past Sunday night / early
Monday morning) range from the surreal to the all-too-real.

Photo by Jim Hill

Some of these pieces look like typical New Yorkers. Like the
business woman planning out her day …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the postman delivering the mail …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the street musician playing for tourists …

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention the tourists themselves.

Photo by Jim Hill

But right alongside the bronze businessmen …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there were also statues representing people who were
from out-of-town …

Photo by Jim Hill

… or — for that matter — out-of-time.

Photo by Jim Hill

These were the Seward Johnson pieces that genuinely beguiled. Famous impressionist paintings brought to life in three dimensions.

Note the out-of-period water bottle that some tourist left
behind. Photo by Jim Hill

Some of them so lifelike that you actually had to pause for
a moment (especially as day gave way to night in the city) and say to yourself
"Is that one of the bronzes? Or just someone pretending to be one of these
bronzes?"

Mind you, for those of you who aren't big fans of the
impressionists …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there's also an array of American icons. Among them
Marilyn Monroe …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and that farmer couple from Grant Wood's "American
Gothic."

Photo by Jim Hill

But for those of you who know your NYC history, it's hard to
beat that piece which recreates Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous photograph of V-J Day in Times Square.

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, a 25-foot-tall version of this particular Seward
Johnson piece ( which — FYI — is entitled "Embracing Peace") will actually
be placed in Times Square for a few days on or around August 14th to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of Victory Over Japan Day (V-J Day).

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, if you'd like to check these Seward Johnson bronzes in
person (which — it should be noted — are part of the part of the Garment
District Alliance's new public art offering) — you'd best schedule a trip to
the City sometime over the next three months. For these pieces will only be on
display now through September 15th.

General

Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues

Published

10 years ago

June 10, 2015

Jim Hill

Greeting from the 2015 Licensing Expo, which is being held
at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center in Las
Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

I have to admit that I enjoy covering the Licensing Expo.
Mostly becomes it allows bloggers & entertainment writers like myself to
get a peek over the horizon. Scope out some of the major motion pictures &
TV shows that today's vertically integrated entertainment conglomerates
(Remember when these companies used to be called movie studios?) will be
sending our way over the next two years or so.

Photo by Jim Hill

Take — for example — all of "The Secret Life of
Pets" banners that greeted Expo attendees as they made their way to the
show floor today. I actually got to see some footage from this new Illumination
Entertainment production (which will hit theaters on July 8, 2016) the last time I was in Vegas. Which
was for CinemaCon back in April. And the five or so minutes of film that I viewed
suggested that "The Secret Life of Pets" will be a really funny
animated feature.

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, Universal Pictures wanted to make sure that Expo
attendees remembered that there was another Illumination Entertainment production
coming-to-a-theater-near-them before "The Secret Life of Pets" (And
that's "Minions," the "Despicable Me" prequel. Which
premieres at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival next week but
won't be screened stateside 'til July 10th of this year). Which is why they had
three minions who were made entirely out of LEGOS loitering out in the lobby.

Photo by Jim Hill

And Warner Bros. — because they wanted "Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice" to start trending on Twitter today — brought
the Batmobile to Las Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention full-sized macquettes of Batman, Superman and
Wonder Woman. Just so conventioneers could then see what these DC superheroes
would actually look like in this eagerly anticipated, March 25, 2016 release.

Photo by Jim Hill

That's the thing that can sometimes be a wee bit frustrating
about the Licensing Expo. It's all about delayed gratification. You'll come
around a corner and see this 100 foot-long ad for "The Peanuts Movie"
and think "Hey, that looks great. I want to see that Blue Sky Studios production
right now." It's only then that you notice the fine print and realize that
"The Peanuts Movie" doesn't actually open in theaters 'til November
6th of this year.

Photo by Jim Hill

And fan of Blue Sky's "Ice Age" film franchise are in for an even
longer wait. Given that the latest installment in that top grossing series
doesn't arrive in theaters 'til July
15, 2016.

Photo by Jim Hill

Of course, if you're one of those people who needs immediate
gratification when it comes to your entertainment, there was stuff like that to
be found at this year's Licensing Expo. Take — for example — how the WWE
booth was actually shaped like a wrestling ring. Which — I'm guessing — meant
that if the executives of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. didn't like
the offer that you were making, they were then allowed to toss you out over the
top rope, Royal Rumble-style.

Photo by Jim Hill

I also have to admit that — as a longtime Star Trek fan —
it was cool to see the enormous Starship Enterprise that hung in place over the
CBS booth. Not to mention getting a glimpse of the official Star Trek 50th
Anniversary logo.

Photo by Jim Hill

I was also pleased to see lots of activity in The Jim Henson
Company booth. Which suggests that JHC has actually finally carved out a
post-Muppets identity for itself.

Photo by Jim Hill

Likewise for all of us who were getting a little concerned
about DreamWorks Animation (what with all the layoffs & write-downs &
projects that were put into turnaround or outright cancelled last year), it was
nice to see that booth bustling.

Photo by Jim Hill

Every so often, you'd come across some people who were
promoting a movie that you weren't entirely sure that you actually wanted to
see (EX: "Angry Birds," which Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia
Pictures will be releasing to theaters on May 20, 2016). But then you remembered that Clay Kaytis —
who's this hugely talented former Walt Disney Animation Studios animator — is
riding herd on "Angry Birds" with Fergal Reilly. And you'd think
"Well, if Clay's working on 'Angry Birds,' I'm sure this animated feature
will turn out fine."

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, there were reminders at this year's Licensing Expo
of great animated features that we're never going to get to see now. I still
can't believe — especially after that brilliant proof-of-concept footage
popped up online last year — that Sony execs decided not to go forward
with production of Genndy Tartakovsky's
"Popeye" movie. But that's the
cruel thing about the entertainment business, folks. It will sometime break
your heart.

Photo by Jim Hill

And make no mistake about this. The Licensing Expo is all
about business. That point was clearly driven home at this year's show when —
as you walked through the doors of the Mandalay
Bay Convention Center
— the first thing that you saw was the Hasbros Booth. Which was this gleaming,
sleek two story-tall affair full of people who were negotiating deals &
signing contracts for all of the would-be summer blockbusters that have already
announced release dates for 2019 & beyond.

Photo by Jim Hill

"But what about The Walt Disney Company?," you
ask. "Weren't they represented on the show floor at this year's Licensing
Expo?" Not really, not. I mean, sure. There were a few companies there hyping
Disney-related products. Take — for example — the Disney Wikkeez people.

Photo by Jim Hill

I'm assuming that some Disney Consumer Products exec is
hoping that Wikkeez will eventually become the new Tsum Tsum. But to be blunt,
these little hard plastic figures don't seem to have the same huggable charm
that those stackable plush do. But I've been wrong before. So let's see what
happens with Disney Wikkeez once they start showing up on the shelves of the
Company's North American retail partners.

Photo by Jim Hill

And speaking of Disney's retail partners … They were
meeting with Mouse House executives behind closed doors one floor down from the
official show floor for this year's Licensing Expo.

Photo by Jim Hill

And the theme for this year's invitation-only Disney shindig? "Timeless
Stories" involving the Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm brands that
would then appeal to "tomorrow's consumer."

Photo by Jim Hill

And just to sort of hammer home the idea that Disney is no
longer the Company which cornered the market when it comes to little girls
(i.e., its Disney Princess and Disney Fairies franchises), check out this
wall-sized Star Wars-related image that DCP put up just outside of one of its
many private meeting rooms. "See?," this carefully crafted photo
screams. "It isn't just little boys who want to wield the Force. Little
girls also want to grow up and be Lords of the Sith."

Photo by Jim Hill

One final, kind-of-ironic note: According to this banner,
Paramount Pictures will be releasing a movie called "Amusement Park"
to theaters sometime in 2017.

Photo by Jim Hill

Well, given all the "Blackfish" -related issues
that have been dogged SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment over the past two years, I'm
just hoping that they'll still be in the amusement park business come 2017.

Your thoughts?

General

It takes more than three circles to craft a Classic version of Mickey Mouse

Published

10 years ago

June 9, 2015

Jim Hill

You know what Mickey Mouse looks like, right? Little guy,
big ears?

Truth be told, Disney's corporate symbol has a lot of
different looks. If Mickey's interacting with Guests at Disneyland
Park (especially this summer, when
the Happiest Place on Earth
is celebrating its 60th anniversary), he looks & dresses like this.

Or when he's appearing in one of those Emmy Award-winning shorts that Disney
Television Animation has produced (EX: "Bronco Busted," which debuts
on the Disney Channel tonight at 8 p.m. ET / PT), Mickey is drawn in a such a
way that he looks hip, cool, edgy & retro all at the same time.

Looking ahead to 2017 now, when Disney Junior rolls out "Mickey and the
Roadster Racers," this brand-new animated series will feature a sportier version
of Disney's corporate symbol. One that Mouse House managers hope will persuade
preschool boys to more fully embrace this now 86 year-old character.

That's what most people don't realize about the Mouse. The
Walt Disney Company deliberately tailors Mickey's look, even his style of
movement, depending on what sort of project / production he's appearing in.

Take — for example — Disney
California Adventure
Park's "World of Color:
Celebrate!" Because Disney's main mouse would be co-hosting this new
nighttime lagoon show with ace emcee Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Goldberg really had
to step up Mickey's game. Which is why this master Disney animator created
several minutes of all-new Mouse animation which then showed that Mickey was
just as skilled a showman as Neil was.

Better yet, let's take a look at what the folks at Avalanche Studios just went
through as they attempted to create a Classic version of Mickey & Minnie.
One that would then allow this popular pair to become part of Disney Infinity
3.0.

"I won't lie to you. We were under a lot of pressure to
get the look of this particular version of Mickey — he's called Red Pants
Mickey around here — just right," said Jeff Bunker, the VP of Art
Development at Avalanche Studios, during a recent phone interview. "When
we brought Sorcerer Mickey into Disney Infinity 1.0 back in January of 2014,
that one was relatively easy because … Well, everyone knows what Mickey Mouse
looked like when he appeared in 'Fantasia.' "

"But this time around, we were being asked to design
THE Mickey & Minnie," Bunker continued. "And given that these Classic
Disney characters have been around in various different forms for the better
part of the last century … Well, which look was the right look?"

Which is why Jeff and his team at Avalanche Studios began watching hours &
hours of Mickey Mouse shorts. As they tried to get a handle on which look would
work best for these characters in Disney Infinity 3.0.

"And we went all the way back to the very start of Mickey's career. We began
with 'Steamboat Willie' and then watched all of those black & white Mickey shorts
that Walt made back in the late 1920s & early 1930s. From there, we
transitioned to his Technicolor shorts. Which is when Mickey went from being
this pie-eyed, really feisty character to more of a well-behaved leading
man," Bunker recalled. "We then finished out our Mouse marathon by
watching all of those new Mickey shorts that Paul Rudish & his team have
been creating for Disney Television Animation. Those cartoons really recapture
a lot of the spirit and wild slapstick fun that Mickey's early, black &
white shorts had."

But given that the specific assignment that Avalanche Studios had been handed
was to create the most appealing looking, likeable version of Mickey Mouse
possible … In the end, Jeff and his team wound up borrowing bits & pieces
from a lot of different versions of the world's most famous mouse. So that
Classic Mickey would then look & move in a way that best fit the sort of
gameplay which people would soon be able to experience with Disney Infinity
3.0.

"That — in a lot of ways — was actually the toughest
part of the Classic Mickey design project. You have to remember that one of the
key creative conceits of Disney Infinity
is that all the characters which appear in this game are toys," Bunker
stated. "Okay. So they're beautifully detailed, highly stylized toy
versions of beloved Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm characters. But
they're still supposed to be toys. So our Classic versions of Mickey &
Minnie have the same sort of thickness & sturdiness to them that toys have.
So that they'll then be able to fit right in with all of the rest of the
characters that Avalanche Studios had previously designed for Disney Infinity."

And then there was the matter of coming up with just the
right pose for Classic Mickey & Minnie. Which — to hear Jeff tell the
story — involved input from a lot of Disney upper management.

"Everyone within the Company seemed to have an opinion
about how Mickey & Minnie should be posed. More to the point, if you Google
Mickey, you then discover that there are literally thousands of poses out there
for these two. Though — truth be told — a lot of those kind of play off the
way Mickey poses when he's being Disney's corporate symbol," Bunker said.
"But what I was most concerned about was that Mickey's pose had to work
with Minnie's pose. Because we were bringing the Classic versions of these
characters up into Disney Infinity 3.0 at the exact same time. And we wanted to
make sure — especially for those fans who like to put their Disney Infinity
figures on display — that Mickey's pose would then complement Minnie.

Which is why Jeff & the crew at Avalanche Studios
decided — when it came to Classic Mickey & Minnie's pose — that they
should go all the way back to the beginning. Which is why these two Disney icons
are sculpted in such a way that it almost seems as though you're witnessing the
very first time Mickey set eyes on Minnie.

"And what was really great about that was — as soon as
we began showing people within the Company this pose — everyone at Disney
quickly got on board with the idea. I mean, the Classic Mickey that we sculpted
for Disney Infinity 3.0 is clearly a very playful, spunky character. But at the
same time, he's obviously got eyes for Minnie," Bunker concluded. "So
in the end, we were able to come up with Classic versions of these characters
that will work well within the creative confines of Disney Infinity 3.0 but at
the same time please those Disney fans who just collect these figures because
they like the way the Disney Infinity characters look."

So now that this particular design project is over, does
Jeff regret that Mouse House upper management was so hands-on when it came to
making sure that the Classic versions of Mickey & Minnie were specifically
tailored to fit the look & style of gameplay found in Disney Infinity 3.0?

"To be blunt, we go through this every time we add a new character to the
game. The folks at Lucasfilm were just as hands-on when we were designing the
versions of Darth Vader and Yoda that will also soon be appearing in Disney
Infinity 3.0," Bunker laughed. "So in the end, if the character's
creators AND the fans are happy, then I'm happy."

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Tuesday, June 9, 2015