Connect with us

General

Why For?

What do a moose, a caterpillar and a carnotaur all have in common? They’re all the subjects of answers to the Disney-related questions you’ll find in this week’s column.

Published

on

First up, Evan writes in to ask:

Hi Jim,

I love your web site and I read it often. It is a great site to get information I had yet to learn about Walt Disney and various other topics.

Which brings me to my question: I’ve noticed this week that — to coincide with “George of the Jungle 2” being released — 2 stories on the great Jay Ward have appeared on your site. Now I know that Walt Disney was a fan of Rocky and Bullwinkle, and he enjoyed watching “Rocky and His Friends” each week on primetime television.

But what boggles (my mind) is the Bullwinkle statue on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, located right in front of the former Jay Ward production facilities and adjacent to the Dudley Do-Right Emporium, a Ward family owned store. Now I know the story of the statue. But among the many names in the cement near it (Paul Frees, Bill Scott, June Foray, and others who worked [on] the show) is the Walt Disney’s name scrawled in the cement.

Did Walt actually attend the unveiling of this statue in 1961? Or did (Disney) perhaps make a visit to the studio and place his name in the cement then? If you know anything in regards to this, I’d love to hear about it.

Thanks!

Evan

Dear Evan:

Boy, I wish I had better news for you here. But that Walt Disney signature that you see in the cement at the base of the Bullwinkle statue in Hollywood? It’s a fake.

Or — rather — a sort of a goof on Walt Disney. You see, Evan, Jay Ward and Bill Scott (the two comic geniuses behind “The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show”) really enjoyed taking swipes at Uncle Walt.

I mean, surely you recall that infamous episode of “Fractured Fairy Tales” when Prince Charming — instead of waking up Sleeping Beauty — opts to build a theme park around the slumbering princess. (If you HAVEN’T seen this particular cartoon before: Not to worry, Evan. You can actually find it on the “Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends” 4-disc DVD set. Which came out back in August and is currently on sale over on Amazon.com.)

Anyway … The next time you watch this episode of “Fractured Fairy Tale,” Evan, pay particularly close attention to Prince Charming. Doesn’t he look an awful lot like a certain studio head? Right down to the slicked-back hair and that pencil-thin mustache.

To put it bluntly, Ward and Scott were not big fans of Walt. Want proof? Here’s a quote from Keith Scott’s excellent book, “The Moose That Roared: The Story of Jay Ward, Bill Scott, a Flying Squirrel and a Talking Moose” (Thomas Dunne Books, July 2000):

“Disney worked twenty years to get animation to appear as real as possible, and the nearer he got to reality, the duller the shows got. We believe animation should involve a push beyond reality. If you’ve got a picture that can be done with live characters, you might as well use live characters. We use animation to sell a story, Disney uses the story to sell animation.”

That’s Bill Scott explaining how Jay Ward Studios’ approach to animation differed fundamentally from Disney’s. (By the way: “The Moose That Roared” is a flat-out wonderful book. It’s the definitive volume on the Jay Ward operation. Keith Scott — who, oddly enough, is NOT related to Bill Scott in any way — did a really great job with this book. If you’re an animation fan, I highly recommend that you pick “The Moose That Roared.” Which — not-sot-coincidentally — is also currently on sale over at Amazon.com.)

Jeese, is it just me … or does this column already have more plugs than an electrician’s convention?

Anywho … Given that the guys at Jay Ward Productions were always looking for way to tease and twit Uncle Walt, when it came time (on September 19, 1961) to formally dedicate that Bullwinkle statue in front of what-was-then the company’s main office, Bill and Jay came up with what they thought was a truly inspired gag to pull on the head of Walt Disney Productions.

I mean, given that Walt Disney was the least likely guy to attend this sort of flakey affair, what better way would there to be to make fun of the Old Mousetro than to forge his signature in cement? So that — for years yet to come — thousands of people would do just as you did, Evan. Which is drop by the plaza on Sunset Boulevard where the Bullwinkle statue still stands. Then cast your eyes down at all those signatures that have been cast in concrete and suddenly go: “Is that Walt Disney’s signature?”

Sadly, Jay and Bill are no longer with us, Evan. But — wherever they are — I’m sure that they’d get a kick out of knowing that — over 42 years after the fact — that this one gag is continuing to trip up animation fans.

By the way: For those of you who have never seen the Bullwinkle statue on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Nancy and I dropped by there earlier this year and took this picture:

This impressive 15-foot-tall edifice is located at 8217 Sunset Boulevard, just across from the Chateau Marmont hotel.

Sadly, Jay Ward’s animation studio is no more. So what company now occupies this historic piece of Hollywood turf? Would you believe a dog groomer? Which means that — as the canine customers are killing time out in the courtyard directly under the Bullwinkle statue — they occassionally widdle on Uncle Walt’s faux signature. Which — again — I’m sure would amuse Bill Scott and Jay Ward to no end.

Speaking of Jay Ward: His daughter, Ramona, still operates a cool little boutique that’s just up the street from the Bullwinkle statue. It’s Dudley Do-Right’s Emporium. Which is located at 8200 Sunset Boulevard.

Nancy and I spent a pleasant half hour or so poking around in this funky little shop. There’s all sorts of neat Jay Ward related items available for sale here. Stuff like Wottsamatta U sweartshirts, limited edition Bullwinkle watches and “George of the Jungle” storyboards.

So — if you’re ever out in Hollywood and (just like Evan, Nancy and I) want to make a pilgrimage to the place where the Kirward Derby was concieved — I suggest that you follow this link. (Alright! Enough with the links already!) Where the nice folks at seeing-stars.com will tell you exactly how to get to the Bullwinkle statue as well as Dudley Do-Right’s Emporium.

And — speaking of “George of the Jungle” — Bill writes in to ask:

Hi Jim:

Great article today about “George of the Jungle 2”! It is too bad that some of (Brendan Fraser’s) original ideas weren’t included (in the sequel).

In a related question, I was wondering if you knew whether Caterpillar’s lawsuit against Disney over GOTJ2 was going to impact their presence in Disney’s California Adventure?

Thanks for the great read every day!

Bill

Dear Bill:

Actually, Disney and Caterpillar have been on the outs since October of last year. Ever since the Imagineers rethemed DCA’s Bountiful Valley Farm into A Bug’s Land. And Disneyland resort guests began racing past Caterpillar’s display tractors so that they could catch a ride on Heimlich the caterpillar’s Chew Chew Train.

In fact, there are many within the Walt Disney Company who believe that the only reason that Caterpillar Inc. actually filed this lame-brained lawsuit against the Mouse was NOT because “George of the Jungle 2” cast the corporation’s heavy equipment in a bad light. But — rather — because Caterpillar execs were angry that Disney hadn’t lived up to their end of the bargain on DCA.

To explain: When Caterpillar Inc. initially signed up to be one of the sponsors of Disney’s California Adventure theme park, company officials were reportedly promised that hundreds of thousands of people would walk through that park’s Bountiful Valley Farm area each year and see their corporation’s tractors on. Which — in theory — would help enhance the reputation of this heavy equipment firm among the millions of tourists who annually visit the Disneyland Resort.

But then DCA opened in January 2001 and pretty much immediately underwhelmed theme park fans. And guest surveys done during California Adventure’s first year of operation quickly pointed to Bountiful Valley Farm as being the most boring part of the park. The “district” of California Adventure that Disneyland resort visitors liked least. To add insult to injury, Caterpillar’s tractor display was often singled out as the worst “attraction” in the entire theme park.

Clearly something had to be done to spruce up this corner of California Adventure — and fast. Which is why WDI pulled the “A Bug’s Land” retheming idea out of their Sorcerer Mickey shaped hat. The “Bountiful Valley Farm” name was quickly erased. And — out behind where Caterpillar’s tractors are on display — the Imagineers swiftly erected “Flik’s Fun Fair,” a clever collection of kiddie rides inspired by the 1998 Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studio’s release, “A Bug’s Life.”

This DCA expansion area immediately proved to be a hit with the public. But the downside of this rushed addition to the theme park was that — where a few hundred people used to tour the Caterpillar tractor display on a daily basis prior to “Flik’s Fun Fair” opening — now virtually no one was climbing up the stairs to peek into those cabs.

And — given that Caterpillar Inc. had supposedly paid the Walt Disney Company some pretty big bucks for the privilege of prominently displaying the firm’s heavy equipment in what used to be DCA’s “Bountiful Valley Farm” area — I guess you can understand why executives of this Illinois-based corporation allegedly decided that it was time that they made some noise. That they let the Mouse know how truly unhappy they were with the way that “Flik’s Fun Fair” had so egregiously upstaged Caterpillar’s tractor display.

Of course, given that the Walt Disney Company was still — in theory — honoring its part of Caterpillar’s DCA sponsorship agreement, the heavy equipment corporation really couldn’t do much more than just *** and moan about how “Tuck and Roll’s Drive ’em Buggies” were continually drawing away potential visitors from the firm’s tractor display. (“And what was WDI’s response to these complaints?” you ask. Well, the Imagineers kept trying different signage to see if that might convince more youngsters to stop for a brief moment and peer inside one of the three tractors on display. To date, nothing that WDI has done has helped.)

But then Caterpillar execs reportedly learned that the company’s Wheel Loaders played a prominent role in “George of the Jungle 2″‘s finale (I.E. That film’s villain — Lyle Vandergroot, played by “Wings” sitcom star Thomas Haden Church — plans on using the dozers to destroy George’s jungle home), they supposedly thought: “Now here’s a way that we can legally stick it to the Mouse.” And so they did.

Which is why — earlier this month — Caterpillar Inc. filed suit in Federal District court against the Walt Disney Company. The corporation sought a restraining order, asking that Buena Vista Home Entertainment be prevented from selling any and all “George of the Jungle 2” videos and DVDs in the United States. Why for? Because — according to papers that the heavy equipment company filed in Illinois — the big yellow bulldozers featured in the film’s climax prominently feature the Caterpillar name and logo.

And why exactly should this concern U.S. Federal court officials? Because — according to the argument that Caterpillar’s attorneys put forward — this sequence in the film (which showed George and his CG animal pals doing battle with a bunch of the corporation’s Wheel Loaders) could have a negative impact on children watching the “George of the Jungle 2” video and/or DVD. And — as a result — could have a significant impact on the sale of Caterpillar’s line of children’s products and/or tarnish the heavy equipment corporation’s reputation by association.

Of course, when Disney’s lawyers heard what Caterpillar Inc. was up to, they were supposedly shocked. I mean, they knew that there had been some bad blood between the heavy equipment corporation and the entertainment conglomerate. But to go so far as to file an obviously frivolous nuisance lawsuit just to trip up “George of the Jungle 2” just took Mouse House attorneys totally by surprise.

In response to Caterpillar’s request to stop all sales of “George of the Jungle 2,” Disney’s attorneys said: “While we have great respect for Caterpillar, we consider this (suit to be) without legal merit and we expect (that people who purchase this DVD) will view these sequences for their comedic value and not take them seriously.”

Luckily for the Mouse (given the millions that the Walt Disney Company and its promotional partners had already invested in the “George of The Jungle 2” October 21st launch date), District Court judge Billy McDade refused to honor Caterpillar’s request for a temporary restraining order that would block the scheduled sale of the sequel in the United States.

As he dismissed Caterpillar’s lawsuit this past Tuesday, District Court judge Billy McDade wrote that “… the court finds this argument to be unpersuasive.” Disney — obviously thrilled to have dodge a bullet here — attempted to mend fences with the heavy equipment corporation. While still trying to assert that the Mouse House was in the right in this case.

In a prepared statement, Disney’s attorneys said that “… while we have great respect for Caterpillar, we have — from the start — considered this (lawsuit to be) without any legal merit and we believe the court reached the proper decision. We expect the audience will view these sequences for their comedic value and not take them seriously.”

So — getting back to your original question, Bill — where does this leave Disney and Caterpillar’s relationship? On pretty shaky ground. I would imagine that the Imagineers are now going to redouble the efforts to try and improve signage around “A Bug’s Land”‘s tractor displays. With the hope that more DCA visitors will then opt to visit this heavy equipment display. Which would then (in theory) make Caterpillar execs happy with the Walt Disney Company once again.

But given the bad blood that exists between the heavy equipment corporation and the entertainment conglomerate, I would imagine that things are going to remain pretty iffy between Caterpillar and Disney right up until January 2006. Which is when Caterpillar’s DCA sponsorship agreement supposedly expires.

And — finally — Rick (who’s actually getting married this weekend in Las Vegas … so congrats to Rick and his lovely bride, Molly) writes in to ask:

Jim

Is it true that Universal holds the rights to the Tyrannosaurus Rex and that’s why Disney used the Carnotaurus (in “Dinosaur”) instead? If this is true, this will settle a bet that I have with one of my friends and I’ll have bragging rights

Talk to you soon.

Rick

Dear Rick:

Actually, it’s the other way around. You see, the real reason that Disney opted to use the Carnotaur as the defacto villain in its Summer 2000 theatrical release, “Dinosaur” (as well as using this massive meat-eater as the heavy in Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s “Countdown to Extinction” attraction. Which — of course — in honor of the release of Walt Disney Pictures’ first CG animated feature, was renamed “Dinosaur — The Ride” in May of 2000) was because they couldn’t find a way to copyright Tyrannosaurus Rex.

You see, Rick, almost every other director in the history of Hollywood — whenever they’d previously made a picture that featured dinosaurs — used Tyrannosaurus Rex as their film’s villain. Which — from the Walt Disney Company’s point of view — made this variety of ancient reptile damned difficult to copyright. And since the Mouse was looking to make millions off of the sale of “Dinosaur”-inspired toys, books, posters, etc. it became clear to Mickey’s merchandising team that this movie’s creative team had to take a very unique approach to the characters that they were creating. In short, to insure that Disney’s dinosaurs didn’t look like anyone else’s dinosaurs. Which meant that the corporation could then have a exclusive license on creatures that looked like the dinos in “Dinosaur.”

Which was why Ralph Zondag and Eric Leighton (“Dinosaur”‘s directors) were always getting odd notes from the merchandising side of the Mouse House. Weird memos that would say things like: “Don’t go for the obvious dinosaurs in this film. Your apatasaurs, your triceratops, your T-rexes. Give us characters that are unusual. That moviegoers haven’t seen before. Both because they’ll have unique visual appeal to our audience as well as being easy to copyright.”

Which is why Baylene ended up being a brachiosaur, as opposed to being a garden variety brontosaurus or apatasaur. And why Eema became a styracosaur, rather than your stereotypical triceratops. And why it’s a pair of carnotaurs — rather than a herd of T-rexes — that relentlessly pursue Aladar and his friends.

It’s like what Deep Throat supposedly told Watergate reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein: “Follow the money.” When the Mouse does something unusual like this, Rick, you can usually bet that there are some bucks involved. Disney thought that — by going with some unusual looking reptiles for “Dinosaur” — they’d be guaranteeing themselves that, when kids came clamoring to their parents for “Dinosaur” toys, that these adults wouldn’t be able to buy off their offspring with “Jurassic Park” action figures and/or “Land Before Time” plush. That these children would insist on toys that looked exactly like Baylene and Eema and Aladar and — of course — the carnotaurs.

It’s just too bad that “Dinosaur” didn’t actually do all that great a job of connecting with kids. Which was (I guess) why the Disney Stores were eventually forced to remainder so much of their “Dinosaur” — related merchandise.

Still — given that, just this past week, I noticed that our local Disney Store was selling Aladar Halloween costumes — I have to assume that (somewhere) the Mouse still has a warehouse full of this stuff. All of these dinosaurs that Disney’s artists deliberately designed to look unlike any other dinos that had ever appeared on the big screen.

Speaking of you Hollywood artistic types … pay close attention now. This is Jim Hill being subtle:

Between October 30th and November 5th, I will be out in Southern California. So if — by chance — some of you studio types (I.E. You folks who are still working on major motion pictures. Films that feature — oh, I don’t know — talking cows, wisecracking rabbits, hat wearing cats, curious chimps and/or rude green ogres) would like me to drop by and say “Hello,” I can be reached by lobbing an e-mail at stadlerhill@mindspring.com.

And — speaking of next week’s trip out to LA — time’s a-wasting if you still want to sign up for this next round of JHM tours of Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure. At this point, virtually all of the slots for Sunday’s tours are gone. Mind you, there is still some wiggle room for Saturday’s tours. But not a whole hell of a lot. So — if you want to get in on the fun — you’d best send me an e-mail ASAP.

Anywho … That wraps up another extremely busy week here at JimHillMedia.com. Here’s hoping that you enjoyed our most recent assortment of articles and that you’ll come back next week … when we’ll have got some even better pieces (including an extra-special Halloween surprise that you won’t want to miss) to post.

Beyond that, you folks have a great weekend, okay? And we’ll see you again on Monday.

Jim Hill

Jim Hill is an entertainment writer who has specialized in covering The Walt Disney Company for nearly 40 years now. Over that time, he has interviewed hundreds of animators, actors, and Imagineers -- many of whom have shared behind-the-scenes stories with Mr. Hill about how the Mouse House really works. In addition to the 4000+ articles Jim has written for the Web, he also co-hosts a trio of popular podcasts: “Disney Dish with Len Testa,” “Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor” and “Marvel US Disney with Aaron Adams.” Mr. Hill makes his home in Southern New Hampshire with his lovely wife Nancy and two obnoxious cats, Ginger & Betty.

Jim Hill is an entertainment writer who has specialized in covering The Walt Disney Company for nearly 40 years now. Over that time, he has interviewed hundreds of animators, actors, and Imagineers -- many of whom have shared behind-the-scenes stories with Mr. Hill about how the Mouse House really works. In addition to the 4000+ articles Jim has written for the Web, he also co-hosts a trio of popular podcasts: “Disney Dish with Len Testa,” “Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor” and “Marvel US Disney with Aaron Adams.” Mr. Hill makes his home in Southern New Hampshire with his lovely wife Nancy and two obnoxious cats, Ginger & Betty.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

General

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

Published

on

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


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. 

Jim Hill

Jim Hill is an entertainment writer who has specialized in covering The Walt Disney Company for nearly 40 years now. Over that time, he has interviewed hundreds of animators, actors, and Imagineers -- many of whom have shared behind-the-scenes stories with Mr. Hill about how the Mouse House really works. In addition to the 4000+ articles Jim has written for the Web, he also co-hosts a trio of popular podcasts: “Disney Dish with Len Testa,” “Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor” and “Marvel US Disney with Aaron Adams.” Mr. Hill makes his home in Southern New Hampshire with his lovely wife Nancy and two obnoxious cats, Ginger & Betty.

Continue Reading

General

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

Published

on

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?

Jim Hill

Jim Hill is an entertainment writer who has specialized in covering The Walt Disney Company for nearly 40 years now. Over that time, he has interviewed hundreds of animators, actors, and Imagineers -- many of whom have shared behind-the-scenes stories with Mr. Hill about how the Mouse House really works. In addition to the 4000+ articles Jim has written for the Web, he also co-hosts a trio of popular podcasts: “Disney Dish with Len Testa,” “Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor” and “Marvel US Disney with Aaron Adams.” Mr. Hill makes his home in Southern New Hampshire with his lovely wife Nancy and two obnoxious cats, Ginger & Betty.

Continue Reading

General

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

Published

on

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.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved

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.


Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights
reserved

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.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

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.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved

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.' "


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

"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.


Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"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.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

"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.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

"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.


Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved

"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?


Copyright Lucasfilm / Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

"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

Jim Hill

Jim Hill is an entertainment writer who has specialized in covering The Walt Disney Company for nearly 40 years now. Over that time, he has interviewed hundreds of animators, actors, and Imagineers -- many of whom have shared behind-the-scenes stories with Mr. Hill about how the Mouse House really works. In addition to the 4000+ articles Jim has written for the Web, he also co-hosts a trio of popular podcasts: “Disney Dish with Len Testa,” “Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor” and “Marvel US Disney with Aaron Adams.” Mr. Hill makes his home in Southern New Hampshire with his lovely wife Nancy and two obnoxious cats, Ginger & Betty.

Continue Reading

Trending