General

Disney DVDs goes to the dogs with “Old Yeller” & “Savage Sam”

Jim Hill takes a look at two recent DVD releases from Buena Vista Home Entertainment: Walt Disney Productions’ 1957 live action classic, “Old Yeller,” and that film’s lesser known sequel, 1963’s “Savage Sam.”

Published

20 years ago

August 30, 2004

Jim Hill

Hyperdictionary.com defines the “dog days of summer” as that period between July and September when it’s just too darn hot to do much of anything. Or words to that effect.

Anyway … Given that the above phrase describes the waning days of August 2004 to a T … Well, I thought that now might be a good time to head back into the house & give in to our canine instincts. (I.E. Find a nice, cool, comfortable spot on the couch and sack out). Then — once we’re settled — we can fire up the DVD player and take a look at two recent dog-themed releases for Buena Vista Home Entertainment, “Old Yeller” and “Savage Sam.”

“Old Yeller” (I’m sure) is familiar to all you baby boomers out there. After all, this Walt Disney Productions live action classic has been making dog lovers cry for over 47 years now. The story of the movie (which I’m sure you’re all already familiar with) goes something like this:

The Coates family — which consists of the father, Jim (played by Fess Parker); mother, Katie (Dorothy McGuire); elder son, Travis (Tommy Kirk) and younger sibling, Arliss (Kevin Corcoran) — lives on a remote ranch in Texas in the late 1860s. It’s a rough life with few luxuries. Which is Travis & Arliss are thrilled when a big yellow mongrel dog enters their lives: Old Yeller.

Mother Katie isn’t immediately won over by this mutt. But when Old Yeller saves Arliss from a bear and Travis for a herd of wild pigs, Mrs. Coates changes her tune. This frontier mom is particularly grateful that the big yellow dog is part of the family when Old Yeller protects her from a rabid wolf.

Unfortunately, Old Yeller gets bit by that wolf. And — given that her husband is off somewhere, out in the wilderness — it’s now up to poor Travis to put the family pet out of its misery. I guarantee you that there won’t be a dry eye in the house when Tommy Kirk finally shoulders his rifle and heads out back to do what needs to be done.

Yeah, “Old Yeller” does have some extremely sad moments. But — on a whole — this is a very entertaining & uplifting film. I’d even go so far as to say that “Old Yeller” is actually one of the best live action motion picture that Walt Disney Productions produces during the era when Walt was still running the show.

Which is why I’m pleased to see that Buena Vista Home Entertainment has done such a nice job with the DVD release of this Robert Stevenson film. BVHE has really loaded up this special 2-disc “Vault Disney” edition of “Old Yeller” with lots of extra features. Among these are:

An audio commentary track for the film featuring Fess Parker, Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran as well as Bob Weatherwax, the son of “Old Yeller” (Who’s real name — FYI — was Spike) ‘s original trainer, Rudd Weatherwax. Which every good Nick at Nite fan should know is the man who originally trained Lassie.
Anyway … It’s Kirk who actually does most of the talking on this audio track, with Parker & Corcoran chiming in whenever they can get a word in edgewise. Mr. Weatherwax’s comments are mostly restricted to how they got Spike to perform various tricks during the filming of “Old Yeller.” Which — as you might imagine — involved a lot of learned behaviors as well as hidden food.
For those of you who didn’t already get your fill of Kirk listening to “Old Yeller” ‘s audio commentary track, you can learn even more about Tommy’s 8 years at Walt Disney Studios by watching “Conversations with Tommy Kirk” — a 14 minute long interview with the actor.

Or — if you’d just prefer to learn more about how this Disney classic actually came together — I suggest that you watch “Old Yeller: Remembering a Classic.” This 36-minute documentary features appearances by Parker, Kirk, Corcoran, Weatherwax as well T. Beck Gipson, the son of Fred Gipson — the author of the original “Old Yeller” book. It’s actually a nice nostalgic look back on the production.

But — me personally — I’d have to say that my favorite feature on this 2-disc DVD was the “Ranch of the Golden Oak” featurette. Which offers an in-depth look at the 708-acre facility that the Walt Disney Company owns out in Newhall, CA. Lots of Disney films (Among them “The Parent Trap,” “The Apple Dumpling Gang” and “Pearl Harbor”) as well as non-Disney films (Among them “Back to the Future” and “Independence Day”) have been filmed here over the past 45 years.

There’s one other film that was also shot at Golden Oaks Ranch that you probably should know about … but don’t. And that’s “Old Yeller” ‘s sequel, “Savage Sam.”

“And why isn’t ‘Old Yeller’ ‘s sequel as well known as the original film?,” you ask. That’s a pretty interesting question, actually. A lot of the elements necessary for a successful sequel seem to be in place for this production. By that I mean: Key cast members (I.E. Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran and Jeff York — who played “Old Yeller” ‘s comic relief role, Bud Searcy) agree to reprise their roles. The script for “Savage Sam” was also based on a Fred Gipson novel. And — since the old Coates homestead set was still standing at Golden Oaks Ranch — Disney didn’t have much difficulty in recreating the first film’s primary setting.

But — in spite of having all of this stuff going for it — “Savage Sam” still misfired at the box office. When it was released to theaters in June of 1963, audiences pretty much ignored the picture.

So what went wrong? Some folks suggest that — because moviegoers had had to wait 6 years for an “Old Yeller” sequel — that there wasn’t all that much audience left by the time this motion picture finally debuted. Still others suggest that Walt should shoulder some of the blame here. Given that Disney was actually the guy who opted not to assign “Savage Sam” to the first film’s director, Robert Stevenson. But — instead — fobbed the project off on one of the studio’s lesser helmer, Norman Tokar.

That said, “Savage Sam” is still a pretty entertaining picture. Much more of a straightforward adventure than “Old Yeller,” this film follows the further adventures of Travis & Arliss Coates. Ma & Pa Coates are convienently out of town (visiting relatives, allegedly) as the picture gets underway. Which means the boys have to run the ranch all by themselves in their parents’ absense.

Of course, brothers don’t always get along. And Travis in particular is having trouble controlling his younger sibling. Rather than clearing brush, the young boy would much rather prefer to be chasing after a bobcat with the help of his brand new dog, Savage Sam.

Of course, it’s the chasing of that bobcat that actually starts the Coates brothers down the road down to some wild west adventure. Arliss runs off into the woods with Sam. Travis takes off after his brother with Lisbeth Searcy in tow (played by “Lost in Space” lovely, Marta Kristen). While these three are away from the ranch, they encounter a group of horse-stealing Indians. The Indians then kidnap Arliss, Travis & Lisbeth, with the idea of adopting the younger Coates boy and turning the Searcy girl into a squaw.

Travis? Eventually, he slips away. And — with the help of Savage Sam as well as some of the Coates’ friends & neighbors — eventually rescues Arliss & Lisbeth as part of a daring shoot-’em-up finale.

So — as you can probably see by the above description — you won’t be reaching for the Kleenex while you’re watching “Savage Sam.” Still, you’ll probably get a kick out of seeing all the veteran Disney players who put in appearances in this Norman Tokar film.

“Like who, fer instance?,” you query. For starters, there’s Brian Keith (AKA Uncle Bill from TV’s “Family Affair.” Though Disney fans probably know Keith best from his work in Disney’s 1961 live action release, “The Parent Trap”), Slim Pickens (Veteran western character actor. Though all you sci-fi fans probably know Slim best from his vocal performance as Old Bob in Walt Disney Productions’ gee-I-wish-I-were-“Star-Wars” epic, 1979’s “The Black Hole) as well as Royal Dano (Not a face that most people would know. But Disneyland fans know Dano’s voice intimately. For Royal provided Abe Lincoln’s speaking voice for the original version of “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln”). There’s also Jeff York who reprises his role as Bud Searcy, though most Disneyana fans probably know Jeff best from his performance as Mike Fink in that 1956 “Davy Crockett” sequel, “Davy Crockett and the River Pirates.”

Mind you, the above bits of trivia are more than you’ll find on the “Savage Sam” DVD. Buena Vista Home Entertainment — echoing the sentiments of earlier Walt Disney Productions execs (Who thought that this Norman Tokar picture was such a dog that they actually allowed “Savage Sam” to be aired on “The Wonderful World of Color” less than three years after the film’s initial theatrical release) — tossed this picture out on DVD with virtually no bonus features. No audio commentary. No original trailer. No nothing.

Still, I enjoyed watching “Savage Sam.” Why for? Well, there was this remarkable consistancy to all of the live action pictures that Walt Disney Productions churned out during this period in the studio’s history. The films’ mattes (thanks to Peter Ellenshaw) always looked great. The movies’ scores (Thanks to composer Oliver Wallace and music editor Evelyn Kennedy) always sounded terrific. Even these motion pictures’ set decorations (Thanks to the work of Disneyland vet Emil Kuri) had the same great attention to detail. Everyone still at the top of their game back then.

Of course, all of this would change when the 1970s finally rolled around. The Old Mousetro had been gone for quite a while by that point. But the folks at the studio kept cranking those pictures as if Walt were watching. Which is how (I think) Walt Disney Productions eventually lost its way. The people who ran the company back then were so busy looking over their shoulders — trying to remember how exactly Walt used to make these family-friendly films — hat they never even noticed that the audience that used to watch the studio’s films had actually wandered away. That Disney’s old audience was passing up the chance to see movies like “The Shaggy D.A.” and “Hot Lead and Cold Feet” in favor of films like George Lucas’ “Stars Wars” and Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

Now “The Shaggy D.A.” THAT was a real dog of a movie. Which we’ll talk about some other time. But — for now — if you’re looking for a nostalgic way to beat the heat, I suggest you pick up a copy of “Old Yeller” and/or “Savage Sam.” Two recent BVHE DVD releases that really do bear out this division’s new slogan: “There’s magic in the memories.”

Your thoughts?

General

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

Published

9 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

9 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

9 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