General

Why For?

Jim Hill answers even more of your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim advises extreme patience when it comes to Disney-MGM getting a Roger Rabbit ride, asks for JHM readers’ help when it comes to solving the origins of “Applecore … Baltimore” as well as the mystery surrounding those mysterious “Wuzzle” costumes that keep popping up all over the tube. Plus a photo that shows where the entrance to Epcot’s Rhine River ride was supposed to have been.

Published

21 years ago

August 28, 2003

Jim Hill

First up, Michael (a hardcore Roger Rabbit fan if ever there was one) sent me an e-mail to ask:

Dear Jim,

This year is the 15th Anniversary of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.” I have read your articles (about how there was supposed to) going to be a Roger Rabbit type land at MGM but (because of monetary issues, that project) was scrapped. But do you think now — 15 years later — it is too late? (That we’re never going to) see a Roger Rabbit type ride at Walt Disney World?

P-P-Please,
Michael

D-d-dear Michael:

I have found — when it comes to the Mouse — that it’s wise never to say never. After all, Disneyland didn’t get its “Pinocchio’s Daring Journey” ride ’til May 1983. And that was 43 years after Disney’s animated version of Carlo Collodi’s classic tale first appeared in theaters. So — if you’re really a hard core Roger Rabbit fan, Michael — it’s probably best to take the long view here. To understand that some real patience may be in order.

After all, the copyright on the Roger Rabbit characters is co-owned by two different corporations: The Walt Disney Company and Amblin Entertainment. This means that — before any new Roger Rabbit project (be it a new movie, a video game, a ceramic statue or collectible pin) can officially go into production — that both sets of owners have to agree on how Roger & Co. are to used used. And given that Disney’s CEO Michael Eisner and Amblin’s chief honcho Steven Spielberg haven’t seen eye to eye about anything since Spielberg joined forces with former-Disney-Studio-head Jeffrey Katzenberg in October 1994 to form Dreamworks SKG … well, Michael. Can you see now why some real patience may be in order?

Now don’t lose all hope, pal. Perhaps after Michael Eisner finally steps down from his all-powerful position as head of the Walt Disney Company, MAYBE then Steven Spielberg will look more favorably on allowing some more Roger Rabbit projects to go into productions. And — were that to happen — well, maybe then MGM would finally get that new Roger Rabbit ride that you were asking about.

But — for now — all of those Roger Rabbit characters (I.E. Roger Rabbit, Jessica Rabbit, Baby Herman, Benny the Cab et al) are in the deep freeze. How deep in the deep freeze? For over 5 years now, WDI management has been telling the Imagineers to “… not even bother pitching any Roger Rabbit-themed rides, shows and attractions for the parks. After all, Spielberg’s not through with screwing with Eisner yet. Steven’s never going to allow any new Roger Rabbit projects to go through. Not as along as Michael’s in charge of Disney.”

I know that sounds like a really grim prognosis, Michael. But the upside is … Michael Eisner’s not always going to be charge of the Walt Disney Company forever. In fact, I’ve heard talk recently that Eisner could be out of a job as early as the Fall of 2006. (JHM will be doing some in-depth reporting about this matter next Tuesday. So be sure to drop by JHM on September 2nd. When we’ll be discussing the Post-Eisner Era. Anyway …)

So hang in there, Michael. 25, 30 years from now … who knows? You may finally get that Roger Rabbit ride at Disney-MGM after all. So patience, pal, patience.

I mean, think about how long the Pinocchio fans had to wait for THEIR ride, okay?

Next, James writes in to ask:

Hello Jim,

What’s the deal with the “Applecore… Baltimore. Who’s your friend?” joke from the “Donald Applecore” short? I vaguely remember what happens, but I don’t understand the joke. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!
James

Dear James:

You know, I once wondered about this particular gag myself. I mean, it sounds legit. Like it’s actually based on some ancient schoolyard prank. The whole “Applecore … Baltimore … Who’s your friend? … Me!” thing. Followed by the flinging of the applecore at your buddy’s head.

But when I asked veteran Disney animator Bill Justice about this “Applecore … Baltimore” stuff, he insisted that it was actually an original bit of business. Something that Bill and the other gagmen invented wholly on their own while they were working with director Jack Hannah on this January 1952 Disney short.

But given that Mr. Justice was fairly up there in years when we discussed this whole “Applecore … Baltimore” matter, I couldn’t help but think: Maybe Bill’s not remembering this correctly. Perhaps this routine actually is based on some schoolyard rhyme that Disney’s gagmen “borrowed.” Or maybe it’s some old bit from vaudeville that they’re paying tribute to.

So help me (and James as well) out here, people. Do any of you JimHillMedia.com readers have any definitive information of this old “Applecore … Baltimore” routine. Whether in fact it was something that Disney’s animators actually invented or whether this bit was something remembered from days gone by. Any and all information would be appreciated.

And speaking of additional information, Artie write in to ask:

Dear Jim,

What’s going on with the Wuzzles? They are a Disney (owned) property, correct? The reason I ask is because I’ve seen (walk-around versions of these characters) popping up in places that I wouldn’t expect them to be.

For instance, in the film “The Sweetest Thing” (not a Disney owned film) starring Cameron Diaz, a guy in an Eleroo costume proceeds to engage in a “physical relationship” with Selma Blair’s character. Now granted, it was a knock-off costume, as you’d never see a Disney character costume doing “that” on screen. But it was Eleroo down to the last detail.

On top of that, over the past few years, I’ve spotted what looked like a costumed Bumble-lion, on more than one occasion. Doing magazine and televised adds for a car company, and — if I’m not mistaken — some type of sports something-or-another. Again, (it’s) probably a knock-off costume, but way too close for Disney not to react. So what’s the deal?

-Artie

Artie –

You know, this one’s got me puzzled as well. I too have noticed that walk-around versions of the Wuzzles character costumes have been popping up in the oddest places. I recall seeing someone in a Bumblelion costume wandering through a music video on MTV not too long ago.

So what’s the deal here? Did someone in the Zoo Crew take home an Eleroo and a Bumblelion costume back in the early 1980s and forget to return it? Well … I don’t think so, Artie. Why for? Because I just called a friend who works in Disneyland’s character department (You know? The folks who actually design and manufacture all of those walk-around character costumes for the parks) and he went through that department’s records. And — near as my pal can figure — there never were any Wuzzle walk-around character costumes produced for the Disney theme parks.

Which — given that “The Wuzzles” wasn’t exactly a screaming success when this Disney animated series initially debuted on CBS back in September 1985 — I guess it’s easy to understand why no walk-around costumes for these characters were ever created. I mean, that show crashed and burned after only 13 episodes. It was hopelessly overshadowed by the other strictly-for-network-television animated series that Disney rolled out in the Fall of 1985, “Disney’s Adventures of the Gummy Bears.”

Which means (I guess) that those Wuzzle costumes that you and I have been seeing on TV recently, Artie, must be knock-off. Something that some Furry with a lot of scratch had put together.

And yet …

You see, I’m not entirely ready to sign off on this explanation because … well … I don’t think that “Disney’s Wuzzles” was quite the failure that I remember it being. I mean, if you were to go over to eBay right now, there’s two whole pages of Wuzzle related merchandise currently up for bid. Things like cute little plush versions of the characters from Hasbro to original animation cels to cake pans.

Plus — if I’m remembering correctly — “The Wuzzles” ran for one year (September 14, 1985 – September 9, 1986) on CBS. Then the same 13 episodes were rerun (and rerun and rerun …) by ABC for most of the next season (September 13, 1986 – May 16, 1987). After that, I’m fairly certain that the show ran on the Disney Channel for a number of years.

So “The Wuzzles” were characters that — while (admittedly) they weren’t nearly as popular as Disney’s Gummy Bears — still had a lot of exposure. And — given that it was Michael Eisner himself who reportedly ordered that these first two Disney animated TV series be put into production — it just stands to reason that there must have been one or two “Wuzzle” character costumes created for the parks.

Tell you what, folks. Let me call my friend at Disneyland’s Character Dept back. I’ll have him check some alternate spellings for Eleroo and/or Bumblelion. Just in case this info has been misfiled.

In the meantime, do any of you recall seeing a walk-around version of Eleroo or Bumblelion while you were visiting Disney’s theme parks in the mid-to-late 1980s or early 1990s? Better yet, would any of you have a photograph of these particular costumes? So that we could compare these outfits to the ones that appear in “The Sweetest Thing” and that MTV video?

I’m fairly certain that I’m right about those “Wuzzle” costumes that Artie and I have seen are knock-offs. But — given that we’ve just started up the “Jim, You Ignorant ***!” section here at JimHillMedia.com — I’d rather be right than have to print a retraction a week or so from now. So — if you folks could help out here — I’d really appreciate it.

And — speaking of JHM readers helping out — here’s a note from Robert S. that sheds some additional light on the Rhine River ride controversy:

Hey there, Jim.

Way back in May, you had a couple small articles in your “Why For” column about the Rhine River attraction that never got built. And there was discussion about the fabled “big wooden doors at the back of the attraction”. Well, I visited WDW in early June, and thought I’d swing by there and take a look.

Anyway … As you approach the back of the Germany pavilion, there are two large arches. The left one leads to the Oktoberfest restaurant. The right one contains a small sitting area for the Sommerfest quick-service food stand.

Aha! This is where I noticed something. In fact, in going back to re-read the May article, the quote referred to the wooden doors as being at the back of the Sommerfest seating area. Well, at the back of the seating area is just a wall with a nice mural painted on it.

But, if you look *up*, you realize that this wall is really a filled-in archway. Where the mural is, the wall is set in about 6-8 inches, and you can see the detail at the top of the arch. My guess is that there *used* to be doors there, but at some point they decided that the attraction would never be built, and they removed the doors and just walled it up.

I took a picture from the *outside* of the whole double-arch entrance, but didn’t get a close-up of the mural archway. But, I attached the photo anyway. I’ve lightened it up a bit so you can see inside better.

[ Click to view larger version ]

If you look closely, you can see the mural and the archway over it on the right side. Looking to the left, you can see the corresponding archway on that side, and how it continues through to the restaurant entrance. This would be the logical way the right-side attraction entrance would be laid out. I have a feeling that Sommerfest was only ever supposed to be a walk-up stand with no seating area, or perhaps not there at all, and was added when they didn’t put in the attraction. It does seem very shoe-horned in. Lastly, I should have looked to see if there was an obvious attraction exit, whether near the restaurant side, or perhaps through one of the stores.

Anyway, I hope this helps with the debate.

-Rob S.

Thanks for the excellent photo and report, Robert. As this particular edition of “Why For” proves, we love it when JHM readers can come forward and help us answer particularly vexing questions.

Anyway … that’s it for this week, folks. I hope you all have a great Labor Day.

FYI: Just a quick programming note. Though Parts VII and VIII of Jim Korkis’ great “History of Comic Books” will run on Saturday and Sunday respectively, we won’t be updating JimHillMedia.com on Monday. David Gasior and I decided to give the crew at JHM a bit of break.

But make sure to come back on Tuesday, September 2nd … when we’ll have a sure-to-be-controversial story up at the site, “The Post-Eisner Era.”

’til then … Well, you folks have a nice, restful three day weekend, okay?

jrh

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