General
Why For?
Why For?
Better late than never, Jim Hill returns with even more answers to your Disney related questions. This time around, Jim offers up an apology, brings us some sad news about “Miss Piggy’s Superstar Limo,” reveals Tinker Bell’s X-rated past, then points you toward a great couple of articles over at FilmForce.
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First of all, let me apologize for the delay in getting up this week’s “Why For” column. But it’s been another one of those weeks out here in the woods of New Hampshire.
What’s gone wrong this time? Well, the big main computer here at the house — our Compaq Presario — went Ker-FLOOM! on Monday. And since Nancy comes from the school of thought that says “I worked in the hi-tech sector for 23 years, that means that I should be able to repair my own home computer all by myself,” she’s been slowly plugging away for the past four days … while I’ve been slowly pulling out what remains of my hair.
So what’s this crisis’s current status? Well, despite numerous calls to Earthlink, Netscape and Microsoft, the Presario and our satellite dish are still not communicating with one another. And — given that I keep asking my significant other “Is the computer fixed yet?” — Nancy is no longer speaking to me.
So — in order to try and stay current with what’s been going on on the Web — I am now forced to use our ancient, steam-driven laptop. Which redefines slow. (You can actually watch the seasons change as you attempt to download your e-mail.)
And – since Nancy also has to use our aged laptop in her search for clues as to how one goes about resurrecting a dead computer – Well … Let’s just say that I haven’t be able to get nearly as much time on the Internet as I would have liked this week.
So my apologies to all of you who have been patiently waiting for me to reply to your recent e-mails. I’m afraid that you’re going to have to wait just a wee bit longer. At least until Nancy gets our Presario to rise from the grave and/or until I figure out how to recreate my own working computer out of pine sap, folding chairs, Dixie Cups and string.
Hopefully, all of our computer problems here at the house will finally be cleared up sometime over the coming weekend. Or else … Nancy will, I’m certain, kill me in my sleep long before Monday morning ever rolls around.
And — on that happy note — let’s get to your “Why For” questions, shall we?
First, Bryan S. writes to ask:
Mr. Hill
Just a quick Why For? question for you. In a recent Why For? you said that an attraction tentatively titled “Miss Piggy’s Superstar Limo” would be headed to DCA and possibly the Disney-MGM Studios if Disney acquires the Muppet portion of the Jim Henson Company. My question is, if this happens, how likely is it that the Studios and DCA will get an updated Muppet Vision 4-D? Why didn’t DCA get a brand new version of the show when it opened? Why has Muppet Vision 4-D remained for SO LONG without a major rehab?
Love the site!
Thanks a lot
Bryan Schreier
Bryan –
I hate to be the one to burst your bubble here. But — as of this moment — never mind about getting a new movie for “Kermit the Frog presents Muppet Vision 3D.” It’s now looking very likely that we won’t even get “Miss Piggy’s Superstar Limo.”
What’s the problem now? Well, you have to understand that the Walt Disney Company is this very dynamic organization. Things are changing at the Mouse House all the time. (Take for example, Forbidden Mountain. Which was what the soon-to-be-officially-announced new thrill ride for Disney’s Animal Kingdom was originally supposed to be called. Not any longer. A decision was made recently to change the name of this DAK attraction to “Expedition Everest: The Legend of the Yeti” and/or “Expedition Everest: The Legend of Forbidden Mountain.” Either way, “Expedition Everest” is the new main moniker for this Asian-themed roller coaster … though — given that there’s still a week or so ’til this project’s officially unveiled to the press — the name of DCA’s new thrill ride could concievably change … again. Anyway …)
And while there are admittedly some real die-hard Jim Henson fans working for Walt Disney Imagineering, folks who are actually pulling for DCA’s Hollywood Pictures backlot to be changed into a mini-Muppetland … that’s NOT what’s going to happen now. At least for the foreseeable future.
So what’s the hold-up now? Well, for starters, the Walt Disney Company still hasn’t been able to come to terms with EM.TV, the German-based broadcast consortium that currently owes the Jim Henson Company. Once again, the hold up seems to be over monetary issues.
And given that the Mouse is becoming increasingly reluctant to put more moula on the table (Why for? Well, what with all of the long term outside licensing and merchandising deals the Henson organization and EM.TV already have in place for Kermit & Co., it now appears that it could be years before the Walt Disney Company could actively begin to cash in on the Muppet characters) in its effort to finally acquire the Muppets, there is the very real possibility that this deal could fall through … again. Which means that the Jim Henson Company could be in play … again. And the Muppets could end up being the property of some other entertainment conglomerate.
Which is why the Imagineers were told last week to stop yammering about a “Miss Piggy’s Superstar Limo” ride. That WDI would be adding that ride concept to the discard pile where the idea for the initial SSL redo (“Goofy’s Superstar Limo,” remember?) now rests.
Based on what Imagineering insiders have told me this past week, “Monsters, Inc.” (Which — ironically enough — has been called “… the greatest Muppet movie the Jim Henson Company never produced”) is now officially the theme of the SSL redo. The ride vehicles for this soon-to-be-revamped DCA dark ride are reportedly already back in Glendale, waiting to be repainted and retooled. And — if all goes according to plan — this “Monsters, Inc.” themed attraction could be open for Disneyland Resort guests to ride as early as this December. (Though — truth be told — a more likely scenario is that this revamped Hollywood Pictures Backlot ride will only soft-open over the 2003 holiday season, with the official grand opening of “Monsters, Inc.” being held back ’til Spring 2004. When this new dark ride would open in tandem with DCA’s “Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.” The Mouse’s PR flaks are reportedly hoping that — with the opening of these two highly promote-able attractions — that the Disney corporation will be finally able to successfully relaunch its second Californian theme park.)
So where does this leave the Muppets? Well, let me share with you a phone call that I received earlier this week from a senior Disney Company official. The following is a reconstruction of a conversation I had with someone who’s supposedly intimately aware of what’s going on with the EM.TV / Henson negotiations. I’m working off of the notes I took that night while we talked on the phone.
I should warn you, though, that this guy isn’t exactly enthusiastic about the idea of Disney acquiring the Muppets. Why not? Read on:
“… The Muppet characters are pretty much dead in the water. At least from our point of view. Sure, Kermit, Piggy and Fozzie have some name recognition with baby boomers. But not with their kids. And that’s the demographic that Disney’s really lusting after these days.
That’s why — at least from a sheer business point of view — this acquisition just doesn’t make that much sense, Jim. It’s going to take Disney years — and millions of dollars — to revive the Muppet franchise. To bring Henson’s characters back into the public eye. To make Kermit & Co. as popular as they once were with the movie-going and TV-watching public.
Sure, the Henson film library would be a nice score. I hear that ABC Family has already called dibs on that. But as for the characters themselves …
Disney’s going to have to put years into reviving this franchise. Getting the Muppets back on television back on television on a weekly basis is Priority One. Putting the characters back in the theme parks in a big way — featuring them in elaborate new rides and shows — just doesn’t make good business sense right now. Not until they’re re-established.
So the Imagineers can dream and scheme all they want. But I guarantee you that no new Henson-based stuff is going into the theme parks until after Kermit & Co. start making some serious money for the Mouse. Once that starts happening … maybe then you’ll see stuff like ‘Miss Piggy’s Superstar Limo’ popping up in DCA, MGM and the studio park in Paris. But not until.
Sounds kind of harsh? I know. But what all you Disney and Muppet fans keep forgetting is that the most important part of the term ‘Show Business’ is the word ‘Business.’ Disney — like every other major entertainment company out there — is in this to make some money. To keep their stockholders happy by keeping share prices high.
That’s why it’s smarter for the company to go with this ‘Monsters, Inc.’ ride instead of the Miss Piggy themed redo. Disney already knows — based on how well that film did during its 2001 theatrical release, not to mention the millions more the Mouse made off of ‘Monsters, Inc.’s video and DVD release in 2002 — how popular these Pixar characters are. How much Disneyland Resort guests would love to see Mike and Sully in a ride at DCA.
And — given that the Mouse is still trying to get Pixar to sign a new distribution deal — it just makes sense for Mickey to throw a new ‘Monsters, Inc.’ ride into California Adventure. Show the folks back in Emeryville how much Disney really cares.
Whereas the Muppets … honestly, Jim. If Michael Eisner hadn’t been a personal friend of Jim Henson. More importantly, if Eisner had been able to let go of his decade-long obsession with finally being able to successfully acquire the Muppets, I don’t think that Disney would still be trying to cut a deal with EM.TV.
I mean, when you really think about the amount of money that Disney is going to have to reinvest in the Muppets in order to revive the franchise, to make these characters commercially viable again … and that’s on top of the $60 – $70 million that we’ve still got to shell out in order for EM.TV to finally sign over the characters … it’ll be a decade or more before Disney actually makes a dime off of the Muppets.
Can you see now why we’re not exactly busting our asses to make this EM.TV deal happen? Mind you, Uncle Mike’s still hot to make this deal. Particularly if we can acquire the Muppets for half of what we were supposed to pay for the characters back in 1989. But as for the rest of us … if Kermit & Co. were to get acquired by some other company, there wouldn’t be a whole lot of broken hearts in my office …”
Kind of disheartening to read something like that, isn’t it? But this Disney exec — let’s call him Mr. Downer, shall we? — is right, you know. The Walt Disney Company is a publicly-held company. Which means that the corporation is obliged to try and make some money for its stockholders.
So Muppet fans may mourn the idea that they’re not going to get the chance to ride “Miss Piggy’s Superstar Limo” anytime soon (and WDI observers have to wonder if the official green-lighting of a “Monsters, Inc.” ride for DCA’s Hollywood Picture Backlot district now tables all talk about turning the backmost portion of that theme park into Pixar Point / Place). But a more important question remains: given that the Walt Disney Company’s top priority seems to be making a quick buck off of Kermit & Co., rather than safeguarding Jim Henson’s characters and keeping them evergreen for generations yet to come (which is the real reason that Jim approached the Walt Disney Company in the Summer of 1989 … to insure that his creations would live on long after he himself was gone), I have to wonder … does it actually make any sense now for the Walt Disney Company to acquire the Jim Henson Company? Wouldn’t it be better in the long run for Kermit & Co. for the Henson characters to be acquired by some smaller company? Some entertainment organization who isn’t quite so obsessed with quickly cashing in.
I mean, truth be told, there has always been a severe culture clash between the Jim Henson Company and the Disney organization. I remember hearing the stories about when Jim was down in Central Florida during the Spring of 1990, shooting that “Muppets at Walt Disney World” TV special. The negotiations for Disney to acquire JHC were well underway at this time. And Henson wasn’t exactly happy with how aggressively Disney’s lawyers were behaving.
During Henson’s time in Orlando, he met with Disney Studio officials at the Team Disney Building. (You know? That oddly shaped building across from Downtown Disney? The one that looks like it has the cooling tower for a nuclear power plant sticking up out of its middle.) Jim arrived early with his people. And — as they waited in the conference room for then-Disney Studio head, Jeffrey Katzenberg, to arrive — Henson looked out the window and noticed that there were turkey vultures high overhead, circling the building.
Someone in the Henson Company contingent made a joke to the effect of “Vultures circling the building that we’re trying to close this deal in. That’s not a very encouraging sign.” But Jim … well, Henson being the eternal optimist (not to mention being a great lover of nature) … he stood at the window and explained what was actually going on. How these birds — in spite of their unsightly appearance and unfortunate names — were actually quite majestic.
Henson then launched into a mini-lecture about turkey vultures. How they had this elaborate mating dance. How these birds could spread their wings and ride the thermals, never touching ground for hours at a time.
And — as Jim was still talking — Jeffrey Katzenberg entered the conference room. Diet Coke in hand, Jeffrey strode up to the window and looked up at the birds soaring high overhead as Henson finished up his lecture.
Then Jeffrey chimed in: “Turkey vultures, eh? Disney got in a lot of trouble last year for killing a bunch of those birds. The people who run the parks got tired of them roosting on Space Mountain. So over on Discovery Island, they captured 30 or 40 of them. Beat some to death. Locked the rest up in a small tin shed and let the heat finish them off. Somehow the press found out. We got a lot of bad publicity. Had to pay a hefty fine to the state too. But at least those birds stopped crapping on the Contemporary … soooo … let’s get started, shall we?”
Seriously, folks. That’s how this round of the Disney/Henson acquisition negotiations got underway. With Henson waxing rhapsodic about the majesty of the turkey vulture. And Jeffrey Katzenberg revealing that the Mouse had whacked a bunch of the birds because Disney was tired of cleaning vulture poo off its buildings with high pressure hoses.
Obviously, this wasn’t a very auspicious start to the meeting. Things went even further downhill when Jim said that “I only want what’s fair for my people.” Katzenberg’s response? A derisive snort, followed by “Hey, pal. Get out of the ’60s.”
With the hope that it might make things easier for Jim if he better understood Disney’s negotiating style, Jeffery said that “The Mouse works a lot like the Mossad (the infamous Israeli Intelligence Agency). For every one of our guys that you get, we take out five of yours. Fair doesn’t factor into the equation, Jim.”
And — while Jeffrey Katzenberg has been out of the Mouse House for nearly a decade now — that “Take No Prisoners” attitude remains prevalent at the Walt Disney Company.
So given the kind, gentle, whimsical, uniquely entertaining nature of what the Henson organization does, again I have to ask: Is the Walt Disney Company still really the right corporation to acquire the Jim Henson Company? Particularly since senior Disney Company officials (as was evidenced by the transcript of that phone call I had earlier this week) don’t really seem all that enthusiastic about the Mouse’s prospects for making any money off of the Muppets for a while.
Surely there must be a better company out there. Some corporation that would be a better fit, where people would try to safeguard Henson’s creations, rather than constantly try to cash in on Kermit & Co.
Here’s hoping anyway …
Next, N.W.E. writes in to ask:
Jim
Great site. Thank you. I have a question and don’t know where to turn. Re-watched Peter Pan this weekend and really came to realize that Tinker Bell is not the nicest of Pixies. How did someone with a “temperament” like this get such a top “Spokesperson” position in the company. Was it an accident that took fire or a deliberate plan?
Thanks for any insight you can offer.
Noell Wolfgram Evans
Dear Noell:
Funny thing about that Tinker Bell. Sure, the character was feisty and somewhat sexy when Ms. Bell made her initial appearance in Disney’s 1953 theatrical release, “Peter Pan.” But then — when Walt decided that Tinker Bell would play a large role in the promotion of Disneyland (not to mention her innumerable appearances in 1950s era Peter Pan Peanut Butter commercials) — her character was quickly cleaned up and calmed down.
Mind you, this didn’t sit all that well with the crew over at Disney Feature Animation. They didn’t like the idea of Marc Davis’ wonderfully sassy sprite being de-sexified. Which is why an after-hours, off-the-book project was initiated.
And what sort of project was this? It was a very short film. 10 – 15 seconds of animation, tops. Done in finished pencil sketch form. NOT in ink and paint. Without sound or music.
What was it? It was a cartoon of Jiminey Cricket getting intimate with Tinker Bell.
No, this isn’t an urban legend, folks. Several veteran animators that I’ve interviewed over the years, guys who started their animation careers at Disney Studios in the late 1950s and early 1960s, have very vivid memories of when they first saw this Tinker Bell / Jiminey Cricket footage.
I should stress here that it’s my understanding that Walt Disney — nor any other senior official of Walt Disney Productions — ever had any knowledge that this footage actually existed. This sexy Tinker Bell sequence was a private joke among the Nine Old Men (I.E. Walt’s pet name for the most experienced members of his animation staff). Something that they’d occasionally chose to spring on junior members of the WDFA department.
Typically, the gag would go down something like this: One of the Nine Old Men would surreptitiously splice this pseudo-pornographic scene into an assembly of rough footage that was supposed to be shown in a sweatbox session. There, these younger animators would anxiously be awaiting the screening of the scenes they’d just finished animating. Puppies playing, squirrels scampering, etc. And — in the middle of all of this innocuous pencil test footage — suddenly here’s Jiminey Cricket giving Tinker Bell “a little whistle.”
As this footage unreeled, the Nine Old Men who were present would laugh heartily at the shocked expressions on the faces of their younger charges. Then they’d swear the newbie animators to secrecy, carefully spliced the offending scene out of the assembled footage, then stash it away … ’til the next time they decided to shock one of the newer members of the Feature Animation staff.
Okay. Quick show of hands here: how many of you JHM readers were shocked to learn that this sort of thing went on at Walt Disney Feature Animation back in the 1950s and 1960s?
Alright. If you actually WERE shocked when you read this story, I have just two words for you: GROW UP.
After all, the Nine Old Men — indeed, the entire department over at Disney Feature Animation — weren’t saints. They were men. Guys who liked to smoke, drink, fart and swear. They were people who truly appreciated the female form. And if drawing a short scene where two of Disney’s beloved icons got it on got a laugh … well, so much the better.
So what finally became of this infamous footage? Curiously, animators that I’ve interviewed who started working at Walt Disney Productions in the 1970s and 1980s don’t recall ever actually seeing the Tink-and-Jiminey footage. They’d heard about it, of course. They know of its legend. But none of these animators have actually seen this sexy sequence … which leads me to believe that — when the keeper of the footage retired from the studio — he took the offending film home with him.
So somewhere in Southern California — stashed in the back of a drawer, or hidden away in an attic — there still probably exists a short reel of black-and-white 35MM Disney dynamite. Something that the Mouse’s legal department would undoubtedly love to get its hands on and destroy.
Mind you, it wasn’t just Disney employees that did this sort of thing. This short Tinker Bell and Jiminey Cricket sequence would probably seem positively tame in comparison with the one reel pornographic epic — starring Popeye and Betty Boop, no less — that Max Fleischer reportedly had produced back in September of 1938. This legendary film was allegedly created as sort of a coarse “Thank You” present to all those artists who agreed to come on down to Florida when the Fleischer Studio relocated from New York City to Miami, FL.
This particular cartoon — according to those folks that I’ve interviewed who claimed to have attended the Fleischer “Welcome to Miami” party — wasn’t just 10 to 15 seconds of finished pencil work. No, this one reel wonder was supposedly fully inked and painted with detailed backgrounds full of stylized Florida landscapes. It also featured a full vocal track as well as a musical score. More importantly, it was said to be outrageously amusing … with Betty Boop giving Popeye an extremely warm welcome for making the long trip down to Miami. (I’m told that a highlight of the film came when Popeye — after an extremely strenuous session with Betty — downed a can of spinach and … well, you can guess the rest, can’t you?)
That film — to my knowledge — was only shown once publicly at this “Welcome to Miami” party at Fleischer Studios. After that, Max reportedly locked the only copy of this toon away in the Fleischer Studio safe. (Though I’ve also heard tell that Max would occasionally screen the cartoon for special male visitors who were touring the Florida facility.) Once the Fleischer brothers were forced out of their own animation studio by Paramount Pictures executives in 1942, the reel reportedly dropped from sight. Lost to the ages, I suppose.
I don’t suppose that any of you JHM readers out there might know what actually became of that Jiminey Cricket / Tinker Bell pornographic pencil footage and/or that one reel epic that Max Fleischer reportedly had made of Betty Boop and Popeye mating? If either of these two films were to ever resurface … well, wouldn’t that make one hell of a story?
And — finally — Richard A. writes in to ask:
Jim:
Just a quick note, hoping you might find time/space to write about the return of Disney comics to North America. They are coming out in June, from Gemstone, the same people who print the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide.
Richard Allen
Richard –
Funny you should mention the re-emergence of Disney Comics. I had recently asked my friend, Greg White — the proprietor of “Comic Books & Collectibles” in Kissimmee, FL. — if he’d like to contribute a column to JimHillMedia.com about this very same subject.
Greg responded with a very brief article on the subject. Which is all well and good. Except … well … you folks know how things work here at JHM. We like our stories to be extra long. Hyper detailed, if possible.
So I was just about to call Greg and ask him to do a rewrite. To expand on the subject, if you will. When suddenly the phone rings. And who’s on the other end of the line but Greg’s lovely wife, Lisa. Who’s calling to tell Nancy and I that — just last Sunday — Greg fell off his roof while trying to clean his gutters. And — since he severely injured his back in the course of the fall — Greg’s had to have surgery and is now resting somewhat comfortably at Celebration Hospital.
Obviously, this was a real shock for all of us. Particularly Greg and his family. But the good news is that Greg’s already on the mend. He’s up and walking again. And — with any amount of luck — Greg should be out of the hospital shortly and back in the loving arms of Lisa, E.J. and Jonathan very soon.
The entire JimHillMedia.com family wishes the best of luck to Greg. Here’s hoping that he’ll be able to make a speedy and full recovery very soon.
But — since Greg’s not really in a position right now to expand on his original Disney Comics article — I thought that I should direct you folks to someone who’s already done a superb story on what Gemstone and Disney are up to.
Meet Kenneth Plume. Ken’s a columnist over at FilmForce at ign.com. He did this truly fine interview with Steve Geppi of Gemstone last month. This piece lays out the particulars of the re-emergence-of-Disney-Comics in great detail. It’s honestly fascinating reading. You can take a look at the piece here.
Plume’s a writer that you’re probably going to want to add to your “Favorites” list. Don’t believe me? Then you check out these interviews that Ken just did with Disney animation vets Don Hahn and Andreas Deja. Fascinating reading, don’t you think?
Okay. That’s enough for this week, I think. Here’s hoping that Greg White — and Nancy and my Presario — are both on the mend soon.
Have a great weekend everyone, okay?
jrh
General
Seward Johnson bronzes add a surreal, artistic touch to NYC’s Garment District
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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.
General
Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues
![](https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/jim-hill-media-featured-1200x675-1.png)
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
![](https://jimhillmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/jim-hill-media-featured-1200x675-1.png)
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
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