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Encounter Restaurant & Bar remains a Barbaraella-gant way to waste some time while passing through LAX

Published

12 years ago

on

LAX's Encounter Restaurant and Bar has encountered some pretty
serious challenges over the past 15 years.


Photo by Jim Hill

For those of you who don't remember: When this WDI-designed restaurant
and bar first opened inside of the Theme Building at Los Angeles International
Airport back in January of 1997, people just couldn't get enough of its
retro-futuristic stylings  (not to
mention that California Fusion Cuisine menu which renown LA chef John Rivera
Sedlar  had put together for this eatery).
Which is why Encounter quickly became a hipster hangout. The perfect place for
a celebrity's birthday party (John Travolta supposedly celebrated his 40th here.
Even though this Oscar-nominated actor was actually 43 at the time) and/or a studio's
wrap party (The  cast and crew of Austin
Powers & "Air Force One
" both gathered here for completion-of-production
celebrations).

So back then, Encounter had momentum. More importantly, it
had great buzz. Which is why — if you came by this place in the late 1990s on
a weekend night looking to grab a quick bite before your flight — the hostess
downstairs would then tell you that the wait for a table was now two hours or
longer. Which is why so many of us had to settle for a seat at that moon
crater-shaped bar, nursing a drink (which — FYI — had been poured out of this
super-cool bar gun that resembled a space-age ray gun. Complete with glowing
laser lights and weird whirring sounds) while we wondered what it might actually
be like  to dine at this stylish
establishment.

But then 9/11 happened. And given that LAX closed this
restaurant and bar's designated parking area while it attempted to reevaluate what
the airport's new security needs would be in the wake of this national tragedy,
Encounter had to close as well. And it was almost six months before LAX and the
Department of Homeland Security could finally figure out whether it was wise
(given the U.S.'s new airport security concerns) to allow this restaurant and
bar's patrons to get within close proximity of Los Angeles
International Airport's air traffic control tower.


Copyright Los Angeles World Airports. All rights reserved

By the time Encounter re-opened in the Winter of 2002, the
bloom was off the hipster rose. Despite the obvious
"Barbarella-gance" of this restaurant and bar, the additional levels
of security that people now had to pass through whenever they entered or exited
LAX didn't exactly make it easy to drop in for a quick cocktail. Which is how
Encounter went  from being this celebrity
hot spot that was extremely hard to get into,  to a place where travelers could waste
some time before their flight enjoying a surprisingly fine meal in a stylish
setting with a spectacular view.

Encounter encountered another hiccup in March of 2007 when a
half-ton chunk of stucco suddenly fell out of one of those spider-like legs
that tower over LAX's Theme Building and then crashed down on this restaurant
and bar's roof. As you might expect, Encounter quickly closed after this
incident so that safety inspectors could evaluate whether it was okay for
diners & drinkers to return to this structure.

By November of 2007, the authorities at LAX had agreed to
let Encounter re-open. But only after a $12.3 million plan was put in place to
restore the Theme Building / make this then-46 year-old structure seismically-sound.
Which is why — for almost two years — this Mid-Century modern structure was shrouded
with all sorts of scaffolding.


Please note the sign in the lower right-hand corner of the above photograph, which says that
the restaurant in LAX's obviously-being-renovated Theme Building is still open for business.

Which (according to what I heard from Encounter insiders)
was incredibly frustrating to Delaware North (i.e. the hospitality company that actually operates
this restaurant and bar). Because tens of thousands of people would walk past LAX's
Theme Building on the way to their flights, look up at all that scaffolding and
then think "Encounter must be closed because of all that construction. I
guess I'll just have to hold off on  visiting that restaurant and bar 'til the next
time I pass through LAX."

Mind you, during this entire time, Encounter is continuing
to rack up all sorts of accolades. With Food & Wine, Esquire.com and Frommers.com
all naming this LAX eatery one of the Top Ten airport restaurants in the
country. Meanwhile Delaware Companies Travel Hospitality Services, Inc.
(working in conjunction with Connie Bass, a Los Angeles entrepreneur) took
advantage of this downtime to revitalize the interior of this restaurant and
bar.

Which (I have to admit) gave me pause. Especially when I saw
that all of the "Meow Collection" chairs that designer Lisa Krohn had
created for Encounter being sold off on Craigslist. Given that — back in the
day — themed entertainment guru Eddie Sotto had put an awful lot of thought
into the design of this restaurant and bar … 
I worried that this LAX eatery would no longer be (to borrow Mr. Sotto's
description) an "  …  intergalactic gateway (which accommodates)
space flights to and from other worlds." A place where " … the
sophisticated sci-fi feel of (its) interior provides the perfect backdrop for
what (Eddie called) 'jet set' dining in a space-age atmosphere." In short,
Encounter restaurant and bar was supposed to be that imaginary watering hole where
 " … George Jetson, James Bond and
Barbarella could (all) drink together."


Copyright Delaware North Companies Travel
Hospitality Services. All
rights reserved

Well, George, James and Barbarella couldn't make it this
past Wednesday night. So I was all by my lonesome as I made my way to LAX's
Theme Building to grab a quick dinner before I then flew back home to New
Hampshire.

And I have to admit that things didn't exactly get off to a
great start. I noticed — as soon as I entered the lobby of Encounter
restaurant and bar — that they'd sometime over the past few years discontinued
the downstairs hostess. Who used to set the perfect tone for this space-age
dining experience by standing behind a 1960s-style reservations desk in her
sliver dress and cooing "Have a nice encounter" as you entered the
elevators for the upper dining room.


Photo by Jim Hill

What's more, while the elevator that I rode up to Encounter
in still played that cool Therimin music, its interior was looking pretty tattered.
As if one too many tourists had tried to pry the wood paneling and/or
decorative metal off the elevator's walls to take home as an out-of-this-world
souvenir.

Add to this the extremely low lights level of Encounter
(which is why I nearly walked into this restaurant and bar's
once-white-now-painted-jet-black maitre d stand upon exiting the elevator) and
it did admittedly take me a few minutes to get my bearings after I'd
entered this multi-level eatery.


Photo by Jim Hill

But once my eyes adjusted to the colorful-if-somewhat-dim
lighting provided by Encounter's eight over-sized lava lamps as well as those
strange amoeba-shaped lighting structures embedded in this restaurant
and bar's ceiling, I have to admit that (as a child of the 1960s) it was hard
not to be thoroughly charmed by this place. What with its curving cloud-like
booths …


Photo by Jim Hill

… and its moonstone quarry walls.


Photo by Jim Hill

Of course, what also helped here was that the food which
Encounter's staff served up last Wednesday night was delicious. Given that
Nancy was back home in New England, I then didn't have to abide by her "No
Cute Eyes" rule (Translation: No eating anything that has cute eyes. Which
means no beef or pork, but still somehow allows for the consumption of chicken
and fish). Which is why I decided to treat myself to a steak. And the
flame-broiled Flat Iron Steak that I was served was cooked to perfection. It
was this moist, tasty piece of meat that was accompanied by garlic whipped
potatoes & sautéed broccoli and made for a very satisfying meal.

Better yet, even though I had arrived at this restaurant and
bar at 8:30 p.m. and Encounter actually closes its doors at 9 p.m.,  the staff there told me that I was more than
welcome to linger over my meal. More to the point, after I finished eating, I
was then free to explore the place and check out all of the great details which
made dining inside of LAX's Theme Building such a memorable experience.


Copyright Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services. All
rights reserved

So — once I'd finished that steak — camera in hand, I
wandered around Encounter. Marveling at all the terrific little touches. Like how
the diachronic glass which had been used to make this restaurant's bar top reflected slightly
different colors depending on the lighting level and the angle you viewed it
from.

That said, looking out of that huge bank of windows at all
of the planes which were coming & going at LAX reminded me that I still had
a plane to catch. Which is why I sadly bid adieu to Encounter's romanticized /
highly-stylized version of space travel & air travel from the 1960s and
lugged my carry-on back to the Delta terminal. Where — all too soon — I would
soon be dealing with the harsh reality of modern day air travel, what with its
full body scanners and "Please remove your shoes" rules.


Photo by Jim Hill

Which is why — before crossing the street — I found myself
fondly looking back at the Theme Building, as Michael Valentino's lightning
package turned those four 135 foot-tall parabolic arches which rise above Encounter
from magenta to electric blue. I mean, it's hard to believe that — back in
late 1996 / 1997 — the Imagineers were able to deliver this highly stylized
restaurant and bar for just $4 million. Which perhaps explains why — in
1998  — Encounter received the International
Themed Entertainment Award for Excellence on a Limited Budget / Themed
Restaurant.

So do I miss the downstairs hostess in her silvery space-age
costume? Sure. Not to mention when Encounter's menu used to include this piece
of language:

"Any Spacecrafts with an Interstellar Crew of Six or
More shall have an Automatic Docking Fee of 18% (In other words, an 18%
gratuity will be added to parties of 6 or more."


Copyright Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services.
All
rights reserved

But in spite of some of those small fun details slipping
away, I'm still glad that Encounter has faced down all of those challenges it has encountered
over the past 15 years and has still found a way to stay in business. Give weary
travelers a Barbaraella-gant way to waste
a few hours experiencing some stylized 1960s space-age fun before they then
have to face the grind of real-life, modern day air travel.

So the next time you find yourself with a little free time
while traveling through LAX, why not give Encounter a try? And if you see James
Bond, George Jetson and/or Barbarella seated at the bar when you get off that
elevator, please tell them that I said "Hello," okay?

Encounter Restaurant and Bar is located at 209 World Way at
Los Angeles International Airport. It's open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
dinner 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., 7 days a week. For further information, call
310-215-5151 and/or checkout Encounter's website.




Related Topics:

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

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General

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

Published

9 years ago

on

June 23, 2015

By

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. 

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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

on

June 10, 2015

By

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?

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General

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

Published

9 years ago

on

June 9, 2015

By

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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