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“Son of Faster, Cheaper” and “Chelsea Boys” offer peeks inside comical, colorful worlds

Jim Hill reviews two books this week — Floyd Norman’s “Son of Faster, Cheaper” and Glen Hanson and Allan Neuwirth’s “Chelsea Boys” — and find he enjoys both volumes. But for very different reasons.

Published

21 years ago

on

I get letters like this all the time:

Dear Jim:

My family and I are traveling out to Southern California next month. Is there any way that you can pull a few strings and get us a special tour of Disney Feature Animation? We’re all such huge animation fans. And I’d dearly love to know what really goes on in that Sorcerer Mickey building.

Christopher C.
Weisbaden, Germany

Gee, I wish I really had that sort of pull, Christopher. But — these days — it’s all I can do to get myself somewhat regular access to the Disney lot (Jeese, you write one or two — or twelve — anti-Eisner articles. And suddenly all the suits in Team Disney Burbank want your head on a pike). So arranging a special tour of Walt Disney Feature Animation for some JHM fans is kind of out of the question. At least for the foreseeable future.

But — on the other hand — if you really want a sense of what actually goes out in the Sorcerer Mickey building, then I suggest that you pick up a copy of Floyd Norman’s great new book “Son of Faster, Cheaper” (Vignette Multimedia, October 2003). This amazing and amusing collection of cartoons will give you some real insight into what actually has been going on inside the Mouse House for the last few years.

For those of you who don’t know: Floyd Norman is a legend in the animation industry. One of the true veterans in his field, Floyd has been “pushing a pencil” for over 40 years now. Probably best known for his work as a story development artist, Norman has worked on features as famous as Walt Disney’s “The Jungle Book” as well as Pixar Animation Studio’s “Monsters, Inc.” Floyd also had a hand in the creation of some of your favorite Saturday morning cartoons during his stint over at Hanna Barbera.

The above — you’ll have to admit — is already one hell of a resume. But the real reason that Norman is a legend among animation insiders is because of his gag cartoons. Drawings that he’ll quickly throw off in order to amuse the other animators or story artists that he’s working with. This often caustic cartoons would comment on something that was going on at the studio at that very moment and/or sarcastically send up one of the clueless suits who was then in charge of a particular production.

It’s these drawings that you’ll find collected in “Son of Faster, Cheaper,” folks. Gags that were never intended to been seen outside of Disney, Hanna Barbera or Pixar. But now you can (You lucky people, you!), thanks to Norman’s great new collection of cartoons.

There’s honestly some wonderful funny stuff in this book, guys. Images that are both timely (Witness Floyd’s great “Clash of the Titans” cartoon. Where Steve Jobs and Michael Eisner are seen attempting to beat each other to death with bags of money) and timeless (An oddly touching drawing that Norman drew back in 1985, right after legendary Disney animation director Woolie Reitherman died in an auto accident. The cartoon shows Woolie — with his ever-present cigar still stuck in his teeth — arriving in heaven. Only to be cussed out by Walt Disney as soon as he reaches the Pearly Gates. Disney — in a halo, wings and gown — is dressing down Reitherman, saying things like “What the hell’s goin’ on down there?! I told you to keep an eye on things!!” And Woolie is muttering an apology: “Aw gee, Walt …” ).

And — if you’re not a fan of Michael Eisner — then you’re REALLY going to love “Son of Faster, Cheaper.” For Floyd totally skewers Disney’s CEO. His drawings have Eisner doing all sorts of outrageous things. Like:

Telling Disney security that “I want security doubled around the Disney lot.” The security officer snaps off a salute and says “Don’t fear those terrorists, sir.” As he strides away, Uncle Mikey says: “Terrorists? I’m talking about shareholders.’

Sharing his new plan for fiscal success with Pixar CEO Steve Jobs. “It’ll be great, Steve,” says Eisner. “You’ll remake all of the Disney movies in C.G. And then we’ll remake all of the Pixar movies in 2-D.”

Standing in the doorway at Disney Feature animation, clutching an enormous bag of cash, as yet another wave of laid-off animators carry their personal belongings out the door. As these artists exit, Eisner calls after them: “Bye! Thanks for making me richer! Bye-bye! Good luck!”

Mind you, Floyd doesn’t just bash the Mouse. There are some equally funny cartoons in this collection that poke fun at Pixar (for its Hawaiian shirt dress code), Dreamworks (To ridicule that studio’s decision to go forward with production of “The Prince of Egypt,” Jeffrey Katzenberg is shown clutching the two stone tables that contain the 10 Commandments as he descends from on high) as well as Hanna Barbera (To further lower the cost of making Saturday morning cartoons, Bill Hanna — in one of Floyd’s cartoons — makes a deal to stop shipping animation work overseas and start shipping production off-planet. The cartoon shows Hanna standing smiling with HB’s new production partner, Darth Vader).

But — primarily — Norman’s “Son of Faster, Cheaper” turns its laser sharp pencil toward the Mouse House. With most of the ridicule aimed at the studio’s now clueless executives (One particularly timely cartoon shows a Disney employee expressing shock at the news that “You’ve fired all the animators?” But the Disney executive tells this panicked staffer not to worry. To pick up the slack, he’s “hired twenty new vice presidents”). One of these drawings even takes a somewhat subtle shot at the sexual orientation of most of the VPs who work at Disney Feature Animation. This cartoon shows two WDFA staffers strolling along a corridor. One animator is saying to the other: “Remember when queens used to be the villains in Disney movies?” “Yeah,” the other animator laments. “And now they’re the guys that we work for.”

That’s just a sample of some of the truly funny, biting stuff that you’ll find in Floyd Norman’s “Son of Faster, Cheaper,” folks. If you’re an animation fan who’d like to get a comical look at what actually goes on inside the Mouse House, I can honestly think of no better book on the market today.

You can pick up your very own copy of “Son of Faster, Cheaper” over to the www.afro-kids.com store, where you’ll find copies of Floyd’s book available for sale right now. So go order a copy now. You can thank me later.

Okay. Now that we’ve finished talking about “Son of Faster, Cheaper,” I’m now going to attempt one of the worst segues of all time. So please keep your hands and arms inside the car at all times.

And speaking of queens and biting but funny stuff — Allan Neuwirth’s publicist just sent me a copy of his brand new book, “Chelsea Boys.”

“Who’s Allan Neuwirth?” you ask. Well, a few months back, I wrote an extremely enthusiastic review here at JHM of Allan’s great animation history book, “Makin’ Toons: Inside the Most Popular Animated TV Shows & Movies” (Allworth Press, April 2003). Which you can read by following this link.

Well, Neuwirth now has a new book out. A collection of the extremely popular syndicated comic strip that Allan and Glen Hanson have been churning out for five years now. And — having just finished reading “Chelsea Boys” — I have to tell you folks that I really like what Neuwirth and Hanson have done here. Their comic strips are beautifully drawn and have some incredibly tight, warm, witty writing in them.

Of course, some folks might be turned off by the very idea of a comic strip that details the varied and various adventures that three gay roommates have as they fumble through life in NYC’s fashionable Chelsea neighborhood. And — given that “Chelsea Boys” features a lot of bedroom and bathroom humor — it’s clear that this book was not intended for small children and/or easily offended adults.

But — that said — me personally, I really enjoyed getting to know neurotic Nathan, naïve but deep Sky and over-the-top drag queen Soiree. Allan and Glen have done a great job here of fully fleshing out their characters. So — while we’re encouraged to laugh at Nathan for being a Barbara Streisand-aholic — we can also feel bad as his various attempts at romance misfire. And — instead of giving in the easy drag queen stereotype with Soiree — this “Chelsea Boys” character becomes someone that readers can easily sympathize with through the heartbreak of sudden career setbacks and his estranged dad’s passing.

Okay. I know. “Chelsea Boys” won’t be every JHM reader’s cup of tea. But I’m really glad that the nice folks at Alyson Publications sent me a preview copy of this particular comic strip collection. I really enjoyed seeing Glen Hanson’s detailed but elegant line work and he and Allan Neuwirth truly have a gift when it comes to character driven dialogue. Me personally? I’m hoping that this is the first of many “Chelsea Boys” collections. I’m really looking forward to finding out about what Nathan, Sky and Soiree have been up to.

So there you have it, folks. Two new cartoon collections that take you deep inside two unique, colorful worlds: Floyd Norman’s “Son of Faster, Cheaper” gives you a satiric peek inside the world of feature animation, while Glen Hanson and Allan Neuwirth’s “Chelsea Boys” takes you on a colorful tour of NYC’s trendiest neighborhood with three lovable characters.

Both books are well worth a look. So go pick up a copy of “Son of Faster, Cheaper” and/or “Chelsea Boys” today.

P.S. Allan Neuwirth’s other book — “Makin’ Toons: Inside the Most Popular TV Shows & Movies” — is also still available through Amazon.com. If you’re a serious animation history fan, you HAVE to have a copy of this book in your library. So if you want to check out “Makin’ Toons” as well, take a look at the JHM review of the book where you’ll also find purchasing information.

If you’re planning on picking up a copy of “Chelsea

Boys” you can help support JimHillMedia.com by ordering your copy

from Amazon.com by clicking the link to the right.

Your cost will (unfortunately) remain the same (though

it is currently 20% off!) But — if you go there through us — we

get a tiny cut of what you spend. So help keep Jim Hill behind the computer

and and pick up your copy of “Chelsea Boys” through the link

to the right.

And don’t forget: You can pick up a copy of “Son of

Faster, Cheaper” over at the www.afro-kids.com

store, for sale right now.

Shop at Amazon.com

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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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