General

A Very “Mary” Monday Mélange

As sort of a tease for next week’s “From Page to Stage” series, Jim Hill serves up several “Mary Poppins” -related stories, including *** Van ***’s ability to see into the future, who almost played Admiral Boom in the movie as well as where to look to find a “Hidden Mary” in one of the “Poppins” books. Plus this week’s JHM readers’ trivia contest.

Published

20 years ago

February 6, 2005

Jim Hill

Jim —

Are you ever going to finish that “Mary Poppins” series that you started back in December? Or am I going to have to come to your house and hurt you?

A fan

Not to worry, “A fan.” There’s no need for you to come up to New Hampshire and do me bodily harm. I’ve actually been hard at work on “Mary Poppins: From Page to Stage” for a couple of weeks now. And I think that the final product (which should start poppin’ up on JHM sometime next week) will be well worth the wait.

“But why has there been such a long delay between new installments in this series?,” you ask. Well, basically what happened is that — back in early January — I suddenly got a ton of brand new “Mary Poppins” – related research material dropped in my lap. Absolutely killer stuff about Walt’s dogged pursuit of P.L. Travers back in the 1940s & 1950s, all the work that was done on that proposed “Mary Poppins” sequel back in the 1980s, as well as Cameron Mackintosh’s 17-year-long effort to secure the stage rights to the “Poppins” books. Some stories that have never before been told in public before … ’til now.

Copyright The Walt Disney Company

Of course, the problem with material like this is that it’s an absolute bear to fact-check. So I’ve been sending e-mails, writing letters, making phone calls. Doing whatever I can to get ahold of people who can help me verify this stuff.

So a lot of this delay is just me, sitting around, waiting for folks who are in the know to get back to me. Which (I know) is a real drag. But it can’t be helped.

Still, most of you folks have been so nice about waiting that I thought that the very least I can do is use today’s “Monday Mélange” to share a few “Mary Poppins” related stories that — while they don’t quite fit in my “From Page to Stage” series — still make pretty interesting reading.

Take — for example — this bizarre moment from a radio interview that *** Tufeld did with Julie Andrews & *** Van ***. Back in the summer of 1964, several weeks prior to the world premiere of “Mary Poppins.”

As the host of the “Hollywood Microphone Spotlight” radio show throws out what he thinks will be a pretty innocuous question, Mr. Van *** suddenly reveals that he has the power to see into the future.

ANNOUNCER: Many of our top Broadway musicals are eventually adapted for the screen. Here in “Mary Poppins” we have a great screen musical written especially for the screen. Do any of you feel that there’s a chance that the process could be reversed? That “Mary Poppins” might eventually be adapted for presentation on the Broadway stage?

*** VAN ***: Without a doubt.

JULIE ANDREWS: But I don’t see how it can. Because that Mr. Disney did so many incredible things in the picture which would be impossible on stage.

*** VAN ***: Oh, yes. But I’m almost sure that it’s going to become a classic story.

JULIE ANDREWS: Oh, I agree there.

*** VAN ***: And someday it’ll be done in the theater. I’m just sure of it.

JULIE ANDREWS: It’s as classic as “Alice in Wonderland.”

*** VAN ***: Or “Peter Pan.”

JULIE ANDREWS: Or “Wizard of Oz” or any of them.

*** VAN ***: I think it will be done on the stage. This is going to make “Mary Poppins” as famous as “The Wizard of Oz.”

As you all well know, 40 years later, “Mary Poppins” was successfully adapted to the stage. This highly acclaimed show is currently being performed in London and is expected to open on Broadway in late 2006.

So — me personally — I find it kind of eerie that *** was able to predict (even before the movie version of “Mary Poppins” had opened!) that this Walt Disney film would eventually be successfully adapted to the stage. (Though — truth be told — this story also makes me wonder how I could persuade Mr. Van *** to pick out my Lotto numbers. Anyway …)

Copyright The Walt Disney Company

If you’d like to hear this interview for yourself, I suggest you pick up a copy of the new 2-disc “Mary Poppins” soundtrack that Walt Disney Records put out late last year. You’ll find Mr. Tufeld’s talk with Julie & *** among the extra features on Disc 2.

And — speaking of Broadway musicals — almost everyone already knows that Julie Andrews was passed over for the role of Eliza Doolittle when Warner Brothers made the movie version of “My Fair Lady” in 1964. But how many of you out there know that Ms. Andrews wasn’t the only member of the original cast of that Lerner & Loewe musical that Walt Disney recruited to be in “Mary Poppins”?

Strange but true, folks. But — if you throw the 40th anniversary edition of “Mary Poppins” into your DVD player and play this film in “Poppins Pop-up Fun Facts” viewing mode — you’ll learn that Stanley Holloway (I.E. The actor who played Eliza’s ne’er-do-well dad) had not only been recruited, he had actually been cast as Admiral Boom in this Disney film. And that the Sherman Brothers had even gone so far as to write a comic number for Holloway to perform in the picture!

So why did veteran character actor Reginald Owen wind laying this role in the finished film? Well, Stanley (just like Julie) had a clause in his contract that said that — if Warner Brothers contacted Holloway and asked him to recreate his Tony Award winning role in the movie version of “MyFair Lady” — that Disney had to agree to let Stanley bow out of “Mary Poppins.”

Of course, when Holloway accepted this part in “Poppins,” he only did so because Stanley believed that he wasn’t going to be cast in the “My Fair Lady” movie. After all, Hollywood was rife with rumors about how Jack Warner only wanted stars to appear in the movie version of this Lerner & Loewe musical. With the head of Warners supposedly contacting Cary Grant to see if he’d be interested in playing Professor Henry Higgins as well as trying recruit screen legend Jimmy Cagney to play Alfred P. Doolittle.

Copyright The Walt Disney Company

So — since the chance to recreate his role in “My Fair Lady” seemed to have eluded Holloway — Stanley was happy to accept the consolation prize. Which was to accept a nice check from Walt Disney Productions to appear beside Julie again in “Mary Poppins.” As well as perform the comic number that Richard M. & Robert B. Sherman had written expressly for this British musical hall vet to perform in the picture. Which featured lyrics like:

Who in the royal navy established that rigid time,

That firm, inflexible interval known as tea?

Admiral Boom!

Time has been my watchword: Punctuality

Though the world takes its time from Greenwich

Greenwich takes its time from me

Admiral Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!

The name for punctuality, you can safely assume …

Okay. Admittedly, it’s not “With a Little Bit of Luck” and/or “Get Me to the Church on Time.” But I’m sure that — given Stanley’s gift for stealing scenes — he could have turned this mild musical hall number into something truly memorable in the finished motion picture.

Anyway … As the story goes, Holloway was just about to fly out to Burbank to begin rehearsals for “Mary Poppins” when Stanley received a frantic call from his agent. It seemed that Jack Warner had changed his mind about casting him (Reportedly because Cagney had turned the role down). So, if Holloway still wanted to play Alfred P. Doolittle in the movie version of “My Fair Lady,” the part was his.

Obviously, Holloway did. So — per their previous arrangment — Walt gracefully agreed to allow Stanley to bow out of “Mary Poppins” so that he could then go appear in “My Fair Lady.” Following Holloway’s exit, Disney quickly replaced him with Reginald Owen.

“So why didn’t that ‘Admiral Boom’ song wind up in the movie?,” you query. Two reasons. 1) Owen wasn’t a song-and-dance man. So there was reportedly some concern at the studio that Reginald really wouldn’t be able to pull the number off. 2) More to the point, “Mary Poppins” already had an awful lot of musical numbers. 14 total in the finished film. So — in order to pick up the picture’s pace — Walt personally cut that number out of the score just prior to the start of production.

That said — if you listen very closely — you can actually hear the music that the Sherman Bros. wrote for that “Admiral Boom” comedy song played as part of the film’s underscore whenever this blusterly character appears on the screen.

Speaking of appearances by Admiral Boom … You can see an image of Boom and his good wife (as drawn by Mary Shepard) in the upper right hand corner of this illustration from “Mary Poppins Comes Back,” the second book in the “Mary Poppins” series.

Copyright Harcourt Brace Young Classics

Now all good Disneyana fans know about “Hidden Mickeys,” right? Those trios of circular shapes that animators & Imagineers delight in stashing in movies and attractions. As sort of a tribute to the Mouse that started it all. Well, the above illustration actually reveals a precusor to the “Hidden Mickey”: A “Hidden Mary.” As in: A cameo appearance by the author & illustrator of “Mary Poppins” within the pages of their very own book!

To explain: In the “Balloons and Balloons” chapter of “Mary Poppins Comes Back,” the practically perfect nanny and her young charges encounter a strange old woman at the entrance to the park who’s selling balloons. Mary agrees to buy balloons for Jane & Michael (As well as their younger brother & sister, John & Barbara Banks). But only if they follow the old woman’s advice. Which is:

“Go carefully, my deary-ducks!” she warned them. “Remember, there’s balloons and balloons, and one for everybody! Take your choice and take your time. There’s many a child got the wrong balloon and his life was never the same after.”

Well, Jane and Michael do choose carefully. Which is why the Banks children are rewarded with balloons that magically have their names emblazoned on them once the balloons are inflated. What’s more, these same balloons then pull Jane, Michael, Barbara, John and Mary Poppins up into the air for a fanciful float across the park.

And soon the sky over Cherry Tree Lane is filled with other folks who have chosen wisely. Who chose balloons that had their names written on them, which then pulled these people up into the air.

Which brings us to that cameo appearance by “Mary Poppins” ‘ author and illustrator. Have you spotted them yet? If not, check out the two attractive ladies in the bottom left hand corner of the illustration.

Copyright Harcourt Brace Young Classics

One woman is cluthing a balloon that reads “L Avers.” That’s because this drawing is supposed to be a caricature of “Mary Poppins” author, P.L. Travers. While — right next to her — is a woman clutching a balloon which reads”Ma Shepa.” That’s because this one’s supposed to be the book’s illustrator, Mary Shepard.

Speaking of Ms. Shepard … P.L. Travers’ “Mary Poppins” books & A.A. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh” stories are linked in a rather interesting way. And — no — not just because both of these books are beloved pieces of English literature that were eventually turned into memorable motion pictures by Walt Disney. NOR because both of these films featured songs that were written by the Sherman Brothers.

No, the link that I’m talking about is more direct, but — at the same time — a lot more subtle than that. Do you think you know what the answer is? If so, send me an e-mail at jim@jimhillmedia.com before midnight EST this coming Thursday. I’ll then award a pound of “Just Plain Joe” Coffee to the three randomly selected JHM readers who get this week’s trivia question right.

Anyway … Consider the above article to be sort of a teaser for next week’s “Mary Poppins: From Page to Stage” series. Which again (I hope) will really be worth the wait.

Your thoughts?

General

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

Published

9 years ago

June 23, 2015

Jim Hill

Greetings from NYC. Nancy and I drove down from New
Hampshire yesterday because we'll be checking out
Disney Consumer Products' annual Holiday Showcase later today.

Anyway … After checking into our hotel (i.e., The Paul.
Which is located down in NYC's NoMad district), we decided to grab some dinner.
Which is how we wound up at the Melt Shop.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is this restaurant that only sells grilled cheese sandwiches.
This comfort food was delicious, but kind of on the heavy side.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is why — given that it was a beautiful summer night
— we'd then try and walk off our meals. We started our stroll down by the Empire
State Building
…

Photo by Jim Hill

… and eventually wound up just below Times
Square (right behind where the Waterford Crystal Times Square New
Year's Eve Ball is kept).

Photo by Jim Hill

But you know what we discovered en route? Right in the heart
of Manhattan's Garment District
along Broadway between 36th and 41st? This incredibly cool series of life-like
and life-sized sculptures that Seward
Johnson has created.

Photo by Jim Hill

And — yes — that is Abraham Lincoln (who seems to have
slipped out of WDW's Hall of Presidents when no one was looking and is now
leading tourists around Times Square). These 18 painted
bronze pieces (which were just installed late this past Sunday night / early
Monday morning) range from the surreal to the all-too-real.

Photo by Jim Hill

Some of these pieces look like typical New Yorkers. Like the
business woman planning out her day …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the postman delivering the mail …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the street musician playing for tourists …

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention the tourists themselves.

Photo by Jim Hill

But right alongside the bronze businessmen …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there were also statues representing people who were
from out-of-town …

Photo by Jim Hill

… or — for that matter — out-of-time.

Photo by Jim Hill

These were the Seward Johnson pieces that genuinely beguiled. Famous impressionist paintings brought to life in three dimensions.

Note the out-of-period water bottle that some tourist left
behind. Photo by Jim Hill

Some of them so lifelike that you actually had to pause for
a moment (especially as day gave way to night in the city) and say to yourself
"Is that one of the bronzes? Or just someone pretending to be one of these
bronzes?"

Mind you, for those of you who aren't big fans of the
impressionists …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there's also an array of American icons. Among them
Marilyn Monroe …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and that farmer couple from Grant Wood's "American
Gothic."

Photo by Jim Hill

But for those of you who know your NYC history, it's hard to
beat that piece which recreates Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous photograph of V-J Day in Times Square.

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, a 25-foot-tall version of this particular Seward
Johnson piece ( which — FYI — is entitled "Embracing Peace") will actually
be placed in Times Square for a few days on or around August 14th to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of Victory Over Japan Day (V-J Day).

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, if you'd like to check these Seward Johnson bronzes in
person (which — it should be noted — are part of the part of the Garment
District Alliance's new public art offering) — you'd best schedule a trip to
the City sometime over the next three months. For these pieces will only be on
display now through September 15th.

General

Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues

Published

10 years ago

June 10, 2015

Jim Hill

Greeting from the 2015 Licensing Expo, which is being held
at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center in Las
Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

I have to admit that I enjoy covering the Licensing Expo.
Mostly becomes it allows bloggers & entertainment writers like myself to
get a peek over the horizon. Scope out some of the major motion pictures &
TV shows that today's vertically integrated entertainment conglomerates
(Remember when these companies used to be called movie studios?) will be
sending our way over the next two years or so.

Photo by Jim Hill

Take — for example — all of "The Secret Life of
Pets" banners that greeted Expo attendees as they made their way to the
show floor today. I actually got to see some footage from this new Illumination
Entertainment production (which will hit theaters on July 8, 2016) the last time I was in Vegas. Which
was for CinemaCon back in April. And the five or so minutes of film that I viewed
suggested that "The Secret Life of Pets" will be a really funny
animated feature.

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, Universal Pictures wanted to make sure that Expo
attendees remembered that there was another Illumination Entertainment production
coming-to-a-theater-near-them before "The Secret Life of Pets" (And
that's "Minions," the "Despicable Me" prequel. Which
premieres at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival next week but
won't be screened stateside 'til July 10th of this year). Which is why they had
three minions who were made entirely out of LEGOS loitering out in the lobby.

Photo by Jim Hill

And Warner Bros. — because they wanted "Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice" to start trending on Twitter today — brought
the Batmobile to Las Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention full-sized macquettes of Batman, Superman and
Wonder Woman. Just so conventioneers could then see what these DC superheroes
would actually look like in this eagerly anticipated, March 25, 2016 release.

Photo by Jim Hill

That's the thing that can sometimes be a wee bit frustrating
about the Licensing Expo. It's all about delayed gratification. You'll come
around a corner and see this 100 foot-long ad for "The Peanuts Movie"
and think "Hey, that looks great. I want to see that Blue Sky Studios production
right now." It's only then that you notice the fine print and realize that
"The Peanuts Movie" doesn't actually open in theaters 'til November
6th of this year.

Photo by Jim Hill

And fan of Blue Sky's "Ice Age" film franchise are in for an even
longer wait. Given that the latest installment in that top grossing series
doesn't arrive in theaters 'til July
15, 2016.

Photo by Jim Hill

Of course, if you're one of those people who needs immediate
gratification when it comes to your entertainment, there was stuff like that to
be found at this year's Licensing Expo. Take — for example — how the WWE
booth was actually shaped like a wrestling ring. Which — I'm guessing — meant
that if the executives of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. didn't like
the offer that you were making, they were then allowed to toss you out over the
top rope, Royal Rumble-style.

Photo by Jim Hill

I also have to admit that — as a longtime Star Trek fan —
it was cool to see the enormous Starship Enterprise that hung in place over the
CBS booth. Not to mention getting a glimpse of the official Star Trek 50th
Anniversary logo.

Photo by Jim Hill

I was also pleased to see lots of activity in The Jim Henson
Company booth. Which suggests that JHC has actually finally carved out a
post-Muppets identity for itself.

Photo by Jim Hill

Likewise for all of us who were getting a little concerned
about DreamWorks Animation (what with all the layoffs & write-downs &
projects that were put into turnaround or outright cancelled last year), it was
nice to see that booth bustling.

Photo by Jim Hill

Every so often, you'd come across some people who were
promoting a movie that you weren't entirely sure that you actually wanted to
see (EX: "Angry Birds," which Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia
Pictures will be releasing to theaters on May 20, 2016). But then you remembered that Clay Kaytis —
who's this hugely talented former Walt Disney Animation Studios animator — is
riding herd on "Angry Birds" with Fergal Reilly. And you'd think
"Well, if Clay's working on 'Angry Birds,' I'm sure this animated feature
will turn out fine."

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, there were reminders at this year's Licensing Expo
of great animated features that we're never going to get to see now. I still
can't believe — especially after that brilliant proof-of-concept footage
popped up online last year — that Sony execs decided not to go forward
with production of Genndy Tartakovsky's
"Popeye" movie. But that's the
cruel thing about the entertainment business, folks. It will sometime break
your heart.

Photo by Jim Hill

And make no mistake about this. The Licensing Expo is all
about business. That point was clearly driven home at this year's show when —
as you walked through the doors of the Mandalay
Bay Convention Center
— the first thing that you saw was the Hasbros Booth. Which was this gleaming,
sleek two story-tall affair full of people who were negotiating deals &
signing contracts for all of the would-be summer blockbusters that have already
announced release dates for 2019 & beyond.

Photo by Jim Hill

"But what about The Walt Disney Company?," you
ask. "Weren't they represented on the show floor at this year's Licensing
Expo?" Not really, not. I mean, sure. There were a few companies there hyping
Disney-related products. Take — for example — the Disney Wikkeez people.

Photo by Jim Hill

I'm assuming that some Disney Consumer Products exec is
hoping that Wikkeez will eventually become the new Tsum Tsum. But to be blunt,
these little hard plastic figures don't seem to have the same huggable charm
that those stackable plush do. But I've been wrong before. So let's see what
happens with Disney Wikkeez once they start showing up on the shelves of the
Company's North American retail partners.

Photo by Jim Hill

And speaking of Disney's retail partners … They were
meeting with Mouse House executives behind closed doors one floor down from the
official show floor for this year's Licensing Expo.

Photo by Jim Hill

And the theme for this year's invitation-only Disney shindig? "Timeless
Stories" involving the Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm brands that
would then appeal to "tomorrow's consumer."

Photo by Jim Hill

And just to sort of hammer home the idea that Disney is no
longer the Company which cornered the market when it comes to little girls
(i.e., its Disney Princess and Disney Fairies franchises), check out this
wall-sized Star Wars-related image that DCP put up just outside of one of its
many private meeting rooms. "See?," this carefully crafted photo
screams. "It isn't just little boys who want to wield the Force. Little
girls also want to grow up and be Lords of the Sith."

Photo by Jim Hill

One final, kind-of-ironic note: According to this banner,
Paramount Pictures will be releasing a movie called "Amusement Park"
to theaters sometime in 2017.

Photo by Jim Hill

Well, given all the "Blackfish" -related issues
that have been dogged SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment over the past two years, I'm
just hoping that they'll still be in the amusement park business come 2017.

Your thoughts?

General

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

Published

10 years ago

June 9, 2015

Jim Hill

You know what Mickey Mouse looks like, right? Little guy,
big ears?

Truth be told, Disney's corporate symbol has a lot of
different looks. If Mickey's interacting with Guests at Disneyland
Park (especially this summer, when
the Happiest Place on Earth
is celebrating its 60th anniversary), he looks & dresses like this.

Or when he's appearing in one of those Emmy Award-winning shorts that Disney
Television Animation has produced (EX: "Bronco Busted," which debuts
on the Disney Channel tonight at 8 p.m. ET / PT), Mickey is drawn in a such a
way that he looks hip, cool, edgy & retro all at the same time.

Looking ahead to 2017 now, when Disney Junior rolls out "Mickey and the
Roadster Racers," this brand-new animated series will feature a sportier version
of Disney's corporate symbol. One that Mouse House managers hope will persuade
preschool boys to more fully embrace this now 86 year-old character.

That's what most people don't realize about the Mouse. The
Walt Disney Company deliberately tailors Mickey's look, even his style of
movement, depending on what sort of project / production he's appearing in.

Take — for example — Disney
California Adventure
Park's "World of Color:
Celebrate!" Because Disney's main mouse would be co-hosting this new
nighttime lagoon show with ace emcee Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Goldberg really had
to step up Mickey's game. Which is why this master Disney animator created
several minutes of all-new Mouse animation which then showed that Mickey was
just as skilled a showman as Neil was.

Better yet, let's take a look at what the folks at Avalanche Studios just went
through as they attempted to create a Classic version of Mickey & Minnie.
One that would then allow this popular pair to become part of Disney Infinity
3.0.

"I won't lie to you. We were under a lot of pressure to
get the look of this particular version of Mickey — he's called Red Pants
Mickey around here — just right," said Jeff Bunker, the VP of Art
Development at Avalanche Studios, during a recent phone interview. "When
we brought Sorcerer Mickey into Disney Infinity 1.0 back in January of 2014,
that one was relatively easy because … Well, everyone knows what Mickey Mouse
looked like when he appeared in 'Fantasia.' "

"But this time around, we were being asked to design
THE Mickey & Minnie," Bunker continued. "And given that these Classic
Disney characters have been around in various different forms for the better
part of the last century … Well, which look was the right look?"

Which is why Jeff and his team at Avalanche Studios began watching hours &
hours of Mickey Mouse shorts. As they tried to get a handle on which look would
work best for these characters in Disney Infinity 3.0.

"And we went all the way back to the very start of Mickey's career. We began
with 'Steamboat Willie' and then watched all of those black & white Mickey shorts
that Walt made back in the late 1920s & early 1930s. From there, we
transitioned to his Technicolor shorts. Which is when Mickey went from being
this pie-eyed, really feisty character to more of a well-behaved leading
man," Bunker recalled. "We then finished out our Mouse marathon by
watching all of those new Mickey shorts that Paul Rudish & his team have
been creating for Disney Television Animation. Those cartoons really recapture
a lot of the spirit and wild slapstick fun that Mickey's early, black &
white shorts had."

But given that the specific assignment that Avalanche Studios had been handed
was to create the most appealing looking, likeable version of Mickey Mouse
possible … In the end, Jeff and his team wound up borrowing bits & pieces
from a lot of different versions of the world's most famous mouse. So that
Classic Mickey would then look & move in a way that best fit the sort of
gameplay which people would soon be able to experience with Disney Infinity
3.0.

"That — in a lot of ways — was actually the toughest
part of the Classic Mickey design project. You have to remember that one of the
key creative conceits of Disney Infinity
is that all the characters which appear in this game are toys," Bunker
stated. "Okay. So they're beautifully detailed, highly stylized toy
versions of beloved Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm characters. But
they're still supposed to be toys. So our Classic versions of Mickey &
Minnie have the same sort of thickness & sturdiness to them that toys have.
So that they'll then be able to fit right in with all of the rest of the
characters that Avalanche Studios had previously designed for Disney Infinity."

And then there was the matter of coming up with just the
right pose for Classic Mickey & Minnie. Which — to hear Jeff tell the
story — involved input from a lot of Disney upper management.

"Everyone within the Company seemed to have an opinion
about how Mickey & Minnie should be posed. More to the point, if you Google
Mickey, you then discover that there are literally thousands of poses out there
for these two. Though — truth be told — a lot of those kind of play off the
way Mickey poses when he's being Disney's corporate symbol," Bunker said.
"But what I was most concerned about was that Mickey's pose had to work
with Minnie's pose. Because we were bringing the Classic versions of these
characters up into Disney Infinity 3.0 at the exact same time. And we wanted to
make sure — especially for those fans who like to put their Disney Infinity
figures on display — that Mickey's pose would then complement Minnie.

Which is why Jeff & the crew at Avalanche Studios
decided — when it came to Classic Mickey & Minnie's pose — that they
should go all the way back to the beginning. Which is why these two Disney icons
are sculpted in such a way that it almost seems as though you're witnessing the
very first time Mickey set eyes on Minnie.

"And what was really great about that was — as soon as
we began showing people within the Company this pose — everyone at Disney
quickly got on board with the idea. I mean, the Classic Mickey that we sculpted
for Disney Infinity 3.0 is clearly a very playful, spunky character. But at the
same time, he's obviously got eyes for Minnie," Bunker concluded. "So
in the end, we were able to come up with Classic versions of these characters
that will work well within the creative confines of Disney Infinity 3.0 but at
the same time please those Disney fans who just collect these figures because
they like the way the Disney Infinity characters look."

So now that this particular design project is over, does
Jeff regret that Mouse House upper management was so hands-on when it came to
making sure that the Classic versions of Mickey & Minnie were specifically
tailored to fit the look & style of gameplay found in Disney Infinity 3.0?

"To be blunt, we go through this every time we add a new character to the
game. The folks at Lucasfilm were just as hands-on when we were designing the
versions of Darth Vader and Yoda that will also soon be appearing in Disney
Infinity 3.0," Bunker laughed. "So in the end, if the character's
creators AND the fans are happy, then I'm happy."

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Tuesday, June 9, 2015