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A special talkin’, blinkin’, name changin’ and swan boat ridin’ edition of Why For

Jim Hill returns with even more answers to your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim talks about the special character heads that are used in “Mickey’s Magic Show,” shares what he knows about Disney-MGM’s coming name change as well as taking a fond look back at the Magic Kingdom’s swan boat ride

Published

18 years ago

on

First up, Roger A. writes in to ask:



Jim,


We just went to see Disney Live!, the new touring magic show this weekend, and were very impressed that Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Daisy all had mouths that moved in sync and their eyes blinked.



Copyright 2006 Disney/Feld Entertainment


Do you know if there’s any plans to use these impressive new heads in the parks, such as during the parades and stage appearances?


Roger


Roger:


Actually, the Walt Disney Company has had character costumes that are capable of doing the whole mouth-moving-eyes-blinking thing for at least 10 years now.


I remember how — back in October of 1996 — my ex, Shelly Smith, came back from this gala event that the Mouse had held at the Orlando O-rena in honor of WDW’s 25th anniversary. And she was just raving about how — as part of this elaborate indoor pageant — the mouth of the Mickey rubberhead that was featured in this show had moved in perfect synchronization with the dialogue that Wayne Allwine had pre-recorded. Which gave the impression that this walkaround version of Mickey Mouse could really speak.


Mind you, this talking-walkaround-character idea actually dates back to the 1960s. In his wonderful behind-the-scenes-at-the-Mouse-House book, “Justice for Disney,” Disney Legend Bill Justice describes how he experimented with strapping a portable reel-to-reel tape recorder to Disneyland cast members. And on this tape recorder would be pre-recorded dialogue for a particular Disney character. Which (once this Disneyland cast member put on the appropriate costume and then turned on the tape recorder) would give the impression that this walkaround character could actually talk.



Illustration from “Justice For Disney” showing how
Bill Justice would create character costumes for the parks
Copyright 1992 Tomart Publications


Unfortunately, the only character costume that was actually big enough to hide the bulk of a 1960s era portable tape recorder was Brer Bear. So the in-park test for this pre-recorded voice track featured this “Song of the South” character saying things like “Howdy!,” “Have you seen Brer Rabbit?” as well as singing “Zip a Dee Doo Dah.”


Which (admittedly) sounds pretty cool. Unfortunately, due to the weight & the thickness of the Brer  Bear costume, this pre-recorded voice track (even when it was played loud enough to almost deafen the Disneyland cast member who was inside the costume) came through as … Well … muffled. So, basically what you got was — from your up-close-&-personal encounter with this experimental talking-and-singing “Song of the South” character — was the impression that Brer Bear mumbled.


So Bill Justice’s idea was tabled for about the next 20 years. Mind you, the Imagineers would periodically revisit this talking-character concept. And — in the end — the wizards of WED would eventually come up with a working prototype. The only problem was … The technology involved with making this talking/blinking character head work was so delicate that it would repeatedly break down. Which meant that it just wasn’t practical to use these heads on a day-to-day basis in a theme park environment.


Which is why these talking-blinking character heads wound up being reserved for special occasions. Moments when the Mouse really wanted to wow people. Like Disney World’s 25th anniversary gala.



Copyright 2006 Disney/Feld Entertainment


Now as to why this technology is now being used as part of a Feld Entertainment show … Let me be blunt here: The folks at Feld still  pride themselves on putting on a quality show. Which means that they’re willing to spend the money to make sure that these talking-blinking character heads work on a daily basis. That’s why they’ve hired technicians to travel with the “Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show” whose only job is to keep these heads in good working order.


Of course, to be fair, Feld only needs these talking-blinking character heads to work for three shows a day. Which is the typical weekend performance schedule for “Mickey’s Magic Show.” On most other days, these heads have to be in good working order for just a single performance, sometimes two-a-day. Which is hardly the sorts of conditions that this technology would be exposed to were these talking-blinking heads to be used at the Disney theme parks.


Still, one hopes that — with the advancements that are made annually in various technical fields — that a sturdy theme-park-friendly version of this talking-blinking-character-head technology will eventually become available. More importantly, affordable.


So hang in there, Roger. You may yet get the chance to chat with Mickey Mouse at your favorite Disney theme park and then have that Mouse talk directly back to you. Here’s hoping that this technical innovation arrives sooner, rather than later.


Next up, Jonathan W. from the U.K. writes in to say:



Jeff M


Just the quickest of quick emails. I know Disney have recently acquired Pixar, but with the pixar studios chruning out great films such as bugs life, nemo, monsters, incredibles, toy story, these films would be fitting for any studio park. We have seen some of these films already turned into rides.


How about Disney changing the Florida park to Disney – Pixar studios, to replace MGM?


Just a random thought and out of all the cool fan sites i follow, thought i was best placed to share it with you.


Jonathon W.
England


Jonathan —


You wouldn’t happen to be a member of the Psychic Friends Network, would you? The reason I ask is that — just as Mark Goldhaber mentioned in the “Quick Takes” section of his Walt Disney World Park update column over at MousePlanet earlier this week — there have been an awful lot of talk coming out of the studios lately about a possible upcoming name change for that theme park.


Why a name change? More importantly,why now? Well, you have to understand that the Walt Disney Company’s original licensing agreement for use of the MGM name in a theme park setting actually expired last year. On June 27, 2005 to be precise. And given that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer now plans to lend its name to a studio park that will be opening in Busan, South Korea in 2010 … Well, they’d kind of like their name back now.


Sooo … For the past 15 months, Disney has been taking advantage of a grace period that was reportedly built into the original MGM licensing agreement as the Mouse carefully reviewed its options. And given that the company just spent $7.4 billion to acquire Pixar … It seems like sort of like a no-brainer to try & recover some of those costs by rebranding MGM as the Disney-Pixar Studio theme park.



NOT the official new logo for the soon-to-be-renamed theme park
Just a little Photoshop fun by Nancy Stadler


As for a possible timetable for this name change … I’m told that Disney is now looking at the Fall of 2007. With the actual name change supposedly happening on or around October 1st. Which typically is when WDW Press & Publicity holds its annual press event.


Mind you, Disney would allegedly use this same press event to open Disney-MGM’s newest attraction, “Midway Mania.” Which — not-so-co-incidentally — will be themed around characters from the two “Toy Story” films.


And about this same time, a version of Disney’s California Adventure‘s “Block Party Bash” (Which — as Disneyland publicity so aptly describes this street party — ” … stars your Pixar Film Pals”) would reportedly begin rolling through the studio theme park each day. And the characters from “Cars” would supposedly start making cameo appearances in the “Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show.”  With the “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” Movie Set Adventure then being rethemed around the characters from “A Bug’s Life.”


So as you can see, over a relatively short period of time (More importantly, not for a huge pile of money), Disney-MGM could quickly become the theme park that every Pixar fan has to visit whenever they vacation at Walt Disney World.  


Ironically, the one man who allegedly has some real reservations about this plan is Pixar’s own John Lasseter. “And why would John Lasseter be against the idea of renaming MGM the Disney-Pixar Studio theme park?,” you ask. Well, the way I hear it, given that — over the next 12 months — Epcot will be opening its newly rethemed “The Seas with Nemo & Friends” pavilion …



Copyright 2006 Disney Enterprises


… And “Finding Nemo — The Musical” will be opening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom …



Copyright 2006 Disney Enterprises


While the Magic Kingdom gets the Laugh Floor Comedy Club. Meanwhile out in California, Disneyland gets the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage while DCA gets its very own version of Midway Mania. And let’s not forget overseas, where Tokyo Disneyland will soon be getting a “Monsters, Inc.” -themed “Hide and Boo Seek” attraction. While Disney Studios Paris will be getting two Pixar-related attractions: the “Cars Race Rally” and “Crush’s Turtle Twister.”


This — in addition to the various Pixar-related shows & attractions that already exist (I.E. The “It’s Tough to Be a Bug” 3D movie at both DCA & Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the interactive “Turtle Talk with Crush” show at both DCA & Epcot, the five versions of “Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin” that can be found operating around the globe … Not to mention DCA’s newly opened “Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue” ride as well as “A Bug’s Land)” …


*Whew*


That’s an awful lot of Pixar-related stuff opening at Disney theme parks worldwide over a relatively short period of time. Perhaps too much. Which is why Lasseter has supposedly expressed some concerns about a possible Pixar backlash.


Should this backlash actually occur, WDI’s new Principal Creative Advisor may (at least temporarily) put the kibosh on the whole renaming-MGM-the-Disney-Pixar-Studios-theme-park plan.


But either way, look for a lot of Pixar-related stuff to start popping up over in WDW’s studio theme park over the next few years.


And finally, Natalie R. writes in to ask:



Jim:


I was just visiting at the Magic Kingdom. And while I was walking around the Hub, I noticed this odd path that meandered down to the moat around Cinderella Castle. Being in an adventurous mood, I followed that path. Which first took me through a sparse looking rose garden before eventually leading me to this green metallic awning over a couple of empty park benches.


Given the amount of time & money that was obviously spent to create this path & awning, I’m sure that there used to be some sort of attraction here. But for the life of me, I can’t figure out what it could have been.


Could you please clear up this mystery for me?


Natalie:


Actually, what you discovered at the end of that path was the old dock / loading area for the Magic Kingdom’s Plaza Swan Boats. This Main Street U.S.A.-based attraction was in operation (on a seasonal and often-quite-sporadic basis) from May of 1973 through August of 1983.



Copyright 1975 Walt Disney Productions


Obviously, the Swan Boats weren’t a thrill ride. What they offered Disney World visitors instead was a temporary respite from the crush and the crowds at the Magic Kingdom. 26 people at a time could clamber aboard one of these natural-gas-powered vessels. Which would then take these WDW visitors on a leisurely cruise around the center of the park.


Most people think that the Plaza Swan Boats just traveled in a circle, making one quick trip ’round the moat in front of Cinderella Castle. Truth be told, your voyage on the Swan Boats included a side trip into Adventureland. Where you circled the base of the Swiss Family Treehouse before heading back into the heart of the park.


Again, we’re not talking about heart-stopping excitement here. Just a gentle 17-minute-long voyage aboard an old fashioned vessel that was named after one of the three fairies from “Sleeping Beauty.”


In short, the Plaza Swan Boats were charming. But as the 1980s arrived and the Imagineers felt the need to shoehorn more thrill rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain into the Magic Kingdom, there was less & less room for charm in the park. And given the boats were notoriously difficult to maintain & keep in operation … It was really only a matter of time ’til the Plaza Swan Boats were eventually shut down.


All that remains of this Main Street U.S.A. -based attraction is the loading dock. Which nowadays is used for private parties and/or as an extra-special spot to stage an Enchanted Engagement.


Me personally, I wish that the Plaza Swan Boats were still in operation. After all, charm is in pretty short supply in today’s world.


And speaking of things that are in short supply … I’m out of time for this week. So you folks have a great weekend, okay? And (hopefully) we’ll see you all again on Monday morning.


j

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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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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