General

Darth Disney versus Obi Wan Jimnobi

Jim Hill fills you in on what actually happened last weekend at Disneyland as well as what he’s been up to these past couple of days. Also: A fond farewell to JHM’s webmaster, Tony Moore.

Published

18 years ago

March 24, 2005

Jim Hill

There’s a famous Chinese curse: “May you live in interesting times.”

Well, folks, these are very interesting times. At least for me.

I mean, over the past five days, my cell phone hasn’t stopped ringing. I’ve had reporters from all over the country calling to request interviews. I’ve had friends & family checking in to make sure I’m okay.

And the e-mail … My in-box has been crammed full with all these wonderful notes. JHM readers writing in to express their outrage, offer their support, asking me what they can do to help (Their ideas run the gamut from sending in protest letters to Disney Company management to holding a sit-in at Disneyland’s Tour Guide Garden … FYI: That latter idea? I think that’s an incredibly stupid plan. Which is why I strongly urge the handful of JHM readers who are reportedly toying with this ’60’s style protest to abandon it ASAP. OK?)

I’ve also had a couple of hundred requests from people who want me to give them a “heads up” when the CD version of my “JHM Disneyland Tour” becomes available. So that they can then get to hear the stories that Disneyland Security thought were too racy or too rude to be told in public. (And — yes, all you iPod users out there — your message has come through loud & clear. Jeff and I will definitely look into prepping an iPod-friendly version of the tour).

And all of this because those three women got confused… <OW>

About that. A number of JHM readers have written in, wondering how that ever could have happened. To be honest, this innocent misunderstanding was more than partly my fault.

To explain: When people sign up for a JHM tour, they’re told to show up 15 minutes prior to the official start of the tour. Which — in this case — was 2 p.m.

Well, as I sat at the entrance of Disneyland’s Tour Guide Garden (I.E. The traditional meeting spot for the start of the tours), I kept hearing from tour participants who had just come in to the theme park’s main entrance that the lines at the turnstiles outside were incredibly long. Which is why it might take a while for the other tour participants to make their way through that crowd.

So 2 p.m. arrives and I’m still short three people for my afternoon tour. Meaning that three individuals (who I won’t name here) who had actually signed up for the 2 o’clock Saturday tour had yet to show up.

So I figured that I’d just hold in the area for a while. I began telling the story about how Disneyland actually came to be right there in the Tour Guide Garden, with the hope that my three no-shows would eventually turn up.

So 2 p.m. becomes 2:15. Which becomes 2:30. And — since I’m about to run out of Main Street-related stories — I’m getting ready to move my 2 p.m. tour group out of the Tour Guide Garden and into the walking portion of the tour … When who appears at my elbow but three ladies.

The diminutive blonde of the group asks: “Is this the tour?”

I’m in mid-story when these women come up to me. Rather than stop my story and formally check them in, I say: “Yes, it is. We’ve been waiting on you folks. Welcome!” Then plunge right back into my story.

The three ladies then proceed to follow along with the rest of the JHM tour group. They listen attentively to my stories, laugh in all the right places. Generally, they seem to be having a good time.

Of course, there were warning signs that things weren’t quite kosher. Like when the older member of the trio asked: “When do we eat?” Given that we don’t usually stop for a meal break on a JHM Disneyland tour, I just shrugged that comment off. Off-handedly saying that maybe we could grab a snack after the tour had formally concluded. So that I could then bring the three ladies up to speed on the portion of the tour that they’d missed out on because they had arrived late.

But it wasn’t ’til the very tail end of the tour (around 4 p.m.) that the diminutive blonde pulled the “Walk in Walt’s Footsteps” brochure out of her purse and said: “But I thought that we were supposed to see Club 33 on this tour …”

Immediately realizing what had happened, I apologized profusely to the trio. Explaining that there’d been some sort of mix-up. That what I was giving wasn’t an official Disneyland tour. But — rather — an unofficial one. Which was why I was able to tell a number of stories that the Walt Disney Company traditionally cuts out of its own recap of the Anaheim theme park’s history.

I then directed the three ladies back to Disneyland’s City Hall. Where I told them to speak with the park’s Guest Relations staff. Who (I was sure) would quickly grasp what had happened and immediately schedule the trio for another “Walk in Walt’s Footsteps” tour.

What I hadn’t counted on was that (and this info comes straight from an unnamed Guest Relations staffer who was working at City Hall this past Saturday afternoon when these three ladies came in) was that the park’s tour staff was initially quite unsympathetic to this trio’s complaints. That — since these ladies had specifically been told where & when to meet for their “Walk in Walt’s Footsteps” tour when they booked their reservations — that the park was now under no obligation to comp them another tour.

Sensing that they were losing this battle, the older woman in the party then became to complain quite loudly: “But the man who was leading that tour. He was telling such awful stories about Walt. How can you allow someone like that to wander around inside your park and say such vicious things about Mr. Disney?”

You see what was going on here, folks? It wasn’t so much that the stories that I was telling were actually all that offensive. But — rather — that three ladies had to really press this point in order to convince the staff at City Hall to agree to give them another free “Walk in Walt’s Footsteps” tour.

So — on the strength of this trio’s complaint — Guest Relations called Disneyland Security. And the rest of the story, you know …

Now Disneyland’s PR department will tell you that the reason that my Sunday afternoon tour got shut down was because I was an outside vendor on private property giving an unauthorized tour. And I’m not going to dispute that point. Why for? Because the Mouse is right.

But — that said — I’m still somewhat bothered by the way this whole thing went down. Like the very first thing that the lead investigator from Disney Security (this sweet, grandfatherly-looking guy) said to me: “We hear that you’ve been saying some pretty nasty things about our theme park.”

And then there was the Mouse’s decision to hijack my afternoon tour group. As in: Stop my 2 o’clock tour 20 minutes in, then take these people off on a “Walk in Walt’s Footsteps” tour instead.

Now some people will tell you that this was just good guest service. But me … I can’t help but think that this was Mickey’s way of trying to get these people to forget any of the somewhat darker tales that I may have told them about that theme park’s origins. So that they’d just go away with only happy memories of “The Happiest Place on Earth.”

But — then again — it’s really hard for me to complain. Given that all of the publicity that’s resulted from the ham-handed way that Disneyland Security handled this whole incident has resulted in enormous traffic for JHM. By singling me out for this sort of treatment, the Mouse may have actually done me a huge favor.

At least, that’s what my friends over at WDI & WDFA are telling me. Perhaps it was one unnamed Imagineer who best summed up this whole silly situation by saying:

Didn’t these people pay attention to what happened to you in Philadelphia last year? Disney kept you from covering the shareholders meeting. And — as result — you wound up on CNN & MSNBC.

Now they kick you out of Disneyland. And, as a direct result, you land in the media spotlight again.

It’s like you’re becoming the Disneyana equivalent of Obi Wan Kenobi, Jim. “If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.”

Maybe you should have that put on your business cards.

Well, I don’t know about that “… more powerful than you could possibly imagine” stuff. I’m not really a “delusion of grandeur” kind of guy. Most mornings, I’m lucky if I can have delusions of adequacy.

More importantly, if I had to pick a “Star Wars” character that I thought I looked most like, I think I’d pass over Obi Wan and go straight for Jabba the Hutt.

Anyway … I won’t lie to you, folks. The attention these past couple of days has been nice. As has been the boost in traffic at JHM. But — that said — I still feel bad for friends like David Koenig. Who was originally supposed to give two walking tours of Disneyland as part of his “Mouse Tales” book signing event (Which will be held Sunday, April 17th at the Compass Bookstore in Downtown Disney). Now that Disneyland Security has insisted that some sort of official policy be put in place regarding unauthorized tours of the theme park, I’m guessing that David’s hour-long “1955 Guided Tour” is off too.

And I’m also kind of embarassed for people like Bob Tucker, the director of Media Relations at the Disneyland Resort. Who — in response to repeated media inquiries about what had happened to me this past Sunday — was forced to issue the following statement:

Only qualified Disneyland Resort cast members are authorized to provide tours of Disneyland. Since Mr. Hill’s tour was not authorized he was asked to leave the property.

As I said earlier in this article, I really can’t find fault in the Mouse’s over-all approach to this situation. Given that I was basically in the wrong. I even managed to find the humor in this comment by an unnamed Disneyland PR flak:

“You wouldn’t go to a ball game and start selling hot dogs,” he continued, “and not expect the ball park to ask you to stop.”

Given the quality of the stories that I sometimes grind out for this site, I find the use of the hot dog analogy to be rather appropo. No. Wait Maybe a cheese dog would be more appropriate.

So — just to recap here:

1) No, I’m not mad at Disneyland Security for doing what they did to me. The people that I dealt with this past Sunday afternoon were unfailingly polite and professional. Even though all of their talk of issuing trespassing warnings and/or having me arrested nearly scared the crap out of me.

2) No, I haven’t gone into hiding because of what happened last Sunday and/or because of some of the more colorful things that have been written about me on other Disney websites. I’ve actually been out in Hawaii these past three days, having a wonderful time visiting with my daughter, Alice. Which is why I haven’t contributed a new story to JHM ’til just now.

3) That said, I’m still somewhat bothered by that “We hear that you’ve been saying some pretty nasty things about our theme park” comment. I can’t help but think that Disney’s need to keep a pro-Disneyland agenda going (particularly as the Anaheim resort gets ready for its upcoming “Happiest Homecoming on Earth” celebration) played a fairly big part in the Mouse’s decision to put a formal “no unauthorized tours” policy in place.

4) And — finally — no, JHM didn’t go dark yesterday because Disney’s lawyers had suddenly descended upon us and shut the site down. But — rather — because there was a bit of miscommunication between Flux Services (I.E. The company that provides & maintains JHM’s servers) and Tony Moore, JHM’s webmaster.

Speaking of which … It is with genuine sadness that I report that Tony Moore has suddenly decided to step down as JHM’s webmaster. I’ve known Mr. Moore for a number of years now (He and I actually worked together at DCACentral.com back in my “Remembering Light Magic” days) and he’s always been a hard worker & a good friend.

There’s no way that JHM would have come so far so fast in the past year or so without all of Tony’s tireless efforts. Which is why we’re really going to miss Mr. Moore around here. Best wishes on your next project. Don’t be a stranger, okay?

So — as Tony Moore rides off into the sunset — JHM now begins its search for its next webmaster. Mind you, I already have a number of candidates in mind. As soon as I get all that behind-the-scenes stuff sorted out, I’ll be sure to let you know.

In the meantime … Nancy just called. We just got another four inches of snow back in New Hampshire. Which I’ll undoubtedly have to deal with once I get back home next Wednesday.

But — for now — my daughter is campaigning to go down to the pool again. So I guess I’d best go find my swimming trunks, then head downstairs.

Anywho … I hope that you folks enjoyed all the unnecessary drama this week. Here’s hoping that things quiet down a bit here at JHM come next Monday.

Til then … You folks take care, okay?

jrh

General

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

Published

8 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

8 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

8 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