General

Don’t Shoot the Messenger

Given that last Friday’s “A Question of Character” seemed to anger an awful lot of JHM readers, Jim Hill thought that he might point out some of the less-obvious Disney-related ties to some recently constructed theme park attractions.

Published

21 years ago

June 6, 2004

Jim Hill

You know, there’s an old cliché that says: People who like politics and sausage shouldn’t watch either being made.

Well, based on the reaction that last Friday’s “A Question of Character” story, maybe we’d better add “people who love Disney theme park rides” to that list.

I mean, I’ve never seen e-mail like this before, folks. People virtually frothing at the mouth (in an e-mail sort of way) because they just flat-out refused to accept the premise of that piece. Which (in a nutshell) said that — if the Imagineers really want to make sure that a new ride, show or attraction that they’re proposing for construction in a Disney theme park gets approved by current Disney management — they’d best fold in some Disney-character related content into the mix.

For some odd reason, just the fact that I would dare to say something like this (Which — to my way of thinking, anyway — was just stating the obvious) drove some JHM readers right over the edge. Which is why (I guess) I got dozens of pieces of angry e-mail over the weekend. From people who were determined to prove me wrong.

Typically, the examples that these folks would cite in an effort to support their arguments would include:

Mission: Space
Test Track
DCA’s “Golden Dreams” attraction
Epcot’s “Soarin'” attraction
The “Moteurs! … Action Stunt Show Spectacular” that’s currently being built at Disney-MGM
“Rock n Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith”
The “Expedition: Everest” thrill ride that’s currently under construction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Lucky the Dinosaur

Well, far be it from me to throw a bit more gasoline on the bonfire … But — were you diehard Disneyana fans to just remove your rose-colored glasses — you’d clearly see that:

“Mission: Space” — is based on Touchstone Pictures’ March 2000 release, “Mission to Mars.” Don’t believe me? Well, then you might really want to take a closer look the next time you wander through the queue of this Future World pavilion. Those models of spacecraft that you see dangling overhead? Those are actually miniatures that were used in the making of the movie’s various special effects sequences. That large rotating space station set (You know? The one that makes those extremely motion-sensitive folks who are standing in line feel kind of woozy? Just because they can’t help but stare at this giant revolving thing?) was also used in the making of this Touchstone Pictures release.

And who’s the host of “Mission: Space” ‘s pre-show film? Gary Sinise, one of the stars of “Mission to Mars.” And — once you board your flight simulator — where do you supposedly go? You go on a simulated “Mission to Mars.”

Getting the picture yet, folks? Of course, had “Mission to Mars” done much better at the box office (This Touchstone Pictures’ release only pulled in $60 million during its domestic run. Which didn’t even come close to covering that film’s $100 million price tag), the Imagineers would have been happy to play up the all-too-obvious connection between this Future World pavilion and that Brian DePalma film. But — given that Disney Company management had already written off “M2M” as a flop by the late Spring of 2000 — WDI was asked to play down the link between “Mission: Space” and the “Mission to Mars” movie.

But then — when 2002 rolled around and the Imagineers released that they had little or no money left to cover the cost of decorating “Mission: Space” ‘s queue area — that’s when WDI decided to revisit its original decision to deliberately link this Future World pavilion to “M2M.” They figured that — if they just used the props, sets & models from “Mission to Mars” but didn’t actually mention the movie — Well, that couldn’t possibly offend any current Disney Company managers. Who hold to that old Hollywood tradition that you always bury your mistakes, that you never actually admit that you ever had a flop.

That decision seems to have worked. To my knowledge, Disney CEO Michael Eisner has never complained about seeing all that “Mission to Mars” stuff on display as he strolled through “Mission: Space” ‘s queue area. Knowing how tight with a buck Uncle Mike is, he was probably thrilled that the Imagineers found such an affordable way to decorate the interior of the attraction.

(Speaking of Disney & money … There’s a fascinating story about that “Mission to Mars” movie. The Walt Disney Company actually let the first director that they hired for that film — Gore Verbinski — go because he wanted “M2M” to be a special effects extravaganza. A film with no less than 600-700 effects shots.

Disney wasn’t willing to spend the money necessary to to make that version of “Mission to Mars.” So they let Gore go and replaced him with Brian DePalma. Who significantly pared down the scope & proposed cost of the project so that his version of the film would only feature 240 effects shots.

Long story short: Brian’s low budget version of “M2M” failed to really wow audiences. So — the next time that Disney hired Gore Verbinski to direct a motion picture — they let him have all the special effects shots he wanted.

That picture turned out to be much more popular than “Mission to Mars.” Maybe you’ve heard of it? “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”?

Okay. That’s enough with the cute little informational asides. Let’s get back to our main story, already in progress, shall we?)

Next up is “GM Test Track” — Which even I have to admit doesn’t have an obvious Disney character tie-in.

Mind you, that’s not for lacking of trying on Disney’s part. The Mouse actually lobbied long & hard for the auto maker to allow the Imagineers to include a brief cameo by Herbie the Love Bug as part of that Future World thrill ride. But General Motors executives nixed that idea. The closest that GM would come to caving in to Disney’s we-need-to-put-some-sort-of-character-into-this-attraction request was allowing the Mouse to develop that Crash Test Dummy Goofy walk-around character that occasionally makes appearances just outside of this Epcot pavilion. Which — of course — then allowed Disney to create the plush doll version of Crash Test Dummy Goofy. Which (I’m told) is a really big seller in the post-show shop area at “GM Test Track.”

Getting back to “Herbie” for a moment … Given that Disney’s just greenlit production of a big screen remake of “The Love Bug” (Which is supposed to star Lindsay Lohan), I think that we should expect to see this Herbie-makes-an-appearance-at-Epcot idea get revisited. I’m told that the Imagineers have already begun scouting around the “GM Test Track” entrance area, looking for possible locations for a “Herbie” photo op spot.

Getting back to “Test Track” … Among the other ideas that Disney tried to get GM to go along with was having Tim Allen (I.E. The star of Disney’s then-still-on-the-air sitcom, “Home Improvement”) as the “host” of this Future World pavilion. That’s the other aspect of this new equation that WDI constantly has to deal with. As in: If you can’t come up with some sort of Disney character-based hook to build your new ride or attraction around, then you then have to find a Disney-related celebrity or performer that you can then use as that show’s “host”?

I mean, take a look at how Whoopi Goldberg (Star of Disney’s “Sister Act” movies) wound up being the “host” of DCA’s “Golden Dreams” attraction. Or — for that matter — how Whoopi, Tim Allen, Drew Carey, Regis Philbin & Jackie Chan ended up in “Superstar Limo.” Or Rosie O’Donnell (The voice of Terk in “Tarzan”) and Colin Mochrie (Acclaimed improv performer from ABC’s “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”) wound up as the “hosts” of the Boudin Bakery tour.

These days, this has become the automatic default position for WDI. If you can’t find a Disney character that’s appropriate to build a theme park attraction around, you then search for a Disney-and/or-ABC-related celebrity to serve as your show’s “host.” Or — if you’re really desperate — you search for some way to combine these two elements.

Take — for example — “Soarin’.” This DCA attraction as well as its opening-in-2005 clone features sitcom star Patrick Warburton (Who also did the voice of Kronk for “The Emperor’s New Groove” as well as for the film’s video premiere sequel, “The Emperor’s Newer Groove”) as the “host” of this attraction’s pre-show. Then — to fold in that Disney-character-based element — this show ends with a fly-over of Disneyland as well as a close encounter with a computer animated Tinker Bell.

Okay. I’ll admit that some of these Disney-character-related moments are brief — like Herbie’s cameo in the “Moteurs! … Action Stunt Show Spectacular” — and/or seem somewhat tenuous — like Aerosmith serving as the “hosts” of Disney-MGM & Walt Disney Studios’ “Rock n Roller Coaster.” (The Imagineers only went after this legendary rock group because the Walt Disney Company already had a pre-existing relationship with Steve Tyler & Co. As you may recall, Areosmith recorded “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” Which was the “hit single” from the soundtrack of Disney’s summer 1998 release, “Armageddon.”)

You picking up on the pattern yet, folks? There’s always got to be some sort of Disney-related connection these days if an attraction’s going to get management’s final approval for construction.

Even DAK’s still-under-construction “Expedition Everest” has a movie tie-in. Don’t believe me? Then go to Google and look up “Esau.” You’ll see that “Esau” is a Philip Kerr novel about the discovery of the Yeti. More importantly, it’s also a book that the Walt Disney Company purchased the movie rights to back in 1997. “Esau” has been in & out of development at the studio for almost seven years now.

Now — according to my sources at Imagineering — the real reason that “Expedition Everest” exists at all at DAK is that the folks at Touchstone (a few years back) told the Imagineers that “We’re doing this movie based on a book about a search for the Yeti in the Himalayas. Do you think you guys could build a ride around a character and a setting like that?”

Well … Obviously, they could.

As for Lucky the dinosaur … If ABC’s “Dinotopia” TV series had proven to be a hit, the Walt Disney Company would have probably been much more upfront about this character’s true origin. That this autonomous walking figure was actually inspired by one of James Gurney’s characters. But — once the television project based on Gurney’s books bombed — Disney wanted to distance itself from that disappointment. Which how Lucky wound up being just some generic dinosaur.

Speaking of disappointments … I know that it’s got to be really disappointing to some of you Disneyana fans out there to realize that these are the sorts of factors that actually influence which attractions get built at the theme parks. As is: Which set of characters can we tie this expensive new ride system to? And/or if we fold this hot celebrity into the show, will Eisner then allow us to build this attraction?

But that’s just the nature of the beast these days, folks. Building a new Disney theme park ride, show or attraction around a preexisting set of characters and/or a celebrity not only makes it easier for WDI to get a project greenlit … It also makes it that much easier for the theme park to later promote that show. To sum up the story & theme of a particular attraction in one quick sound bite. “The Tower of Terror? It’s like you’re starring in your very own episode of ‘The Twilight Zone.’ “

And — yes — I’ll admit it. “The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror” is probably the only theme park attraction where I can’t come up with a clear cut Disney-character-or-celebrity related tie-in. Though — if I really wanted to stretch things — I could point out that the child star who winds up disappearing when the hotel is struck by lightning is seen clutching a Mickey Mouse doll as she enters the elevator.

But — obviously — there are exceptions to these rules. Take — for example — those recently constructed attractions like “Primeval Whirl” & “TriceraTops Spin” at “Chester & Hester’s Diorama” area at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Which clearly don’t follow the pattern that I’ve described in detail in this article.

But — when you take a step back and take a real hard look at the big picture — you’ll see that adding Disney-characters-and/or-Disney-related-celebrities really has really become the Imagineers’ default position. I mean, look at how DAK’s “Conservation Station” went under the knife, only to return from rehab as “Rafiki’s Planet Watch”? Or — for that matter — how the characters from “Finding Nemo” recently got folded into Epcot’s “Living Seas” pavilion?

Is there a danger in Disney taking this sort of approach to all of its upcoming theme park expansion projects & redos? Sure. Tomorrowland — for example — may soon become just a Sci-Fi-themed version of Fantasyland. With all the real science inspired attractions being forced out to this area to make room for rides & shows like “Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin” & “Stitch’s Great Escape” … Not to mention the “Little Green Men Flying Saucers,” the “Finding Nemo” themed redo of the Subs as well as the “Cars” themed overlay for the Autopia that are reportedly waiting in the wings.

Now I know that a lot of you out there are still probably going to find things to complain about with this article. Some minor flaw in my logic. Which — to your way of thinking — totally negates what I’ve been trying to say here.

Well, if that’s really the case, then … So be it then. Just please don’t shoot the messenger for trying to state the obvious.

Though I guess I should point out that — out of the dozens of pieces of e-mail that I received this past weekend — I never got a single letter of complaint from a Imagineer. Not one. Nobody at WDI felt the need to step forward and say: “You got it wrong, Jim.” It was only the Disneyana fans who just HAD TO pick apart the premise of that piece.

Whereas the guys from WDI … Given that that what I’ve been describing here is old news to them, just a hard reality that they have to live with — day in & day out — … The Imagineers didn’t challenge the piece. If anything, they used my “A Question of Character” story as an opportunity to indulge in a little gallows humor.

Take — for example — this mordant joke that one former Imagineer sent my way on Saturday:

The next attractions to be suggested for DCA will be Country Bears, Haunted Mansion and Pirates, all remakes based on the movies.

Which — given the wrong headed way that the Walt Disney Company has been running its theme parks lately (As well as that persistent rumor that the old “Country Bear” AA figures may eventually be used to decorate the sparser section of DCA’s “Grizzly River Run” attraction) — the above joke is probably more truthful than we know.

Anyway … I’m sure that the above article will probably give the more fanatical of you Disneyana fans out there even more to complain about. But — as for the rest of you folks — what do you think?

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