General

Don’t Toy With Me

Seeing as we’re sharing all sorts of geeky stories here at JimHillMedia.com today, Jim finally admits his deep dark secret: For years now, he’s been doggedly pursuing complete sets of McDonalds Happy Meal toys. But only the Disney-related ones.

Published

21 years ago

October 14, 2003

Jim Hill

The following is a true story. It actually happened to Nancy and last Wednesday night. As we were driving from New Hampshire down to Peabody, MA. Where I was scheduled to speak at the Peabody Historical Society about Pleasure Island.

En route, Nancy started to get hungry. I suggested that — in order to save time — we quickly get off the highway, go do the drive-up thing at some fast food joint, grab some eats and then get back on the highway ASAP. She agrees … which is why we ended up stopping at the McDonalds in Chelmsford, MA.

Now keep in mind that I’m the one who’s actually driving the car. So we roll up to the outside speaker, place our order, then pull around to the first drive-thru window. Where we’re supposed to pay for our food.

So we pull up to that window. And — according to what Nancy tells me — there was this absolutely stunning woman working the drive-thru. Someone possible of Malaysian descent. With beautiful dark skin and oriental features.

But me? I never really noticed this woman. I mean, I paid her … But she didn’t really register with me.

Why for? Because just behind this allegedly stunning beauty, on a nearby counter, there was a freshly opened cardboard box full of brand-new McDonalds Happy Meals toys. And — as she handed me my change — I was craning my neck to look around this beautiful girl. To see if the toys behind her were from the restaurant chain’s upcoming “Brother Bear” promotion.

Oh the shame of it! Here I am, an allegedly grown man. Yet I’m hopelessly addicted to collecting Disney-realted McDonalds Happy Meal toys. Is that geek-like behavior or what?

How did I start down this ridiculous road? I can pretty much trace things back to the Summer of 1991, when Walt Disney Pictures put “101 Dalmatians” back into theaters for the fifth time in 30 years. As part of the studio’s cross promotional efforts for that film, Disney cut a deal with McDonalds. Which is why that fast food chain began offering (“For a limited tiome only!”) four “101 Dalmatians” themed toys as giveaways with their Happy Meals. If I’m remembering correctly, the figures that the restaurant chain offered its customers back in 1991 were Pongo the Pup, Lucky the Puppy, the Colonel and Sgt. Tibbs and Cruella De Vil.

Anyway … my good friend, Eric Craven, and I were headed to the movies. To see “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” at a multiplex in Natick, MA. As we were driving to the theater, Eric turns to me and says “I’m hungry. Can we go to Mickey D’s before we hit the cinema?” I say “Sure.”

So we drive up to the McDonalds that’s off of Route 9 in Framingham. And – seeing as we’ve got some time to kill – we opt to go inside and eat there.

So we’re in line at the counter. And — as I’m standing there — I see this child go by, happily clutching a Pongo the Pup toy. And I think to myself: “That’s a pretty good looking ‘101 Dalmatians’ toy. In fact, I don’t ever remember see a Pongo the Pup toy before. Maybe I should get one of those to add to my Disneyana collection.” So I step up to the counter and say — in a clear adult voice — “I’d like a Happy Meal. The one with the dog, please.”

So the smiling McDonalds employee takes my money & then hands me a Happy Meal box. So I take it back to the table that Eric had found for us, sit down and open the box. And – sure enough – there’s a dog inside (Along with my burger & fries). But it’s Lucky, not Pongo.

So back to the counter I go. Somewhat embarrassed, I explain that I had wanted the adult Dalmatian toy, not the cute little puppy. The McDonalds employee then apologized, but explains that their restaurant had just run out of Pongos. Which is why I unluckily ended with Lucky.

But came the two sentences that changed my life. The two sentences that I wish I’d never heard. The McDonalds employee then leans across the counter and says: “You know, if you’ve really got your heart set on getting a Pongo, you what I’d do? I’d drive around to some of the other McDonalds in the area and see which toys they’re giving away today.”

And you know what? That’s exactly what we did that afternoon. Cruised up and down the length of Route 9, with Eric continually yammering “But Jim … I thought we were going to see ‘Terminator 2’.” And me saying “We are, Eric. Just as soon as we find that damned dog.”

Of course, the second McDonalds that we visited that day didn’t have any Pongos for sale either. But they did offer a Colonel and a Sgt. Tibbs with their Happy Meals.

Now don’t ask me why, but I ended up getting a Happy Meal at that restaurant. Mostly because I thought that — if I crammed some food in Eric’s face — he’d stopped complaining about how he was missing out on all the senseless violence that he was sure to enjoy while watching that the AH-nauld movie.

So while Eric wolfed down that cheeseburger, I looked out at the Lucky the Puppy and the Colonel and Sgt. Tibbs that I had set up on my dashboard and … Damn it! I still could have gotten out then. I could have done what Nancy Reagan said we should do and just said “No.” I mean, it’s not like I actually needed a Pongo the Pup toy.

Looking back on this life changing event, I find it extremely ironic that — just weeks previous — I had attended the 1991 National Fantasy Fan Club’s annual convention. Where Imagineer Craig McNair Wilson spoke to a room full of Disney dweebs and warned us that “… If you have just one of something, that’s alright. If you acquire two of something, you’re treading on thin ice. But once you own three of something … That’s a collection, my friend. And once you start a collection of anything, you’ll be on the prowl for the rest of your life.”

So — with just two of those “101 Dalmatians” Happy Meal toys in hand — I still might have been able to escape. Not give in to the madness. But at the very next McDonalds that Eric and I drove to … Guess what? They didn’t have any Pongos left either. But they were offering a cute little Cruella De Vil toy. And — given that I had already acquired the Lucky and the Colonel and Sgt. Tibbs toys — I thought: “Oh, what the hell. I might as well as get the Cruella toy too.”

And — with that one single purchase — my fate was sealed, folks. Without even realizing what had just happened, I had become a Disney-themed McDonalds Happy Meal toy collector. I was now doomed to wander the earth ’til the end of my days, dropping by McDonalds after McDonalds after McDonalds, forever asking “What toy do you have? What toy do you have?”

Why do I do it? More importantly, why is this such a hard habit to break? I don’t know what to tell you, people. Other than to say: I actually get this weird sort of buzz after I’ve managed to collect all the toys in a particular McDonalds Happy Meal set. A strange sense of accomplishment that I now trace back to my search for Pongo on that hot summer afternoon back in 1991.

(FYI: I actually did manage to finally find a McDonalds that afternoon that still had some Pongos in stock. Mind you, we ended up driving around 10 different restaurants before we finally found that particular McDonalds. But there was much rejoicing as we carried Pongo back to the car. Particularly from Eric. Who kept asking me: “So NOW can we go watch AH-nauld terminate people?”).

So then we headed off to the cinema to see “Terminator 2.” And — after the movie was over — I dropped Eric off at his apartment, and then headed for home. Once I arrived there, I carried my hard-won treasures into the house. Then — almost as a joke — I lined those “101 Dalmatians” Happy Meal toys up on my mantlepiece. As if they were some sort of hard won trophy.

Which — in a way — I guess they were. Which is why I kept the Happy Meal toys there for a couple of weeks. When they came to my apartment, people would ask me about them. And I’d then launch into the tale of my dogged pursuit of the “101 Dalmatians” Happy Meal toys. And the more I told that story, the more I thought: “I had fun trying to chase down all four of those McDonalds toys. I’ll have to do that again sometime.”

Fast forward 12 years. I’m now downstairs in my office, pounding away at the keyboard. If I turn my head to the right, I can see a complete set of “Treasure Planet” Happy Meal toys (I.E. the action figures as well as the cool orb that you could build out of the additional pieces that came along with each figure in this set) high up on one of my library shelves. Below those is a complete set of “Monsters, Inc.” Happy Meal toys (Each of these figures came with their own working door.)

I personally collected each and every figure in those sets. And — if I turn my head to the left — I can see my complete set of “Lilo & Stitch” bobbling Happy Meal toys. Which is on a book shelf right above my complete set of “Finding Nemo” talking / light-up Happy Meal toys. Figures that I also collected personally, one toy at a time.

Mind you, these are just the sets of McDonalds toys that I currently have out on display, folks. Elsewhere in the basement, I have boxes upon boxes full of other completed sets of Happy Meal toys. Figures that I have doggedly chased through the years down in McDonalds up and down the Eastern Seaboard. Out in the state of California. Even as far away as Hawaii.

Why do I continue to do this? Nancy asks me that very same question. And — to be honest — I don’t have a particularly coherent answer for this query. Force of habit? Because it’s there? Because I enjoy doing it?

You know, the more I think about it, the more I realize that it’s really that last answer That I actually enjoy the act of collecting. Going out and doggedly pursuing these toys. The thrill of the hunt, so to speak. Toughing it out. Visiting McDonalds after McDonalds after McDonalds until I’m finally able to pull together the completed set of … well … whatever it is the new series of Disney-related Happy Meal toys appears to be.

Mind you, I could cheat. By that I mean: I could go on eBay and just buy a completed set of Happy Meal toys. For example, right now, there’s someone on there who’s selling off a complete set of the “Mulan” McDonalds figures from 1998 here as well as a complete set of “The Jungle Book” Happy Meal toys for 1997 here.

And I know of several McDonalds around the country who have actually begun catering to the less ambitious collectors out there. The folks who aren’t willing to waste the time, money or gas necessary to drive from restaurant to restaurant to restaurant in search of the latest toys.

So how do these McDonalds cater to couch potatoes who collect? They do so by offering to sell you — for one set price, mind you — a complete set of whichever Happy Meal toys they’re currently selling at that time. (Heads up to all you Disneyland regulars out there who also collect Happy Meal toys. The McDonalds that’s right across from the entrance to the park — You know, the one at 1500 S. Harbor Boulevard? — current offers this service. So keep that in mind the next time you’re frantically charging around, trying to put together a complete set of the “Finding Nemo” figures. )

But me personally? I prefer to do things the old fashioned way. Which means going from McDonalds to McDonalds, always asking the same question: “Which toy do you have?”

You know, I just thought of something. You want to know the OTHER reason that I really enjoy collecting Disney-related McDonalds Happy Meal toys? Because it embarrasses the hell out of Nancy. And — given that I don’t really drink, smoke or gamble … well, a man has to do SOMETHING to annoy the woman in his life.

And in my case, it’s the dogged pursuit of those Disney-related Happy Meal toys. Which is admittedly geeky behavior. But — hey — at least it keeps me off the streets at night.

Unless — of course — you’re talking about later this month. On October 31st, to be exact. That’s the day when McDonalds introduces its new set of “Brother Bear” Happy Meal toys. So you can bet that I’ll be hitting the road on Halloween night, as I try to get a jump on collecting all eight figures in this series.

Okay, now that I’ve come out of the closet (so to speak) and revealed myself to be a Disney-related Happy Meal toy collector, who else has a geeky, somewhat embarrassing story to share? About their collection of rare, unique or just plain strange Disney-and/or-movie-related items?

General

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

Published

10 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