General

I’m not lion, folks. This may be the most gruesome edition of “Why For” yet

Jim Hill returns with answers to more of your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim talks about the very first “Living Character” to appear in the Disney theme parks, what the African veldt sequence in Disneyland’s “Jungle Cruise” used to look like, the real significance of “The Wonderful World of Color” as well as making JHM readers aware of an upcoming charity event

Published

18 years ago

September 21, 2006

Jim Hill

First George K. writes in to say:

Jim

I really enjoyed today’s story about the Muppet Mobile Laboratory that’s going into DCA next year. But in that listing of all the “Living Character Initiative” projects that have gone into the parks already, you left out the first (and my personal favorite) : Push the walking, talking trash can.

Photo courtesy of Google Images

So could please you amend today’s article so that Push finally gets the acknowledgment that he deserves, so that this talking trash can assumes his proper spot in Disney theme park history?

Dear George K.

Actually, as fun as it is to see Push the Trash Can in action (And — just for the record — Push reportedly made his first public appearance at WDW‘s Magic Kingdom back in 1997) it appears that there was another “Living Character” at the Disney theme parks that actually predated him.

“Which character?,” you ask. Would you believe Donald Duck?

Take a look of the two image captures below from Disneyland‘s “Fantasy on Parade.” Which was presented at the Anaheim theme park back in the mid-1960s.

That’s Donald & his nephews riding — all by themselves — in an old fashioned, open-top roadster. This remote-controlled car (Which was reportedly the size of a “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” vehicle) could supposedly traverse the entire parade route on battery power. The Disneyland cast member who was walking in the street behind the roadster guiding the vehicle would deliberately make it swerve from side to side, nearly hitting the park guests who were seated along the curb. As if Donald barely had that car under control.

Of course, the main reason that this cast member would do this was so that Disneyland guests wouldn’t notice that the Donald, Huey, Dewey and Louie dummies that were seated inside the vehicle couldn’t actually move. Mind you, the figures were reportedly loosely attached to the car’s seats. So that — as the roadster swerved back and forth across the street — the characters would also shift in their seats. Which sort of gave the illusion that these characters were alive.

Then when you add in the reel-to-reel tape player that was hidden under the car’s seat (Which reportedly played a recording of Donald & the boys singing the “Quack, Quack, Quack Donald Duck” song) … The illusion was complete. To Disneyland visitors of the mid-1960s, it really did appear as if Donald himself were driving a tiny little car through that theme park.

“So what became of Donald Duck and his roadster?,” you ask. The way I hear it, this remote-control vehicle was so difficult to operate safely inside the park that the people who ran Disneyland’s parade eventually took this unit out of the regular line-up. Which meant (from then on) that Donald & his nephews only made an appearance in the parade when Walt personally requested it.

And then — when Disney passed away in December of 1966 — Donald’s roadster was permanently pulled from Disneyland’s “Fantasy on Parade.” Which is why so few Disneyana fans know anything about this particular parade unit.

But isn’t it funny to see that — decades before Push or Lucky actually began wandering through the Disney theme parks — that the Imagineers were already toying with a similiar concept? Doing the best they could with 1960s-era technology.

Speaking of things that have been removed from the Disney theme parks, Robert T. writes in to say:

Jim —

I finally got to see Disneyland’s new improved “Pirates of the Caribbean” attraction this past weekend. And as impressed as I may have been with all of the new figures & effects, I still found myself missing the original version of “Pirates.” The one where the horny old pirates chased the women around the square.

Is there any chance that, when the Imagineers put in those Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly AA figures next year, that they could un-PC this New Orleans Square attraction? So that these randy rogues can start chasing some strumpets again?

Robert T.

Sorry. But POTC is going to stay PC. At least for the foreseeable future. After all, Disneyland’s goal is to always entertain its guests. Not offend them.

That’s why — since the 1960s — the Imagineers and/or Disneyland’s ops staff have quietly been making changes to various rides, shows and attractions at the park. Pulling out elements that may have unintentionally offended some theme park guests.

Don’t believe me? Then how many of you remember the old version of the African veldt sequence in Disneyland’s “Jungle Cruise“?

Way back then, there was just no way that a joke like “Oh, look. Those lions are protecting that sleeping zebra” could be used to gloss over this particularly grim section of the ride. Given that the other members of the pride …

… clearly had chunks of dismembered zebra hanging out of their mouths.

The more blatantly-carnivorous members of that pride of lions were culled out of this Adventureland attraction about the same time that the “Lost Safari” vignette was added to Disneyland’s “Jungle Cruise.” Which is where you’ll see these hyenas …

And speaking of hyenas …

How many of you remember when this scene used to be in Disneyland’s “it’s a small world” attraction?

So why did this particular vignette get cut? The way I hear it, back in the late 1980s, an African tourist reportedly expressed outrage over this specific scene in this Fantasyland attraction. Supposely because they found it extremely offensive that a group of African children would be placed in such close proximity to an animal that (in real life, anyway) is as filthy as a hyena.

So — because one person of color allegedly registered a complaint — this particular gag in “it’s a small world” had to be completely restaged. First the four laughing kids had to be moved to a different section of “small world” ‘s Africa scene. Then that solitary hyena was given a brother to yuk it up with. After that, these two were paired with a rhino & a zebra. And several thousand dollars later, the hyena-proximity crisis was finally averted.

That’s an awful lot of time, money and effort to expend, don’t you think? All because of a single complaint?

And speaking of color, Kenny C. writes in to say:

Jim —

This Sunday is the 45th anniversary of “The Wonderful World of Color.”

Do you have any “colorful” stories to share about that historic television program to share?

Dear Kenny C.

Indeed I do. Looking back from today’s wireless world, where it’s now possible to watch movies & TV shows on your iPod, it’s kind of hard to imagine the enormous impact that “The Wonderful World of Color” had when it debuted on NBC back on September 24, 1961. But this one television program actually convinced tens of thousands of Americans to buy color TV sets that year.

Don’t believe me? Then check out this quote from Neal Gabler’s excellent new biography, “Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination” :

Shortly after the premiere Card Walker, who was now the head of advertising at the studio, wrote Walt that sales of color televisions were soaring — 105 percent of the previous September. NBC couldn’t be happier.

Mind you, one of the ways that “The Wonderful World of Color” convinced people to go buy color TV sets was through a rather ingenious giveaway. To explain: Take a gander at that rather odd duck in the photo below.

No, not the peacock. The rather professorial-looking fellow standing on the desk to the left of Walt. That’s Professor Ludwig Von Drake. A then-brand-new cartoon character that the artists at Walt Disney Studios created just for “The Wonderful World of Color.”

Voiced by the late, great Paul Frees, Ludwig made his debut of the very first episode of this new NBC show. Which was titled (what else) “An Adventure in Color.” And Von Drake was hilarious as he tried to explain how exactly color TV worked.

Now where this gets interesting is that — during “The Wonderful World of Color” ‘s commercial breaks — RCA Victor (Which, FYI, was NBC’s parent corporation) ran ads encouraging people to drop by their local RCA dealership to experience the wonders of color television in person. And — just for dropping by the dealership — these people could then receive a free promotional box of Disneykins …

Photo courtesy of Google Images

… which (surprise, surprise) prominently featured a very tiny version of Professor Ludwig Von Drake.

So the kids who had been watching that first episode of “The Wonderful World of Color” immediately pestered their parents into taking them down to their local RCA dealership. Just so they could then get that free box of Disneykins. And — of course — once the parents got in the door and saw how good the picture on those color RCA televisions actually looked … Well, they just had to have one.

Mind you, once CBS and ABC saw the huge ratings that NBC was getting with “The Wonderful World of Color” … Well, then they had to start producing television programs in color as well. Which — of course — spurred the sales of color TV sets even more.

So thanks to this single TV series, the television industry was literally transformed. Thanks — in large part — to a free set of Disneykins. Which are now (appropriately enough) a highly-sought-after Disney collectible.

And speaking of Disney collectibles … You baby boomers out there remember how “The Wonderful World of Color” started, right? With Tinker Bell flying through the air as colorful bursts of fireworks exploded behind Sleeping Beauty Castle?

Well, in honor of the 45th anniversary of this program, the talented folks over at Master Replica have created this beautiful statue of Tinker Bell. Who is sculpted so that it appears as if Tink is flying straight out of an old color television just as “The Wonderful World of Color” is just getting underway.

FYI to all you Tinker Bell fans out there: This piece is limited to an edition of 3000 and will begin shipping later this fall.

Now you’re going to have to excuse the somewhat jarring segue that I’m going to try & make now, folks. As I shift from talking about the world of Disney to the world of horror.

Here. Let me ease this transition by showing you another shot of that lion chewing on a chunk of zebra in Disneyland’s old “Jungle Cruise.”

Oooh. Gruesome, isn’t it?

And speaking of gruesome things …

Terry Pendt, one of the very nice guys behind KeepToTheCode.com (the official fan site for Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean movies) has been having some awful health problems lately. To help Terry get out from under those huge medical bills, the fine folks at FrightFest (I.E. This annual horror-themed event that actually held up here in New Hampshire during the month of October) are throwing a fundraiser. This two-night party will feature an appearance by Kane Hodder (AKA Jason Voorhees from a few of the “Friday the 13th” films).

So — as one webmaster — I’m asking you now to please help out another webmaster by attending this event next month and/or sending a donation Terry’s way.

And on that charitable note … I’m outa here. See you folks next Monday morning, okay?

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

9 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

9 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