General

Introducing “The Other Jim”

JimHillMedia.com is pleased and proud to welcome on board its newest columnist: animation historian, raconteur, and all around swell guy, Jim Korkis.

Published

21 years ago

May 19, 2003

Jim Korkis

Hey, gang!

Jim Hill here. You know, one of the real pleasures of running a website like JHM is you just never know who is going to toss an e-mail your way.

Like late last month. I had just put a story up on the site, announcing the beta test of JimHillMedia.com’s Walt Disney World tours, when this note popped in my in-box:

I would be interested in participating in any tour you are planning at the WDW site. I am a long time reader and fan of your writing and regretted I wasn’t able to participate in your Disneyland/DCA tours. However, I will bet that you already have nearly a full roster! Just in case you don’t:
Jim Korkis
Orlando, Florida 32821

To which I replied:

Jim Korkis? THE Jim Korkis?! If you’re signing up for one of my WDW tours … Well, then the wrong guy is leading this tour …

I know, I know. A lot of you JHM readers are already well aware of Mr. Korkis’ impressive body of work. But — for the few of you who somehow have managed to miss out on reading those great columns that Jim used to write for “Animation” magazine and/or don’t already own copies of some of his snazzy animation history books (“Encyclopedia of Cartoon Superstars,” “Cartoon Confidential” and “The Animation Art Buyers’ Guide” et al) — Jim is the real deal. A guy who knows the entertainment industry — with a particular emphasis on animation history and the Walt Disney Company — inside and out.

Given all the great reading that Jim has given me over the years, there was just no way that I could ever accept payment from him if he still wanted to come along on my measly little WDW tour. Which Korkis did. Which is why — after cautioning Jim that the stories that I’d be telling on my WDW tour probably wouldn’t be nearly as cool as any of the stories he already knew about the theme parks — I asked him to be my personal guest that day at the Magic Kingdom.

So Mr. Korkis shows up for my WDW tour on Saturday, May 3rd. And I make a sincere effort to get a serious tour underway … but then the trouble (or was it the fun?) started.

I won’t lie to you, folks. The Magic Kingdom tour that I had so carefully scripted and researched pretty much went out the window 5 minutes into the tour. But that was because I would tell a story … then Jim would chime in with a story that built on and/or topped my story …. then I would try and tell a story that built on and/or topped Jim’s story … then Jim would chime in with another story that would build on and/or top anything that I had said up until that point … which is how the morning pretty much devolved into this incredible Disney schmoozefest. This great rambling talk that touched on all aspects of the history of the Walt Disney World resort. Not to mention a great number of other Disney related subjects.

It was a fine, fun time. At least for me. (Though — to be fair — I did feel rather bad that the formal Magic Kingdom tour that I’d planned to give had ended up crashing and burning. So much so that I actually offered to refund all of the money that the other folks had paid to come along on that Saturday morning’s tour. To a man, they refused. Saying that they’d so enjoyed listening to Jim and I lob stories back and forth at one another that it had been worth the price of a tour alone just to be able to tag along and listen to us yammer.)

Anyway … long story short here: Several days after that wonderful morning at the Magic Kingdom, Jim Korkis, Nancy and I got together for lunch. Jim was looking for some spot on the Web to serve as the cyber-showcase for all of his wonderful animation-and-Disney related stories. Me? I’m always looking for strong new writers that I can bring on board at JimHillMedia.com. And — since Korkis was already one of my favorite authors — I was absolutely thrilled at the idea that he’d even consider contributing to JHM.

So you lucky readers, you. After months of putting up with my Disney-related drivel, now you’re going to get a real writer. Someone who can really write rings around me when it comes to animation history and the Walt Disney Company. (And that’s not all that Mr. Korkis is going to contribute to JimHillMedia.com … but let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we? … You’ll learn more about that with the official announcement later this week … Anyway …)

So it is — with the greatest of pleasure — that I now introduce you to … the other Jim !

Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum, Tweedle Dumber, and Tweedle Dumberer …
you guess who’s who.

Welcome to the obligatory first column where a new columnist introduces himself and immodestly recounts his accomplishments in an attempt to establish some credibility. In addition, the obligatory first column usually indicates what topics the columnist will be exploring in future columns.

The sad thing is that no matter how impressive these credits are or how interesting the topics may appear, it may still all result in dull, pedantic, meandering columns that steal precious minutes of your life that will never be replaced.

So my advice is to not read this installment until after you have read a few columns and then you can find this column in the archives if you really want to know who I am and what I will be trying to do.

For those brave souls who have decided to venture onward because Jim Hill doesn’t have a new installment today, here’s the story of “the other Jim.”

My name is Jim Korkis and my official biography declares that I am “an award winning teacher, a professional actor and magician and a published author with several books and hundreds of magazine articles” to my credit. Just remember to keep that in perspective and that all of that and ten bucks will buy me a cup of coffee just about anywhere on Walt Disney World property.

I am also considered an internationally recognized Disney historian whose research has been used repeatedly by the Disney Company for a wide variety of projects. Among other credits, I wrote the text for the WDW Magic Kingdom 30th Anniversary trading cards that not enough of you purchased, was the host on the Disney Vacation Planning video for the 100 Years of Magic, created the Disney character personality test for the Disney internet website, was the off camera announcer on the syndicated television series SECRETS OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM, was an animation instructor at the Disney Institute, assisted in the portrayal of both Merlin and Prospector Pat at the Magic Kingdom, performed magic and balloon animals on Pleasure Island, created and facilitated dozens of backstage programs at the WDW parks and currently teach over seventy-five different Disney heritage programs at WDW where I am also a keynote speaker for a variety of groups from FELD Entertainment to Stag-Parkway to United Motorcoach Association to the National Association of Conservation Districts and many, many more. I have many more Disney related credits but we can discuss those in the future if they are of any interest.

I was a winner on THE GONG SHOW, a loser on THE DATING GAME and won a Cadillac on the game show, CAMOFLAGUE, before appearing with my brothers on FAMILY FEUD. I have performed in over a hundred different stage productions and have directed well over fifty stage plays. I have appeared on a variety of television shows and films as well as doing voice over work for a variety of clients including the Los Angeles Zoo and the American Medical Association.

I wrote and directed the longest continuously running stage show at Six Flags Magic Mountain, LUCKY LOUIE’S ROARING TWENTIES REVUE where I was also a street performer. I have written and directed specialty shows for Harvey’s Casino in Lake Tahoe, Broadway Department store, Western Cruise Lines, Jonathan Clubs, McDonalds and countless others.

I have written for dozens of magazines including DISNEY ADVENTURES, FILMFAX, OUTRE, ANIMATION (where I wrote a popular column entitled “Animation Anecdotes”), MINDROT, COMICS JOURNAL, AMAZING HEROES, COMIC BOOK ARTIST, PERSISTENCE OF VISION and many, many others. In addition, I was the co-editor of the first newsstand distributed animation magazine, CARTOON QUARTERLY (which only lasted one issue even though we had three issues prepared). Currently, I am a columnist for HOGAN’S ALLEY and the latest issue features an interview I did with Ward Kimball (which you can order it from www.budplant.com if you can’t find it at Borders) and the next issue will feature my articles on the secrets behind STEAMBOAT WILLIE and a discussion of an unmade DUCK DODGERS cartoon as well as a history of the character.

With the best, most insightful writing partner in the world, John Cawley, I co-authored several books including ENCYLOPEDIA OF CARTOON SUPERSTARS, HOW TO CREATE ANIMATION, CARTOON CONFIDENTAL and ANIMATION ART BUYER’S GUIDE. For Malibu, I wrote scholarly introductions to dozens of comic strip and comic book reprints from THE THREE STOOGES to I LOVE LUCY to POLLY AND HER PALS. For Warner Brothers International, I wrote scripts for TINY TOONS comic books.

Also my animation and Disney research is credited in a variety of books from THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DISNEY ANIMATED CHARACTERS to THE MOOSE THAT ROARED. And my research has gone uncredited in almost an equal number of books.

At this point, even I am in awe of all of these accomplishments and of course, you all must assume that I must be at least 150 years old in order to have done them all. (I did a lot of this stuff concurrently so I am barely a third of that century and a half.) In fact, there are several more pages of credits which have yet to impress single women into throwing themselves at me so we’ll just avoid all of those pages for the moment.

I hope you aren’t too impressed with those credentials. All of those accomplishments never seemed to help me when my tire went flat on the freeway and I didn’t have a spare or when I had to mow my lawn in the Florida heat and humidity and accidentally cut the cable to my air-conditioning or when I didn’t correctly set the timer on my vcr to record a favorite program. However, I do hope my experience provides you with some assurance that I have a broad range of expertise on topics from animation to theme parks to writing to performing to things that even surprise me and I will be discussing all of them and more in future columns.

Just like some of you, I grew up being a kid who woke up early on Saturday morning to watch cartoons, running to a variety of different stores to find new comic books, and dreaming of a career where I would be rich and famous and have naked cheerleaders throwing themselves at me. Unlike most of you, I had the good fortune to do that growing up in Glendale, California. Glendale is right next to Burbank where the Disney Studios are.

When I watched Disney cartoons, I would look at the names in the credits and then go to the Glendale-Burbank phone book and look up the names of the people and phone them up. I was about ten years old and some of the artists would invite me over and my mom or dad would drive me over. While they waited in the car reading, I would watch these guys draw and listen to these great stories. Eventually, as I grew older and could drive myself over for a visit, I started writing down those stories and sold the interviews and articles to magazines. That experience led to my writing books.

One of the first artists I met was Jack Hannah who directed many of the classic Donald Duck and Chip’n’Dale cartoons among countless other credits. (He was one of John Lasseter’s teachers at California Institute of the Arts.) In a future column, I’ll share with you some of Jack’s memories of working with Walt Disney and at the Disney Studio during that Golden Age.

Of course, the entire Korkis family were frequent visitors to Disneyland and the other popular locations like Knott’s Berry Farm and Pacific Ocean Park and we have boxes of out-of-focus, heads-cut-off, faded color photos and slides to prove it. Yes, I remember riding the flying saucers in Tomorrowland and using a ticket book to allow me to experience Walt’s kingdom of magic.

When I moved to Florida several years ago to take care of my parents who had developed some health challenges, I brought out with me (after eliminating two-thirds of my personal library) over 10,000 pounds of books, magazines, videos and clippings relating to Disney and animation. In the almost eight years I have worked for the Disney Company in Florida that weight has increased and like the ghost of Marley, I will probably be dragging behind me for all eternity chains entwined with hundreds of unread books and unwatched videos.

Just remember that when you read my columns that they are my own opinions and do not reflect the opinions and policies of the Disney Company, Jim Hill Media or anything or anybody else.

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