I’m told that the tradition goes all the way back to 1938. Where a quick sequence in “Ferdinand the Bull” (which showed the picadors parading into the arena) featured caricatures of several key Disney animators and directors. With Walt himself closing out this scene as the matador who struts proudly into the bull ring.
So you get what I’m saying, right? That slipping these sorts of in-jokes into Disney films isn’t exactly a new practice.
These days, when caricatures of prominent people at the studio are created and then dropped into a new motion picture, it’s mostly done as a gesture of affection.
Take — for example —
Ron Clements and John Musker’s appearance in “Aladdin” …
… or Barry Cook and Tony Bancroft’s cameo in “Mulan” …
… or even Frank Thomas & Ollie Johnston’s walk-on in “The Incredibles.”
Disney Caricatured Cameos
These caricatured cameos are really a sign of respect. The way that a crew who’d actually worked on a film could say: “We really enjoyed having you two as the directors on this picture.” Or — in Frank & Ollie’s case — “Thanks for providing inspiration for an entire generation of animators.”
Mind you, not every single caricature that appears in an animated film is intended to be affectionate. Sometimes these quick cameos are deliberately slipped into a picture as a way of getting back at some individual who has made life particularly difficult for all those folks who worked with Walt Disney Feature Animation.
Thomas Schumacher
Take — for example — Thomas Schumacher.
While he was head of WDFA, Schumacher was supposedly infamous for fussing like a little old lady over the studio’s films. For obsessing about the tiniest details (EX: Whether a character should be allowed to have facial hair) rather than seeing the truly big picture (I.E. That — even with or without a beard — that character still didn’t capture the audience’s attention and/or win their affection).
Still, because Thomas was the Big Cheese at Disney Feature Animation, people held their tongues and did as Schumacher bid. Until January 2003, when Thomas exited WDFA and became the head of Buena Vista Theatrical Worldwide (E.I. The folks who produce all of Disney’s musicals for the stage like “Beauty & the Beast,” “The Lion King” and “Mary Poppins”).
Then — because Thomas no longer really had any say about what went on at WDFA — the animators who had had to suffer through all of Schumacher’s supposedly creative suggestions decided to have a little fun at their old boss’s expense.
Truth be told, it was the guys at Pixar who finally got up enough nerve to take a poke at Thomas. By that I mean: Given that Schumacher was famous for fussing over films like a little old lady, and “The Incredibles” actually had a scene with a little old lady in it …
… Pixar’s animators decided to “borrow” Thomas Schumacher’s face …
… and graft it onto the little old lady who recruits Mr. Incredible to rescue her cat, Squeaker. Who’s climbed up into a tree and won’t come down.
If you look closely, you’ll see that the guys at Pixar really did an excellent job. They got Schumacher’s hair color right. They even recreated Thomas’ distinctly square ear shape as well as cleverly caricaturing his nose & glasses.
The end result was an in-joke that only those who were truly in the know got. Til now, anyway …
Here’s hoping that Thomas isn’t too upset with JHM for getting the car out of the tree … er … letting the cat out of the bag. I tentatively plan on sending a few folks from this website down to NYC this coming weekend to cover Buena Vista Theatrical’s open casting call for next season’s Broadway musical version of Disney’s “Tarzan.” But now I wonder if BVT will even let anyone from Jim Hill Media near the Here Arts Center.
Well, here’s hoping that Thomas is a guy who can actually take an in-joke.
Your thoughts?