General

Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” – An Appreciation

JimHillMedia welcomes Ian Westhoff as a new guest columnist, and his debut column will certainly strike a chord with Disney movie fans around the world: a true appreciation of one very odd … but much beloved … Henry Selick film.

Published

21 years ago

December 4, 2003

Jim Hill

‘Twas a long time ago, several years in fact
When we first met our skeleton friend Jack

Er, sorry, but I always seem to get so passionate whenever I start to talk about “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and before I know it, I’m rhyming like Dr. Seuss, which makes sense in a way, since it was the creative rhyming style of the good doctor that helped inspire Tim Burton to write the original poem “The Nightmare Before Christmas” while working as an animator for the Walt Disney Corporation.

But, before we get into that, let’s delve a little deeper into the background of Tim Burton and the time he spent at Disney. Born August 25, 1958 in Burbank, Ca, home to some of California’s most well known movie studios, Tim spent his childhood drawing, watching horror movies, and idolizing Vincent Price. In 1976, at the age of eighteen, he won a scholarship to the legendary art school Cal Arts.

Formed in 1961 through the merging of the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and The Chouinard Art Institute, as well as with the help of Lulu May Von Hagen and both Walt and Roy Disney, the schools purpose was to offer students degrees in art, film, video, music, theatre and dance. In 1975 the school was blessed with a $14 million endowment by the Walt Disney Estate to help set up a program, taught by the creative talent of Disney animators and lay out artists, to help train animation students. At the end of each year the students would show a review board of Disney artists a film they had made, and depending on these films, would be recruited to be a Disney animator.

It was this program that Tim Burton entered, and for the next three years would spend his time learning the art of animation. In 1979 he would be recruited into the ranks of Disney animators thanks to his short film “Stalk of the Celery Monster.”

Once in Disney’s employ Tim was assigned to animator Glen Keane where he worked on “The Fox and The Hound.” He soon found himself working as a conceptual artist turning out creative ideas for “The Black Cauldron” alongside future Disney animator Andreas Deja, as well as for a Halloween themed special titled “Trick or Treat.”

Even though “Trick or Treat” was never made and none of Tim’s concepts made it into “The Black Cauldron,” Burton’s art work spoke out to people, despite the obvious fact that his style was vastly different from Disney’s, and thanks to people like Tom Wilhite and Julie Hickson, Tim was given the opportunity to broaden his horizons with the short “Vincent.”

“Vincent” is a five minute black and white stop motion film about a young boy named Vincent Malloy, (who looks a lot like a young Tim Burton), who dreams he is Vincent Price by acting out scenes from his movies. The story is narrated in rhyme, like a Dr. Seuss story, by none other than Tim Burton’s childhood hero Vincent Price, and was based off a poem he had originally planned on releasing as a children’s book. (Years later Burton would publish a book of short tales and poems about a handful of macabre characters titled “The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories” similar to Edward Gorey’s “The Gashlycrumb Tinies.”)

“Vincent” was released theatrically for two weeks alongside the Matt Dillon drama “Tex.” It also played in several film festivals, winning two awards in Chicago as well as the Critics Prize at the Annecy Film Festival in France before being condemned to the Disney vaults.

Tim next directed a live action version of “Hansel and Gretel” starring an all Japanese cast for the then still forming Disney Channel. It was around this time that he began to develop “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” His next assignment for Disney would also be his last directing chore for them until 1994 when Touchstone Pictures would put out “Ed Wood.”

“Frankenweenie” retells the tale of James Whale’s “Frankenstein” and “The Bride of Frankenstein” with the typical Tim Burton twist. Set in the modern day “Frankenweenie” tells how a young Victor Frankenstein brings his dog Sparky back to life after being hit by a car.

The short starred Barret Oliver, Daniel Stern, and Shelly Duvall (who would later hire Burton to direct an episode for her Faerie Tale Theatre on the cable channel Showtime. The episode he made was “Aladdon and his Wonderful Lamp” and starred Robert Carradine as Aladdin, James Earl Jones as the genie of the lamp, and Leonard Nimoy as the evil magician).

Originally set to be released with “The Jungle Book” for its 1984 summer re-release, FRANKENWEENIE got pushed back until Christmas for the re-release of “Pinocchio,” but due to its PG rating the film found its home in the Disney vaults alongside “Vincent,” being released only in the United Kingdom with the release of Touchstone Pictures “Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend” in 1985.

With his departure from Disney Tim Burton began to make a name for himself directing hit after hit for Warner Brothers with “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” in 1985, “Beetlejuice” in 1988, the 1989 summer mega-blockbuster “Batman,” and “Edward Scissorhands” in 1990 for Twentieth Century Fox.

With his thoughts returning every so often to his “The Nightmare Before Christmas” concept, Tim Burton contacted Disney to see if they still owned the rights to the idea since he dreamt it up while under their employ. It turned out they did, but thanks to the considerable amount of luck he had been having with his previous films, a deal was struck to make the picture.

Michael McDowell, the screenwriter on “Beetlejuice,” was hired to adapt Burton’s three page poem into a script. (The poem featured only three characters, Jack, Zero and Santa, and was written with Vincent Price in mind to narrate, like an expanded version of “Vincent.”) When McDowell’s attempts at the adaption didn’t work out Burton and long time collaborator Danny Elfman (who scored Burton’s first feature film “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” and would continue to score his films with the exception of 1994’s “Ed Wood”) decided to attack the film from a musical view first, writing the score and songs, then hire Caroline Thompson, (who wrote “Edward Scissorhands”), to incorporate the songs into a screenplay.

Due to a commitment to direct “Batman Returns” for Waner Bros., as well as the amount of time needed to direct a film of this sort, Burton passed on the directing duties to fellow Disney animator Henry Selick (who would later go on to direct “James and the Giant Peach” for Touchstone Pictures in 1996 which Burton executive produced, and which had a cameo of Jack Skellington as a pirate as well as a skeletal Donald Duck).

Danny Elfman not only scored the film, but also provided the singing voice for Jack Skellington, as well as voices for the Clown with the tear away face and Barrel, one of Oogie Boogie’s mischievous henchmen. Rounding out the cast was Chris Sarandon as Jack’s speaking voice, Catherine O’Hara (“Beetlejuice”) as Sally and Shock (another of Oogie’s henchmen), Glenn Shadix (“Beetlejuice”) as the Mayor, Paul Reubens as Lock (Oogie’s other henchmen), William Hickey as Dr. Finklestein, Ken Page as Oogie Boogie (who’s song “Oogie Boogie’s Song” was inspired by Cab Calloway’s work in the old “Betty Boop” cartoons), and Ed Ivory as Santa.

The film was given a budget of $18 million and set to work in July of 1991. Due to the lenghty amount of time needed to make a film of this sort the crew would finish a minutes worth of film a week and would spend three years animating the film before finishing. “The Nightmare Before Christmas” was released in select theatres in New York City on October 13, 1993, and received its general release on October 22, 1993, and made $51 million at the box office.

Though “The Nightmare Before Christmas” more than made back its budget the film, strangely enough, was thought to be too dark for kids. In terms of risks it is without a doubt one of Disney’s most ambitious animated films (right up there with “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and “Toy Story”). It is also one that seemed to be the least appreciated by studio head and some hard to please audience members who didn’t seem to quite understand the film.

The film seemed to have come from out of left field, last a few weeks, then disappear, leaving viewers to wonder exactly what it was they had just seen. So too can be said for the merchandise which, one minute, filled the shelves of Disney stores and toy stores, then in the next, in the words of the Clown with the tear away face, were, “here in a flash and gone without a trace”.

But despite all that “The Nightmare Before Christmas” earned itself a dedicated and cult following, and as the years went by, “Nightmare” has been making a well deserved and welcomed come back. More and more merchandise has been made available both here and in Japan (where a collectible book titled “Tim Burton’s ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ Goods Book” was released and covers a vast majority of items released both over seas and state side), the original items released for the film are constantly sought after, and of course there’s the Haunted Mansion Holiday in Disneyland that keeps bringing fans back year after year.

Of all the wonders that have gone into the making of this holiday story, from its humble creations as a poem to its technical wonders as an animated film, perhaps one of the most amazing things of all is its fan base. People just love all aspects of it. As to why this is one can only guess, but the dedication, passion and obsession fans show for it are as strong as Jack’s are for Christmas.

Perhaps the creation of this story, much like its ever growing fan base, was meant to be like a fine wine and age and mature with time. Who can say. All I know is that with each passing year this film finds a deep and meaningful place in viewers hearts and is well on its way to becoming a holiday classic.

Or, perhaps it’s much simpler than that. If I may paraphrase a lyric from the finale of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” soundtrack:

For as plain as anyone can see
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” and its fans are simply meant to be.

If you still don’t own a copy of “The Nightmare Before Christmas”

DVD, then why not pick up the Special Edition and help support JimHillMedia.com

in the process? By clicking the link to the right, you can purchase this

fabulous DVD from Amazon.com for you or for a frightfully fun Xmas present!

Your cost will (unfortunately) remain the same (though it is currently

30% off!) But – if you go there through us – we get a tiny cut of

what you spend. So if you’re planning on picking up the book, help keep

Jim Hill behind the computer where he belongs and order a copy of “The

Nightmare Before Christmas” Special Edition DVD through the link

to the right.

Shop at Amazon.com

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