General

Two Really Good Reasons Why You Ought to be Watching the Disney Channel

Jim Hill sings the praises on two Zoog Disney series that are primarily aimed at tweens (But are still pretty entertaining for the rest of us): “Kim Possible” and “The Proud Family”

Published

22 years ago

October 7, 2002

Jim Hill

You know, we’re still getting a lot of mail here at JimHillMedia.com about that recent programming change at the Disney Channel. Extremely angry e-mails like this one from P**** B. of Townsend, MA. Who writes to say:

“I can’t believe that Eisner actually had the b&%$@ to cancel ‘Vault Disney.’ Now what are my kids supposed to watch? This ‘Zoog Disney’ s&^% like ‘Kim Possible’ and ‘The Proud Family’?!”

… Which is what immediately clued me into the fact that P****B. has never actually watched “Kim Possible” or “The Proud Family.” How can I tell? Well, these two ‘Zoog Disney’ animated series may be many things – well written, loaded with great design as well as humor that plays at a variety of levels, fun for both kids & adults to watch – but they are decidedly NOT “s&^%”

Of course, these days, it’s “Kim Possible” that getting most of the press. Which is sort of understandable (I guess). Given that “The Proud Family” debuted back in September 2001, while “Kim Possible” was just rolled out back in June. So the Disney Channel’s currently throwing most of its marketing might behind “Kim” (Just to make sure that that highly lucrative 7 to 14-year-old tween demographic is aware that “Kim Possible” is out there).

Well, all of that publicity must be working. For “Kim Possible”‘s premiere (back on Friday, June 7th) broke records at the Disney Channel, delivering 2.5 million total viewers and 1.8 million households, the highest ever on the 19-year-old network. The “Kim Possible” that aired Friday before last (September 27th) reportedly tied the record ratings for the show’s highly hyped premiere … And an audience of that size for a regularly scheduled episode of “KI” can only mean one thing: “Kim” isn’t just a hit with kids anymore. It’s a toon that adults are also checking out & watching now on a regular basis.

So “What’s the sitch” with “Kim Possible”? Why does this Disney Channel animated series (which stars a brainy cheerleader who battles super villains when she’s not juggling homework assignments) play so well with audiences of all ages? Well, “KI” does feature some truly great character design by animator/cartoonist Stephen Silver. But – if I’m going to be awarding credit as to who got this show right – I guess I’d have to point toward “Kim Possible”‘s trio of executive producers: Chris Bailey, Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley.

After all, all three of these guys are animation vets. Chris is probably best known to the Disneyana crowd for his work on Disney’s “Runaway Brain” short as well as Miramax’s late, lamented “Clerks – The Animated Series.” (FYI: Bailey also directed the “It’s Tough to Be a Bug” 3D CG film that’s still being presented at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as well as Disney’s California Adventure theme parks.)

And as for Bob & Mark… Well, if you’ve ever seen an episode of “Aladdin – The Animated Series,” “Hercules – The Animated Series” or “Buzz Lightyear of Star Command,” you’re familiar with McCorkle & Schooley’s work. Which is typified by very strong stories that have clever dialogue as well as some very odd gags.

I mean, who but Bob & Mark – when looking for an actress to provide the voice of Echidna, the “Mother of all monsters” for “Hercules and the Return of Typhon” would have thought of Kathie Lee Gifford? Or would have thought of a way to top that gag by hiring Kathie Lee’s much beleaguered co-host, Regis Philbin, to provide vocals for Echidna’s constantly kvetching husband, Typhon?

So – when you pool all the talent of all these animation veterans – what do you get? You get a series that looks great but is also more than slightly smart assed. I mean, who else but these guys – when told by the Disney brass that Kim’s best friend, Ron Stoppable, needed to have a pet (so that the show would have something cute to potentially market further on down the line) – would have thought to make that character the proud owner of a naked mole rat?

I mean, this sort of snarky sensibility snakes through all aspects of “Kim Possible”? I personally love “KI”‘s weird little moments that deviate significantly from spy movie tradition. Like when arch fiend Drakken is about to reveal his evil plan to Kim. That’s when Drakken’s smarter associate, Shego, interrupts and reminds the evil genius that things always go wrong when the villain makes the mistake of telling the hero what he’s about to do. So Drakken actually shuts up!

Or that wonderful moment in the “Kim Possible ” pilot when a giant killer robot is bearing down on Ron. Staring up at the mechanical marvel, Stoppable says something to the effect of “That would be so cool if it weren’t about to hurt us.

That’s another thing that “Kim Possible” has got going for it. The show (to put it bluntly) is cool. “KI”‘s distinct look, the show’s smart writing as well as its fleet pacing all add up to one great half hour of television. If you haven’t seen “Kim Possible” yet, make a point of doing so soon.

Not because “KI” is going off the air anytime soon, mind you. Far from it. Disney actually just ordered up 30 additional episodes of “Kim Possible” (Why? Because execs at the Disney Channel are reportedly talking about stripping “KI.” Which would involve having a different episode of “Kim Possible” to air every weeknight in the same time slot. If these executives have their way, this Disney Channel programming change could be in place as early as late 2003 / early 2004). A line of “Kim Possible” action figures are also reportedly already in the works. Not to mention the possibility of a live action “Kim Possible” feature film in the not-so-distant future (But – hey – you didn’t hear that from me … )

So what is it really that makes “Kim Possible” so successful? Some might say it’s because the show’s title character is such a positive role model for young women. Kim truly is a girl of action. Of course, the same might be said about Penny Proud, the central character of the Disney Channel’s other great animated series, “The Proud Family.” That Penny’s also a great role model for young women.

But to point toward this appealingly animated young lady as the sole reason that “The Proud Family” is popular would really be selling this Disney Channel show short. “The Proud Family” is a big hit with kids and adults for many of the same reasons that “Kim Possible” is popular.

By that I mean, the writing on the Disney Channel’s “Proud Family” is top notch. Sharp and consistently funny. Of course, what helps is that “The Proud Family”‘s head writer / executive producer Ralph Farquhar has had plenty of experience in the sit-com field. Ralph served as the supervising producer on Fox’s “Married … With Children” as well as executive producing and co-creating UPN’s “Moesha” and its spin-off “The Parkers.”

And the animation on “The Proud Family” is absolutely aces too. Of course, it helps that Bruce Smith – best known to Disneyana fans as the guy who served as supervising animator on Kerchak in “Tarzan” and Pacha in “The Emperor’s New Groove” – created this show. Bruce has a real gift for affectionately caricaturing African-Americans. This gift was first glimpsed with his under-rated but still highly amusing 1992 animated feature, “Bebe’s Kids.” But it’s really come to full flower with “The Proud Family.”

By that I mean … What other TV series (live action OR animated) would dare to take so many good natured swings at Magic Johnson, former basketball great, now inner-city entrepreneur? The “Proud Family”‘s Wizard Kelly character is obviously modeled after Johnson. From his distinctive speech pattern right on up to his enormous height, Wizard is clearly intended to be seen as a parody of Magic.

Which (I’ll grant you) might be considered a pretty odd thing to see on a Disney Channel show. If it weren’t so obvious that this was an affectionate parody. That it’s all meant in fun.

Yeah, you won’t see characters anywhere else on television that look like Sugar Mama or Oscar Proud. But – as biting as some of the writing and/or character designs on the]is show might be, “The Proud Family” ultimately still wears its heart on its sleeve.

“The Proud Family” also boasts one of TV’s best vocal casts. This talented group of performers (I’d say) is second only to “The Simpsons”‘s stellar vocal ensemble. Tom Davidson is a particular standout as Oscar Proud. As is Jo Marie Payton as Sugar Mama.

Another thing that “The Proud Family” has in common with “The Simpsons” is the top flight talent that’s begun lining up to do voicework for the show. Take – for instance – last year’s wonderful “Seven Days of Kwanza” episode, where Samuel L. Jackson, Vivica A. Fox, & Raven Symone provided the voices of a homeless family that the Proud family unintentionally invites into their home over the holiday season.

So how can you not like a show that’s this sharp & funny … yet still ultimately manages to be so upbeat & positive? Which might explain why Disney has also ordered up additional episode of “The Proud Family” (Again with an eye toward turning this animated series into a weekly strip for the Disney Channel in late 2003 / early 2004.)

So don’t be like P**** B., folks. Don’t turn your back on an excellent program like “Kim Possible” or “The Proud Family just because it’s not a 45 year old rerun of “Zorro.” Yeah, it’s sad that “Vault Disney” went off the air. But that still doesn’t mean that you should deny yourself the opportunity to see these two great TV shows that air as part of “Zoog Disney”?

If you still want to protest this Disney Channel programming change, fine. Make a point of changing the channel during “Lizzie Maquire” or the umpteen millionth rerun of “Boy Meets World” and/or “Sister, Sister.” But do make a point of checking out “Kim Possible” and “The Proud Family.” You can thank me later.

“Kim Possible” airs at 6:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. central time) weekends on the Disney Channel. “The Proud Family” comes right after “Kim,” airing at 7 p.m. (6 p.m. central time). Also on weekends. Also on the Disney Channel.

For those of you who don’t get the Disney Channel, good news! In an inspired bit of programming repurposing, “Kim Possible” and “The Proud Family” are now part of ABC’s “ABC Kids” Saturday morning line-up. Consult your local listing for exact channels & showtimes.

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

10 years ago

June 10, 2015

Jim Hill

Greeting from the 2015 Licensing Expo, which is being held
at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center in Las
Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

I have to admit that I enjoy covering the Licensing Expo.
Mostly becomes it allows bloggers & entertainment writers like myself to
get a peek over the horizon. Scope out some of the major motion pictures &
TV shows that today's vertically integrated entertainment conglomerates
(Remember when these companies used to be called movie studios?) will be
sending our way over the next two years or so.

Photo by Jim Hill

Take — for example — all of "The Secret Life of
Pets" banners that greeted Expo attendees as they made their way to the
show floor today. I actually got to see some footage from this new Illumination
Entertainment production (which will hit theaters on July 8, 2016) the last time I was in Vegas. Which
was for CinemaCon back in April. And the five or so minutes of film that I viewed
suggested that "The Secret Life of Pets" will be a really funny
animated feature.

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, Universal Pictures wanted to make sure that Expo
attendees remembered that there was another Illumination Entertainment production
coming-to-a-theater-near-them before "The Secret Life of Pets" (And
that's "Minions," the "Despicable Me" prequel. Which
premieres at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival next week but
won't be screened stateside 'til July 10th of this year). Which is why they had
three minions who were made entirely out of LEGOS loitering out in the lobby.

Photo by Jim Hill

And Warner Bros. — because they wanted "Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice" to start trending on Twitter today — brought
the Batmobile to Las Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention full-sized macquettes of Batman, Superman and
Wonder Woman. Just so conventioneers could then see what these DC superheroes
would actually look like in this eagerly anticipated, March 25, 2016 release.

Photo by Jim Hill

That's the thing that can sometimes be a wee bit frustrating
about the Licensing Expo. It's all about delayed gratification. You'll come
around a corner and see this 100 foot-long ad for "The Peanuts Movie"
and think "Hey, that looks great. I want to see that Blue Sky Studios production
right now." It's only then that you notice the fine print and realize that
"The Peanuts Movie" doesn't actually open in theaters 'til November
6th of this year.

Photo by Jim Hill

And fan of Blue Sky's "Ice Age" film franchise are in for an even
longer wait. Given that the latest installment in that top grossing series
doesn't arrive in theaters 'til July
15, 2016.

Photo by Jim Hill

Of course, if you're one of those people who needs immediate
gratification when it comes to your entertainment, there was stuff like that to
be found at this year's Licensing Expo. Take — for example — how the WWE
booth was actually shaped like a wrestling ring. Which — I'm guessing — meant
that if the executives of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. didn't like
the offer that you were making, they were then allowed to toss you out over the
top rope, Royal Rumble-style.

Photo by Jim Hill

I also have to admit that — as a longtime Star Trek fan —
it was cool to see the enormous Starship Enterprise that hung in place over the
CBS booth. Not to mention getting a glimpse of the official Star Trek 50th
Anniversary logo.

Photo by Jim Hill

I was also pleased to see lots of activity in The Jim Henson
Company booth. Which suggests that JHC has actually finally carved out a
post-Muppets identity for itself.

Photo by Jim Hill

Likewise for all of us who were getting a little concerned
about DreamWorks Animation (what with all the layoffs & write-downs &
projects that were put into turnaround or outright cancelled last year), it was
nice to see that booth bustling.

Photo by Jim Hill

Every so often, you'd come across some people who were
promoting a movie that you weren't entirely sure that you actually wanted to
see (EX: "Angry Birds," which Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia
Pictures will be releasing to theaters on May 20, 2016). But then you remembered that Clay Kaytis —
who's this hugely talented former Walt Disney Animation Studios animator — is
riding herd on "Angry Birds" with Fergal Reilly. And you'd think
"Well, if Clay's working on 'Angry Birds,' I'm sure this animated feature
will turn out fine."

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, there were reminders at this year's Licensing Expo
of great animated features that we're never going to get to see now. I still
can't believe — especially after that brilliant proof-of-concept footage
popped up online last year — that Sony execs decided not to go forward
with production of Genndy Tartakovsky's
"Popeye" movie. But that's the
cruel thing about the entertainment business, folks. It will sometime break
your heart.

Photo by Jim Hill

And make no mistake about this. The Licensing Expo is all
about business. That point was clearly driven home at this year's show when —
as you walked through the doors of the Mandalay
Bay Convention Center
— the first thing that you saw was the Hasbros Booth. Which was this gleaming,
sleek two story-tall affair full of people who were negotiating deals &
signing contracts for all of the would-be summer blockbusters that have already
announced release dates for 2019 & beyond.

Photo by Jim Hill

"But what about The Walt Disney Company?," you
ask. "Weren't they represented on the show floor at this year's Licensing
Expo?" Not really, not. I mean, sure. There were a few companies there hyping
Disney-related products. Take — for example — the Disney Wikkeez people.

Photo by Jim Hill

I'm assuming that some Disney Consumer Products exec is
hoping that Wikkeez will eventually become the new Tsum Tsum. But to be blunt,
these little hard plastic figures don't seem to have the same huggable charm
that those stackable plush do. But I've been wrong before. So let's see what
happens with Disney Wikkeez once they start showing up on the shelves of the
Company's North American retail partners.

Photo by Jim Hill

And speaking of Disney's retail partners … They were
meeting with Mouse House executives behind closed doors one floor down from the
official show floor for this year's Licensing Expo.

Photo by Jim Hill

And the theme for this year's invitation-only Disney shindig? "Timeless
Stories" involving the Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm brands that
would then appeal to "tomorrow's consumer."

Photo by Jim Hill

And just to sort of hammer home the idea that Disney is no
longer the Company which cornered the market when it comes to little girls
(i.e., its Disney Princess and Disney Fairies franchises), check out this
wall-sized Star Wars-related image that DCP put up just outside of one of its
many private meeting rooms. "See?," this carefully crafted photo
screams. "It isn't just little boys who want to wield the Force. Little
girls also want to grow up and be Lords of the Sith."

Photo by Jim Hill

One final, kind-of-ironic note: According to this banner,
Paramount Pictures will be releasing a movie called "Amusement Park"
to theaters sometime in 2017.

Photo by Jim Hill

Well, given all the "Blackfish" -related issues
that have been dogged SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment over the past two years, I'm
just hoping that they'll still be in the amusement park business come 2017.

Your thoughts?

General

It takes more than three circles to craft a Classic version of Mickey Mouse

Published

10 years ago

June 9, 2015

Jim Hill

You know what Mickey Mouse looks like, right? Little guy,
big ears?

Truth be told, Disney's corporate symbol has a lot of
different looks. If Mickey's interacting with Guests at Disneyland
Park (especially this summer, when
the Happiest Place on Earth
is celebrating its 60th anniversary), he looks & dresses like this.

Or when he's appearing in one of those Emmy Award-winning shorts that Disney
Television Animation has produced (EX: "Bronco Busted," which debuts
on the Disney Channel tonight at 8 p.m. ET / PT), Mickey is drawn in a such a
way that he looks hip, cool, edgy & retro all at the same time.

Looking ahead to 2017 now, when Disney Junior rolls out "Mickey and the
Roadster Racers," this brand-new animated series will feature a sportier version
of Disney's corporate symbol. One that Mouse House managers hope will persuade
preschool boys to more fully embrace this now 86 year-old character.

That's what most people don't realize about the Mouse. The
Walt Disney Company deliberately tailors Mickey's look, even his style of
movement, depending on what sort of project / production he's appearing in.

Take — for example — Disney
California Adventure
Park's "World of Color:
Celebrate!" Because Disney's main mouse would be co-hosting this new
nighttime lagoon show with ace emcee Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Goldberg really had
to step up Mickey's game. Which is why this master Disney animator created
several minutes of all-new Mouse animation which then showed that Mickey was
just as skilled a showman as Neil was.

Better yet, let's take a look at what the folks at Avalanche Studios just went
through as they attempted to create a Classic version of Mickey & Minnie.
One that would then allow this popular pair to become part of Disney Infinity
3.0.

"I won't lie to you. We were under a lot of pressure to
get the look of this particular version of Mickey — he's called Red Pants
Mickey around here — just right," said Jeff Bunker, the VP of Art
Development at Avalanche Studios, during a recent phone interview. "When
we brought Sorcerer Mickey into Disney Infinity 1.0 back in January of 2014,
that one was relatively easy because … Well, everyone knows what Mickey Mouse
looked like when he appeared in 'Fantasia.' "

"But this time around, we were being asked to design
THE Mickey & Minnie," Bunker continued. "And given that these Classic
Disney characters have been around in various different forms for the better
part of the last century … Well, which look was the right look?"

Which is why Jeff and his team at Avalanche Studios began watching hours &
hours of Mickey Mouse shorts. As they tried to get a handle on which look would
work best for these characters in Disney Infinity 3.0.

"And we went all the way back to the very start of Mickey's career. We began
with 'Steamboat Willie' and then watched all of those black & white Mickey shorts
that Walt made back in the late 1920s & early 1930s. From there, we
transitioned to his Technicolor shorts. Which is when Mickey went from being
this pie-eyed, really feisty character to more of a well-behaved leading
man," Bunker recalled. "We then finished out our Mouse marathon by
watching all of those new Mickey shorts that Paul Rudish & his team have
been creating for Disney Television Animation. Those cartoons really recapture
a lot of the spirit and wild slapstick fun that Mickey's early, black &
white shorts had."

But given that the specific assignment that Avalanche Studios had been handed
was to create the most appealing looking, likeable version of Mickey Mouse
possible … In the end, Jeff and his team wound up borrowing bits & pieces
from a lot of different versions of the world's most famous mouse. So that
Classic Mickey would then look & move in a way that best fit the sort of
gameplay which people would soon be able to experience with Disney Infinity
3.0.

"That — in a lot of ways — was actually the toughest
part of the Classic Mickey design project. You have to remember that one of the
key creative conceits of Disney Infinity
is that all the characters which appear in this game are toys," Bunker
stated. "Okay. So they're beautifully detailed, highly stylized toy
versions of beloved Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm characters. But
they're still supposed to be toys. So our Classic versions of Mickey &
Minnie have the same sort of thickness & sturdiness to them that toys have.
So that they'll then be able to fit right in with all of the rest of the
characters that Avalanche Studios had previously designed for Disney Infinity."

And then there was the matter of coming up with just the
right pose for Classic Mickey & Minnie. Which — to hear Jeff tell the
story — involved input from a lot of Disney upper management.

"Everyone within the Company seemed to have an opinion
about how Mickey & Minnie should be posed. More to the point, if you Google
Mickey, you then discover that there are literally thousands of poses out there
for these two. Though — truth be told — a lot of those kind of play off the
way Mickey poses when he's being Disney's corporate symbol," Bunker said.
"But what I was most concerned about was that Mickey's pose had to work
with Minnie's pose. Because we were bringing the Classic versions of these
characters up into Disney Infinity 3.0 at the exact same time. And we wanted to
make sure — especially for those fans who like to put their Disney Infinity
figures on display — that Mickey's pose would then complement Minnie.

Which is why Jeff & the crew at Avalanche Studios
decided — when it came to Classic Mickey & Minnie's pose — that they
should go all the way back to the beginning. Which is why these two Disney icons
are sculpted in such a way that it almost seems as though you're witnessing the
very first time Mickey set eyes on Minnie.

"And what was really great about that was — as soon as
we began showing people within the Company this pose — everyone at Disney
quickly got on board with the idea. I mean, the Classic Mickey that we sculpted
for Disney Infinity 3.0 is clearly a very playful, spunky character. But at the
same time, he's obviously got eyes for Minnie," Bunker concluded. "So
in the end, we were able to come up with Classic versions of these characters
that will work well within the creative confines of Disney Infinity 3.0 but at
the same time please those Disney fans who just collect these figures because
they like the way the Disney Infinity characters look."

So now that this particular design project is over, does
Jeff regret that Mouse House upper management was so hands-on when it came to
making sure that the Classic versions of Mickey & Minnie were specifically
tailored to fit the look & style of gameplay found in Disney Infinity 3.0?

"To be blunt, we go through this every time we add a new character to the
game. The folks at Lucasfilm were just as hands-on when we were designing the
versions of Darth Vader and Yoda that will also soon be appearing in Disney
Infinity 3.0," Bunker laughed. "So in the end, if the character's
creators AND the fans are happy, then I'm happy."

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Tuesday, June 9, 2015