General

Walt’s Gremlins

Wade Sampson follows up yesterday’s “Der Fuehrer’s Face” article with a piece about a World War II era project that never quite made it off of Disney’s drawing board: Roald Dahl’s “Gremlins.”

Published

20 years ago

April 19, 2004

Jim Korkis

Since readers seemed to enjoy yesterday’s history of the song, “Der Fuehrer’s Face” so much, I thought I might share a little more obscure information about Disney’s efforts during World War II. Most of the true Disney fans who frequent this site realize that — for that last five years — Paul Anderson has been working on the long delayed eleventh issue of “Persistence of Vision” which will be the definitive source for information on Disney during World War II. There will be many new discoveries as well as corrections of urban myths like the fact that “Mickey Mouse” was the code word for the D-Day Invasion.

One of the contributions in that issue which will hopefully see print this year is a massive definitive article written by Disney historian Jim Korkis on the story behind the unmade Disney animated/live action feature entitled THE GREMLINS, based on the first book written by Roald (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”) Dahl and the only Dahl book owned by the Disney Studio and not the Dahl Estate.

Walt became fascinated by Dahl’s story of these little leprechaun creatures who harassed aviators and put elaborate plans in place to develop an animated feature (with live action elements) to immortalize the story and increase morale during the war. However, this project was ill-fated to say the least and the Korkis manuscript is a fascinating document of how this dream became a nightmare. A very small part of that interesting story is how the Disney Studio attempted to merchandise the project in order to establish its copyright and trademark on the concept.

One of the challenges was that when Disney purchased the project, no one had heard of gremlins (which Dahl later claimed to have invented) but stories of the little imps became very popular as the war had dragged on. In fact, if Walt had initially feared that one of his challenges with the film was acquainting American audiences with the British Gremlins, the beginning of 1943 showed that the real fear was that Gremlin mania threatened Disney’s rights to the characters. Count Basie recorded “Dance of the Gremlins”. A short lived daily comic strip entitled “The Gremlins” began in January 1943. Fashionable ladies began wearing “Gremlin Hats” while still more articles and references to gremlins began to flood the American consciousness.

Even worse, other studios announced gremlin based short subjects. Warner’s, MGM, Universal and Columbia all registered titles and Walt’s brother, Roy O. Disney’s initial efforts to stop them were thwarted by the Title Registration Committee who ruled against the Disney Studio prior claim for what Roy Claimed were “technical reasons”.

An official Studio memo was sent down to all those involved in the Dahl project to push the character of Gremlin Gus, who had been developed as the friend of the aviator in the film treatment, and in all publicity and drawings to try and clearly establish that particular gremlin as an exclusive Disney property.

Roy, who be all accounts was more diplomatic than Walt, leveraged his Hollywood friendships and the good will of the Disney Studio to try to discourage competition at other studios. Leon Schlesinger at Warner’s had two cartoons too far along in development to stop although he removed any mention of the word “gremlin” from the titles and agreed to drop any future gremlin projects.

“Falling Hare” was released 10/23/43 and was scripted by Warren Foster. It is a fast moving, gag filled confrontation showcasing Bugs Bunny trying to stop a lone gremlin bent on sabotaging a bomber. “Russian Rhapsody” was released 5/20/44 and was scripted by Lou Lilly. It was originally titled “Gremlins from the Kremlin” in reference to the song the gremlins sing in the cartoon. The story revolved around Hitler’s efforts to fly a bomber to bomb Stalin and of course, is prevented by gremlin mischief. Both cartoons were directed by Bob Clampett and for decades, Clampett was puzzled by the title change until informed about the Schlesinger arrangement with Disney by animator Milt Gray in 1976.

One of the efforts by the Disney Studio to push the character of Gremlin Gus was to introduce the character in the popular selling comic book “Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories.”

From January 6, 1936 to September 12, 1941, Walt Kelly worked as an animator of the Disney Studios. Kelly resigned from the studio on good terms in 1941 since he had not taken sides during the strike. Kelly moved back to New York and started working for Western Publishing on DELL comic books which is where he developed his famous Pogo character and friends. According to Kelly’s wife, before the artist left the studio, he met with Walt Disney who helped Kelly make contacts with the East Coast editors of Western Publishing who were producing comic books featuring the Disney characters.

Kelly did a series of two page Gremlin strips for “Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories” starting in 1943 with issue #34 and ending in 1944 with issue #41. These self contained strips were known as “pantomime strips” in the business since they featured no dialog. At one point when Bruce Hamilton’s Gladstone still had the license to reprint Disney comic books, it was announced that Gladstone was going to reprint all of Kelly’s gremlin strips in one package with an informative text feature. That project never happened even though some individual Kelly gremlin strips did get reprinted.

These strips were always in a military setting where Gremlin Gus (occasionally assisted by two widgets–the term for baby gremlins) made every effort to cause mischief for airmen with everything from a saw to a gas can to a mousetrap to a smoker’s pipe. Issue #34 also included a cut out paper doll of Gremlin Gus and issue #35 had a cut out paper doll of a Fifinella.

Another effort to establish the Disney version of gremlin characters was the creation of stuffed dolls. In 1930, Charlotte Clark made the first Mickey Mouse doll. Even when Kay Kamen started licensing out Disney merchandise and Clark’s “Doll House” that operated near the studio had long since closed, she continued to design stuffed toys for the company for promotional purposes through the Forties and Fifties. Her work is fairly distinctive and emphasizes rounded shapes, wide eyes and, of course, attention to detail. Clark produced dolls based on the Disney designs for Gremlins, Fifinellas (female gremlins) and Widgets and there are several existing photos of Walt and Dahl posing with the dolls. The cloth Widget doll was produced in two different sizes and at least three different colors: red, blue and grey.

In May of 1943, Dahl had sent to Walt a request for twelve of the Widget dolls, even offering to pay. Walt sent the dolls with a note saying he preferred that Dahl not pay because Walt “prefers to keep the ‘Gremlinologist’ indebted to him.”

In a December 18,1943 telegram, Dahl asked: “Very special request for a Fifinella Doll and two Widgets, but especially Fifinella. Are there any chance any around? If so, most grateful. Send airmail.”

Walt responded December 20th: “Terribly sorry, but there isn’t a Fifinella on the place. Widgets, yes-in fact, they have sold so very well that Mrs. Clark (the lady who personally makes all of our dolls) has been devoting all of her time to Widgets for the past several weeks. At no time have we ever had more than just a few Fifinellas-they didn’t sell well so we discontinued making them. However, three Widgets were air expressed to you today. Best Christmas Greetings-Sincerely, Walt.”

The cover of the May 1943 issue of “Playthings” magazine (the national magazine of the toy trade at the time) announces “Walt Disney’s Gremlins of the R.A.F.” and featured a puzzled fighter pilot whose Hurricane fighter is infested by a widget, a fifinella and a gremlin (who is drilling holes in the right wing). A small box at the side announces:

“Like all Walt Disney characters, Walt Disney ‘Gremlins’ are authentic. The definition of ‘authentic’ is — ‘having a genuine origin or authority’. That origin or authority is the R.A.F. All drawings, all titles, all scripts are fully covered by U.S. and foreign copyrights. All rights reserved. Walt Disney GREMLINS offer unusual opportunities for merchandising tie-ups. For further information write or call: KAY KAMEN representing Walt Disney Productions.”

The Character Novelty Company (a Disney licensee from 1940-1947) manufactured a Widget hand puppet in at least three different colors: pink, yellow and grey. The puppet which was produced in 1943 originally sold for $1.50 with a paper tag that read: “This is an exclusive Walt Disney design of one of the famous Gremlin characters discovered by the RAF.”

“A Walt Disney Picture Puzzle” from Jaymar in 1943 had over 300 pieces showcasing a color illustration of eleven gremlins, one widget and one fifinella attacking an Allied fighter plane with the addition of left and right vertical margins featuring characters from the unproduced film.

They even appeared in an ad for Mint O Green, Spear Mint and Pep O Mint Lifesavers. “GREMLIN CHASERS. You’ve heard of the Gremlins…pesky little troublemakers that hang around air fields…army camps…ports of call…and battle stations. One good antidote for Gremlins is LIFE SAVERS..they cheer a fellow up when the Gremlins get him down. Maybe that’s why our armed forces are ordering so many of them…so …if you have trouble getting some favorite flavor…blame it on the Gremlins.” And the color picture accompanying the ad show gremlins, fifinella and widgets running frantically away from huge multi-colored lifesavers which were rolling towards them.

The ad prompted Dahl ,who was becoming even more difficult in regards to how Disney was handling his Gremlins, in a letter dated May 19,1943 to protest about the possible damage to the mystique of the characters being used in such a commercial way:

“I was horrified not only because the Gremlins were being completely misrepresented, but also because I could see you destroying in the eyes of the public the legend around which you are going to build your film, and upon which the success of the whole movie will depend. We hope to infuse a certain mystic quality into the film, and in order to achieve this we must try to avoid Pep O Mint and Wint O Green Tablets.

“Please do not think that I do not realize that you depend to a great extent for your revenue upon advertising rights and that it is essential for you to make use of this medium if you are going to make any profits out of the deal, but surely you realize that if the public are going to see Gremlins playing with peppermints, bitching up bicycles, trying out tooth brushes, and telling the people that if they use Listerine Antiseptic, they will not get dandruff in their hair, then I think, in fact I am convinced, that the legend will be ruined. You see, people are beginning to regard you as an authority on these things, which is as it should be because you are rapidly becoming one though the medium of your advisers; therefore, anything you say about Gremlins from now on, goes.”

Walt very patiently reassured Dahl it was all just part of the process to establish copyright in a reply dated May 26,1943: “Your letter of May 19th received and contents noted. You may rest assured that any suggestions you have will always be given careful consideration. A copy of your letter is being sent to my brother, Roy, and Mr. Kay Kamen in New York. However, I would like to correct an impression which was indicated in your letter. It is not the financial returns with which we are concerned, but through this medium we are able to establish our rights to characters through various forms of publication, and unless these rights are established, we may not have any control over the Gremlins when they do come out. Our entire idea is one to establish our copyrights with no thought whatever of financial gain.”

Kay Kamen called Dahl long distance and reported to Walt that he “had a nice chat and explained to him that I didn’t believe that the proper understanding existed about the way in which we have to handle Walt Disney subjects for the purposes of protection and for other reasons” and arranged to try to get together with him personally so that “it will straighten out in the end.”

Jim Korkis covers this whirl of merchandising (as well as all the different treatments of the story and the film projects) in much greater detail in his manuscript written over four years ago and added to all the other material that Paul Anderson has gathered, the eleventh issue of “Persistence of Vision” will be one of those “must haves” for every fan of Disney history or of World War II. The real question is why Disney hasn’t chosen to reprint Dahl’s book, the only Dahl book that has been out of print since its first limited publication and the very first book by this outstanding author. Accompanied by the Korkis manuscript and some additional artwork and photos, that would be one of those Disney treasures worth displaying on a book shelf.

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