General

Why For?

Once again, Jim Hill provides answers to your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim provides an update on DCA’s “Superstar Limo” attraction, what’s been going on this week with the Disney/Muppet deal as well as offering a defense for some recent controversial JHM articles.

Published

21 years ago

April 15, 2004

Jim Hill

First up, Larry C. of Orange, N.J. writes in to ask:

Dear Jim –

I’m confused. On April 6th, you posted a story which said that DCA’s “Superstar Limo” attraction would definitely be re-opening (at least for a little while) in May. But — on that same day — Al Lutz posts an article over on Miceage saying that Disneyland management has decided not to re-open “Superstar Limo.” Now you can’t both be right. So which of you guys got this story wrong?

Larry C.

Dear Larry C. –

Would you believe neither? Don’t get me wrong. Al — in his April 6th article — definitely had more up-to-date information than I did. But only by a day or so.

The fact of the matter is — back when I was initially writing my “Ready or not, here comes Superstar Limo … again!” article — the folks at Disney’s California Adventure WERE still getting this Hollywood Pictures Backlot dark ride ready for re-opening. The limos had all already been over to maintenance for their safety and operational checks. DCA management had begun prepping “Superstar Limo”‘s new training manuals (which would have been handed out to the unfortunate California Adventure cast members who’d been assigned to rework the re-opening attraction). And Disneyland’s Costuming department had even been told to pull “Limo”‘s old uniforms out of storage and get them ready for the ride’s “soft opening” in early May.

But then — just about the time that I sent that article off to David Gasior (JHM’s tech guy) for formatting — Matt Ouimet, President of Disneyland, reportedly had a change of heart. Even though Matt had allegedly initially agreed with Greg Emmer, Disneyland’s senior VP of Operations, that — what with the record crowds that DCA is expecting following next month’s grand opening of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror — that re-opening “Superstar Limo” (at least for a couple of months) made seen … Ouimet suddenly reversed himself during the first week of April.

Supposedly what Matt is saying now is: “Think of Superstar Limo as a fire extinguisher. Something that we only want to use in case of an emergency.” So if DCA were to have two or three weeks of capacity crowds, real body-to-body conditions this summer … or one of the theme park’s other major attractions were to suddenly pull a “Big Thunder” and have to be out of service for several months … then (and only then) would “Superstar Limo” be pressed back into service.

What reportedly brought about this abrupt change of heart? The story that I hear is that — earlier this month — Matt Ouimet finally got around to riding “Superstar Limo” and he saw for himself what a truly awful attraction it was. Allegedly, his main concern was then that — by having “TZTOT” and “SL” open at the very same time — that the two rides would effectively cancel each other out. To explain: That a guest who rode “Twilight Zone Tower of Terror” (which is a great ride) would then go and experience “Superstar Limo” (which is a terrible attraction). The end result would be that this DCA visitor would then exit the theme park thinking that they’d just had an average time.

Obviously, Ouimet doesn’t want that. Matt wants people to go away from Disney’s California Adventure thinking “That’s a great theme park. I want to go back there again soon.” To do that, he wants to make sure that DCA visitors have the best possible time during their day in the park. And — in order to deliver on that — that means that they have to keep lackluster rides like “Superstar Limo” closed. In order to keep people from getting the wrong impression about the “new, improved Disney’s California Adventure.”

So technically, my “Ready or Not, Here Comes Superstar Limo … Again!” article was correct. At least while I was writing it. But — in the time that it took to get this piece posted on the site — the story changed. So kudos to Mr. Lutz for getting the revised version of the “Superstar Limo” saga right. (I’d still kill to have Al’s sources inside the Team Disney Anaheim building. The people who work there regularly feed Lutz some pretty amazing info.)

And — just to clarify here — DCA’s “Superstar Limo” could still re-open IF the crowds coming to California Adventure to try and ride “Twilight Zone Tower of Terror” are large enough for a long enough period of time. But — if TZTOT” only gives DCA a momentary attendance jump — look for “Superstar Limo” to remain shuttered forever … or at least until the Imagineers finally figure out what they’re going to do to fix this attraction. Bring the Muppets in. Whatever …

And — speaking of the Muppets — Maskette just sent me an e-mail to ask:

Jim –

What’s going on with Disney and the Muppets? I had thought that the acquisition would be all wrapped up by now. But friends who work at the old Chaplin Studio complex are now telling me that Disney has begun dragging its feet. Which is making a lot of people who work for the Jim Henson Company very nervous. Given your connections inside both of these companies, Jim, can you give me some sort of update about what’s going on.

Thanks,

Maskette

Dear Maskette –

Boy, I wish I had better news for you here, Maskette. But it does seem like the Walt Disney Company’s planned acquisition of the Muppets has hit a bit of a snag. Though both sides are currently remaining mum about what the exact cause of the hold-up may be, there has been a hold-up. Which has supposedly been frustrating the folks at Henson no end.

Said one unnamed Henson employee:

“We’ve got 20-25 potential Muppet appearances lined up for the Spring and Summer. ‘Hollywood Squares” tapings, talk show appearances. Things that would help keep the Muppets out in the public eye. Help revive the brand. And all we need is for the people at Disney to do is say: ‘Yes, the characters can do this’ or ‘No, the Muppets can’t do that.’ But — though the folks over in Burbank have had these appearance requests for over two weeks now — they haven’t gotten back to us yet.

Our concern right now is — what with everyone over at Disney being preoccupied with what’s happening with Eisner — that a lot of obvious opportunities for the Muppets are going to be overlooked. We want to get things going right now. Not wait ’til the Mouse House gets its internal power struggles all straightened out.”

Certainly the Disney Company’s continuing power struggle has had a real impact on the speed at which things with the Muppets are currently being handled. Take — for example — what’s going on with the main Muppeteers (Steve Whitmire, Dave Goelz et al). More than a month ago, these guys were told by Henson management that they had to get ready to fly out to Los Angeles to meet with Michael Eisner. But that meeting with Disney’s CEO keeps getting pushed back further and further … ’til now … well, no one knows when Eisner’s going to have time to meet with the main Muppeteers.

And — speaking of things getting pushed back — it’s now looking less and less likely that the “Muppet Wizard of Oz” will actually be ready to air on ABC by this November. So — quietly — the folks at Disney have begun referring to the “Oz” project as “… something that we hope to have ready for the February 2005 sweeps. Or maybe even the May 2005 sweeps.”

So where does that leave Kermit and Co. now? With only one guaranteed gig on the horizon. Based on the success of their appearance on this past Sunday’s “Nick and Jessica Variety Hour,” the Muppets have allegedly already been asked to take part in Lachey and Simpson’s next special for ABC. Which — due to Nick and Jessica’s extremely busy schedules — will be a holiday special. One that will possibly air in the slot that “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz” was initially supposed to air in this coming November.

Speaking of the Muppets and all the stress and anxiety that Henson Company employees are supposedly dealing with right now, take a look at this article over at needcoffee.com. I’m not exactly sure who Widge is (And I apologize to those of you who are offended by adult language. This particular piece is loaded with stuff like that. But — given its subject matter — I still think that it’s worth reading), but clearly I’m not the only one who’s worried about the way the Disney / Henson deal is going. Check it out … and — in the weeks ahead, Maskette — I’ll be sure to keep a close watch on this whole strange situation. And — if there’s a break in the story — I’ll be sure to post something here at JHM.

And — speaking of posting things here at JimHillMedia.com — I thought I’d close with a piece of hate mail that I got this week.

Hey, Jerk!

Where do you get off criticizing Glen Keane? Here’s a guy who’s accomplished more than you ever will in your pathetic little lifetime. And yet you think that it’s okay to say that Keane lets all of his traditional animator buddies down for daring to try his hand at CG.

Shame on you, Jim Hill, for smearing the name of a truly great artist. You ought to be ashamed of yourself for running a story like that.

Anonymous

Dear Anonymous –

Look, here’s my problem. When I was out west last month and talking with traditional animators, invariably the conversation would turn to Glen Keane and how many people were still upset with Keane for his decision to go work in CG on “Rapunzel Unraveled.”

That — to my way of thinking, anyway — was a story. That this figure in the animation industry who had once been revered was now coming under fire. More importantly, it was a story that no one else had reported yet. Which is why I ran that piece this past Tuesday.

Not because I wanted to smear Glen’s name or because I wanted to enhance Andreas Deja’s reputation. But because I thought that this was news.

The e-mails I got in response to Tuesday’s “Can a few WDFA die-hards really make a difference?” article reminded me a lot of the nasty notes that I got following that recent series of stories that I wrote about Roy Disney and Stanley Gold’s “Save Disney” efforts. The ones where I dared to criticize what these two had been doing since Disney shareholders’ meeting last month in Philadelphia.

As that banner at the top of this webpage should remind you, I remain a supporter of Roy and Stanley’s efforts to oust Eisner. But doesn’t mean that I blindly support everything that “Save Disney” does. If these guys make a mistake, I feel it’s my duty to report on it.

That’s what I think you guys need to understand: I’m not here to make friends. To be buddy-buddy with Glen Keane or to cozy up with Roy and Stanley. I’m here to report the news. Both the good news AND the bad news.

And if you really have trouble hearing that people who work in the traditional animation field sometimes don’t get along OR that — even though Roy Disney and Stanley Gold may be brilliant businessmen — I still think that they may have already bobbled their one chance to remove Michael Eisner from power before his contract runs out in September 2006 … then maybe you’d better go find another web site to read. Someplace that steers clear of controversial subject matter. Where the toughest question you’ll ever deal with is “What’s your favorite Disney character?”

Over here at JimHillMedia.com … we’re still going to poke at the other parts of the Mouse House. Talk about subjects that the other websites might shy away from. Like Disney World’s College Program. (Which — like it or not — JHM is going to get back to writing about over the next few weeks.)

So — while I may feel bad if the stories that I write may sometimes offend people (particularly people that I genuinely respect, like Glen Keane) — that’s not going to stop me from writing them.

And — as for getting mad at me for writing stories like these — I just have one quick question for you: Do you also get mad at your local weatherman when he tells you that you’re in for a spot of bad weather.

Of course you don’t. And why not. Because he doesn’t control the weather. Anymore than I control the news.

The news is the news, folks. I just write it the way I see it. If you really don’t like what you read here, you’re free to post your comments on the JHM discussion boards or take me to task in an e-mail … but that’s not necessarily going to stop me from covering a particular story here at JimHillMedia.com.

I’m sorry if this comes across as somewhat belligerent. That’s really not my intent. I’m just out to clear the air a bit … before the next series of controversial stories pops up here at JHM.

Have a great weekend, okay?

jrh

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