General

Why For?

After far-too-long a delay, Jim Hill returns with even more answers to your Disney related questions. This time around, Jim answers your queries about “Finding Nemo,” the Jabberwock, Captain EO, Universal’s “Mummy” coaster and pornographic Disney posters. Also … keep an eye out for even more new articles on JimHillMedia.com this weekend!

Published

21 years ago

August 7, 2003

Jim Hill

First up, Harry C. from Kowloon, Hong Hong writes in to ask:

Dear Jim:

A short question for “Why For”? but Pixar-related rather than Disney-related? Why are there no bloopers at the end of “Finding Nemo”?

Thanks and keep up the terrific work!

Best,
Harry C.

Dear Harry:

To hear “Finding Nemo” director Andrew Stanton tell it, the real reason that Pixar opted not to include any out-takes with this film is so that the studio wouldn’t get pigeon-holed. So that Pixar wouldn’t become too predictable. That their films wouldn’t start to feel too formulaic.

This is also why Pixar chose Thomas Newman — rather than the studio’s usual composer, Randy Newman — to provide the score for “Finding Nemo.” Just to mix things up a bit. (Given his long association with Pixar Animation Studio, I’m sure that Newman was a little disappointed when he learned that he wasn’t getting the “Finding Nemo” scoring job. But — then again — given that this gig went to his cousin, Thomas, I would imagine that Randy wasn’t too too upset. After all, at least the job stayed within the Newman family.)

Look for Pixar to continue to play with people’s preconceived notions about their pictures with the studio’s November 2004 release, “The Incredibles.” This Brad Bird film will be the very first Pixar production to feature a mostly human cast (No toys. No bugs. No blue furry monsters or cute little clown fish) as well as a score by four time Academy Award winner John Barry. The early buzz on this film is that “The Incredibles” could be the best Pixar picture yet.

Better than “Monsters, Inc.” or “Toy Story II?” That hardly seems possible. But we shall see come the Fall of 2004 …

Next, Bill K. checks in with an “Alice in Wonderland” related question:

Hi Jim,

Let me say that I’m a big fan of your site. It never fails (that) I learn something every time I visit.

I have a question I was hoping you could answer for me. When I was younger, I had the “Little Golden Book” version of Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland” animated feature. The book hit most of the highlights of the film. But what I found much more interesting was the sequence it contained that wasn’t in the film.

In the book, Alice encounters the Jabberwock. Which – if I remember correctly – had flames in its eyes and a sort of smoke-stack nose.

There’s a part in the movie where it looks like such a scene may have existed. Since it is surrounded by references to Lewis Carroll’s original poem, such as the “mome raths” and the “tulgey wood.” However, the only version of Alice I have ever seen contains no encounter with the Jabberwock. Was it cut? Did it ever exist? If you have the answer, I’d love to hear.

Thanks!

Bill K.

Dear Bill K.

Sadly, I too have been trying to chase down the truth about the infamous “Jabberwocky” sequence for a number of years now. But — for the life of me, Bill — I haven’t been able to get to the bottom of what actually happened to this particular piece of Disney’s animated feature, “Alice in Wonderland.”

What IS clear is that — at least at one time — a sequence that was based on Lewis Carroll’s nonsense poem WAS put into development. But just how far this particular scene actually made it along Disney’s development track before “Jabberwocky” got cut remains to be seen.

This much is clear. The “Jabberwocky” sequence for “Alice” at least got far enough along to be storyboarded. For these brightly colored drawings (done in pastels, if I’m remembering correctly) were used as the illustrations for a “Jabberwocky” book that Disney Press published back in 1992.

And voice veteran Stan Freberg has repeatedly claimed that — in the late 1940s / early 1950s — he made several trips to Disney Studios to record voices for the “Jabberwocky” sequence for the animated “Alice in Wonderland.”

But I should also point out here that — in a letter I received from Disney archivist Dave Smith back in the early 1990s — Smith insisted that (according to studio record searches that his staff has done over the years) the “Jabberwocky” sequence for Disney’s animated “Alice in Wonderland” never actually went into production.

So maybe what actually happened here was that the production staff at Disney Studios only got as far as making a leica reel of the proposed “Jabberwocky” sequence. (“What’s a leica reel?” you ask. Well, this is what animators put together when they want to test a particular scene. See if it stands on its own, even in extremely rough form. So they film the storyboard, add a temporary soundtrack, then screen the thing to see if the sequence actually holds together.)

Perhaps what happened to the “Jabberwocky” sequence is that — after they added Stan’s vocals to those brightly colored storyboards — Walt just didn’t like what he saw and ordered the scene cut from the picture.

It’s just too bad that Scott McQueen, the former senior manager of library restoration at the studio, no longer works for the Walt Disney Company. If ever there were a person who could have told us definitively if there had been a “Jabberwocky” sequence animated for “Alice in Wonderland,” Scott was that guy. Disney lost a real prize when the Mouse was stupid enough to let McQueen walk on out the door. He regularly found footage that people had said was missing for decades …

Sorry that I couldn’t be more helpful here, Bill. But — if it’s any consolation — you now at least know that you have some company when it comes to pondering this particular Disney animation mystery.

Next, Rick G. asks:

Jim,

I was wondering if we will ever see Captain EO on DVD.

Still love your site. Keep up the cool stuff!

Rick G.

Dear Rick:

It’s really unlikely that Buena Vista Home Entertainment will ever put “Captain EO” out on DVD. Why for? Well, because of all those deals that Disney had to cut with Hollywood heavy hitters like George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola and Michael Jackson in order to make “Captain EO” happen.

As I understand it, the initial up-front fee and subsequent royalty deals that Theme Park Productions (That’s the name of WDI’s in-house film production division. Under the guidance of Imagineering veteran Tom Fitzgerald, TTP produces all of the movies — be they full screen 3D extravaganzas or just brief overhead monitor shows — that you see once you’re inside a Disney theme park) made with George, Francis and Michael were written with the specific understanding that “Captain EO” would only be shown inside Disney theme parks.

Were Disney to ever want to release “Captain EO” on home video or DVD, that would mean that the Mouse would have to start a brand new series of negotiations with Lucas, Coppola and Jackson. And — chances are — this trio of show business sharpies would make Mickey pay through the nose for the privilege of releasing “Captain EO” through Buena Vista Home Entertainment.

Speaking of noses, one of the other reasons that we’ll probably never see “Captain EO” on home video and DVD is that this 3D movie was made ‘way back in 1986. That’s quite a number of plastic surgery procedures ago for Mr. Jackson. Back when Michael was in his Audrey Hepburn / Elizabeth Taylor / Bambi phase.

So — since Jackson continues to insist that he’s never ever had plastic surgery — I seriously doubt that Jacko would ever allow “Captain EO” to be seen again. Otherwise, how would Michael explain away that he had one sort of nose back in 1986 and an entirely different schnozz in 2003.

Anyway … personal message to Rick G. here: Sorry that I missed you when I was out in LA last week. But — as usual — I had far too little time and far too many people to see when I was out in Southern California. So how’s about dropping me a line toward the end of August (after Alice goes back to Poway) and we’ll see if we can’t work something out then, okay?

Next, Nick drops me a line to ask:

Hey Jim,

I’m one of your more younger (teenaged) fans and I enjoy your articles a lot. Can you give any inside detail on what ROTM will be like (any chance there’ll be inversions?)?

Keep up the great work,
Nick

Nick –

Sorry, but my friends over at Universal Studios’ theme park division have sworn me to secrecy about ROTM. (For those of you out there who aren’t theme park weenies, ROTM stands for “Return of the Mummy” — the amazing new coaster that Universal Creative is currently building for the company’s Orlando theme park to replace “Kongfrontation.”)

What I CAN tell you, Nick, is that — yes — ROTM will have at least one inversion. And that this Universal Studios Orlando attraction — once it opens in the Spring of 2004 — will really raise the bar when it comes to themed thrill rides in Central Florida.

So how good is “Return of the Mummy” going to be, Nick? Think of this as Universal Studio’s “Pirates of the Caribbean.” The attraction that you just HAVE TO ride whenever you visit that park. The ride where you see all sorts of cool new details whenever you ride the attraction.

NOW do you understand why — earlier this year — Disney suddenly announced that it was adding “Expedition Everest” to Animal Kingdom’s meager assortment of attractions? The theme park industry is a relatively small world, Nick. And the people designing these amazing new attractions naturally talk with their friends and competitors about the various rides their particular company has in the pipeline.

You see what I’m saying, Nick? The Imagineers must have heard that Universal had this killer new attraction in the works for its Central Florida theme park. That’s why the Mouse felt that it had to move quickly, rise to Universal Studio’s challenge — top “Return of the Mummy” or risk becoming the also-ran resort in Orlando.

The upside of this battle between Disney and Universal is … over the next few years, thrill ride fans will soon have two very good reasons to visit Central Florida. Universal Studio’s “Return of the Mummy” and Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s “Expedition Everest: Legend of the Yeti.” So it’s really hard to complain about something like that.

And finally, Suzanne O. writes in to ask:

Hi Jim,

Just read an article on Digital Media you did on inside in animation films by Disney artists. I owned (stored away from view) a framed 1970’s poster with most if not all the Disney characters in pornographic positions. Bright Day glow colors … very specific stuff. All I know about the piece is that it was pulled from shelves after a suit from Disney. Someone said to me that it was done by a famous Warner Brothers artist. Have you heard or do you know anything about this piece?

Suzanne O.

Suzanne –

Yes. I’m familiar with the unauthorized Disney poster that you’re talking about. And — up until recently — I knew virtually nothing about its origins, Suzanne.

But then I read Bob Levin’s great new book, “The Pirates and the Mouse: Disney’s War Against the Counterculture” (Fantagraphics Books, June 2003). And right there — on Page 79 — the real history behind this pornographic Disney poster was finally revealed to me.

That section of “The Pirates and the Mouse” reads as follows:

The counterculture’s first strike against Disney occurred shortly after Walt Disney’s death in 1966, when Paul Krassner, who would become one of the founders of the Youth International Party, better known as the Yippies, but was then a one-man assault unit as editor of the savagely satirical, virulently anti-establishment “Realist” (I mean, there was nothing f*cking like it), decided to “demystify” the entire Disney oeuvre and “signify the crumbling of an empire.” “Disney’s characters were taken so seriously,” he says. “They were spokesfigures for this entire system of stifling, arbitrary rules. I thought that, with Disney — the creator of these repressed characters — dead, it was time they went on a binge.”

Krassner solicited the help of Wally Wood, the ex-E.C. great, whom he had met when he sold a story idea to “Mad,” and Wood delivered “a magnificent degenerate montage.” His “Walt Disney Memorial Orgy” showed Mickey shooting up, Goofy scr*wing Minnie, the Seven Dwarfs having their way with Snow White. Krassner ran it as a centerfold spread in his May 1967 issue …

Krassner also released “Orgy” in poster form. The Disney organization ignored these defamations because, (Paul) says, it knew he was judgment-proof and didn’t want to give him free publicity. But when the poster didn’t disappear but began appearing on dorm room and crash pad walls in a colorized, bootleg edition, Disney sued its publisher, a San Franciscan named Sam Ridge, and forced him out of business.

So there you go, Suzanne. The full story of the origins of your pornographic Disney poster. It really is a crude but still somewhat cool curio, don’t you think?

By the way … next Thursday, JimHillMedia.com will be doing a full blown review of Bob Levin’s “The Pirates and the Mouse” book. So be sure to drop by the site next week to check that out, okay?

Alright. That’s it for today, folks. I hope you enjoyed this week’s assortment of stories. See you on Monday, okay?

jrh

P.S. Almost forgot. This weekend, we’re going to try something different at JimHillMedia.com. We’re going to run a new story on both Saturday and Sunday to see if JHM readers might actually be interested in regularly reading new material over the weekend.

So — if you’d like to be part of our little experiment — be sure to drop by JimHillMedia.com on both Saturday and Sunday to check out Jim Korkis’ newest series, “The History of Comics.”

General

Seward Johnson bronzes add a surreal, artistic touch to NYC’s Garment District

Published

10 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