General

Why For?

Jim Hill returns from his sojourn to Georgia with even more answers to your Disney related questions. This time around, he expounds on New England’s recent snowfall rates, teases an upcoming “Treasure Planet” story, offers some additional insights about what’s been going on with Disney and the Muppets, and — before he heads back out into the snow — even finds time to say something nice about Al Lutz.

Published

21 years ago

January 2, 2003

Jim Hill

Hey, Gang!

My apologies for not having anything new up on the site for the past two days. But Nancy and I arrived back home from Georgia late on New Year’s Eve only to find two feet of heavy, wet snow waiting for us. Then — just as soon as we got the house dug out from under all of that crud — another eight inches of the white stuff came falling out of the sky.

So – what with all of the shoveling involved in clearing this crud away – there just wasn’t time to sit down at the computer these past few days and hammer out any new stories for the site. Which is why Michelle has been raiding the archives for me (Special thanks to both Michelle and David Gasior for keeping JimHillMedia.com up and running these past few days).

Unfortunately — given that the weatherman is now saying that New Hampshirites can expect to be hit by no less than three different snowstorms this coming weekend — I only have a few moments to spare to before I have to get started on my pre-storm errands (I.E. Go to store. Buy a loaf of bread, a bottle of milk and a connector cable for Alice’s new Gamecube).

Even so, I wanted to answer at least a few “Why For” questions before I headed off to Walmart. So let’s get started, shall we?

Eric recently wrote to ask:

Dear Jim:
I’m glad to see you have made yourself a home on the net. Chasing you around the net has sometimes been awkward 😉
Anyway, I’ve been wondering about WDFA. And – after watching “Treasure Planet” – I am wondering even harder.
Where is the talent? Where is the skill? Where is the story telling experience? You have said that many animators have been fired, quit, retired, walked, (been) put out to pasture or died.
Again, I would like to know where the talent went? Who learned their art from the “Nine Old Men”?
Are their apprentices still at Disney? If not, where did they go? I want to see the genealogy of animation talent that starts with Disney. Why does Pixar tell better stories than Disney? What happened to Don Bluth? Who has Walt’s baton?
You seem to be the man to ask.
Sincerely, Eric

Um … Maybe I’m the wrong guy to answer this question, Eric. Why? Because I actually liked “Treasure Planet.” Certainly, it wasn’t my favorite Disney Feature Animation film of the past five years (That honor would have to go to “The Emperor’s New Groove.” I mean, I caught the last 20 minutes of this film again on Tuesday, while Nancy was shopping at the Disney Catalog Outlet Store. And I still found “Groove” to be incredibly entertaining. Loaded with lots of wonderful animation and design. Not to mention dozens of great gags). But “TP” was still A-OK in my book.

That said … I have to acknowledge that I am very much in the minority here. For the majority of American moviegoers seem to have absolutely no interest in going to check out this long-in-the-planning John Musker and Ron Clements project. (EX: A few weeks back, Jeff, Flo, Nancy and I went to a IMAX theater in Hartford, CT. to check out “Treasure Planet” on the really big screen. Even though we went to the 7:30 p.m. showing on a Saturday night — a time when every other theater in this multiplex was filled to capacity — up until five minutes before showtime, we were the only four people in that entire theater. A situation that I just found to be absolutely astounding.)

So what exactly went wrong with “Treasure Planet?” To be honestly, I’m not sure that it’s really the film that’s at fault here, Eric. I’ve been hearing a lot of talk lately about how “TP” was actually a summer picture (I.E. a movie that would probably have had no problem connecting with an audience had it been released to theaters between the months of May and August) that should NEVER have been released in the depths of November. There’s also been a lot of grumbling from the folks over at WDFA about the tired old ad campaign that Disney’s marketing department slapped together for “Treasure Planet.”

Tell you what, Eric. If you promise to come back to the site on Tuesday, I promise that I’ll try to answer at least some of your questions as part of a full-blown feature that I’ll be posting about the trouble with “Treasure Planet.” Just be warned that this story runs a lot deeper than some of you may expect. I fear that we may not just be talking about the unfortunate failure of one film. Given what’s going on behind-the-scenes at Disney Feature Animation these days (as well as the recent under-performance of Paramount’s traditionally animated “Wild Thornberrys” movie), there are some people at Disney who are now saying that traditional hand-drawn animation may be going the way of silent film. Falling out of favor as well as out of fashion.

Check out that story on Tuesday, Eric. Hopefully, my “Trouble with ‘Treasure Planet'” article will answer at least some of your questions.

Next, Matt writes to say:

Hello Jim, I love your site and plan on making a small financial contribution in the near future. I am confused about the recent Muppet sale. It seemed that the purchase of the Muppets, by Disney, was almost a done deal according to the media and then without a peep Disney lost the bid and nothing was said about it. Do you have any insight about how this deal fell through for Disney? Thanks! Matt

Matt, the reason that the Walt Disney Company opted not to go forward with the corporation’s most recent attempt to acquire the Jim Henson Company is that — at the very last moment — EM.TV changed the conditions of the deal. Instead of selling Disney the entire Jim Henson Company (which would have given the Mouse the right to do whatever it wanted with the Muppets), the German broadcast consortium suddenly announced that it wanted to retain a majority share in the Henson Company. To be specific, EM.TV was offering to sell the Walt Disney Company just 49.9% of Henson, while it retained the other 50.1%.

Well, anyone who’s even remotely familiar with the history of the Walt Disney Company knows that the Mouse doesn’t like to share. More importantly, that Mickey likes to likes to call the shots. Which is something that Disney wouldn’t have been able to do with the Jim Henson Company had they accepted the new terms that EM.TV had suddenly placed on the table. Which is why the Mouse decided to walk.

Not too far away, mind you. You see, there’s always been this tacit understanding among Mouse House insiders that, were Dean Valentine and Mort Marcus (who are both former Walt Disney Company executives, by the way) ever to close their deal with EM.TV to acquire the Jim Henson Company, that sooner or later these two guys would be bringing the Muppets back to Disney. Whether it would be to make more Muppet direct-to-video projects and/or new feature films or TV shows, who can say?

But the smart money has always been on Marcus and Valentine using their old corporate ties with the Mouse House to help Kermit & Co. to find a new home in Hollywood. And — perhaps, sometime further on down the line — a new generation of Muppet-related rides and shows for the theme parks in Anaheim, Orlando and Paris.

But now that all the financing that Dean and Mort reportedly had in place to acquire Henson appears to be falling through, who can say for certain what’s going to happen to the Jim Henson Company next? The only thing that is CERTAIN is … this story isn’t over yet, folks. Which is why it’s wise not to count the Mouse out just yet. Who knows? There may be a few more twists left in this tale after all.

And finally, R. Ramjet wrote to say:

Mr. Hill:
I can not believe that you were so stupid as to nominate internet muckmeister Al Lutz as JimHillMedia.com’s person of the year. Are you on drugs, Jim? I mean, did you actually ever read any of the nasty trash that Lutz used to post over at MousePlanet? Al is a loathsome, negative person who doesn’t deserve ANY recognition – let alone being recognized as a “man of the year.”
How could you do this, Jim?

Actually, I didn’t. It was C.W. (Chuck) Oberleitner AKA DizBiz who actually wrote that story. But — given that the piece was published at JimHillMedia.com — I guess it’s easy to understand how you could have made that mistake, R. Ramjet.

But — as for recognizing Al Lutz’s contributions to the web — I actually thought that this was a pretty good idea. Which is why I gave Chuck the “go ahead” when he first suggested this story to me a week or so back.

Oh, sure. I don’t agree with absolutely everything that C.W. had to say in his story. But then again, I’m fairly certain that you folks don’t always agree with absolutely everything that I put in my stories either. So why quibble over minor crud like this?

The real point that I (and Chuck) are trying to get across here is that Al Lutz usually writes a pretty entertaining and informative column. Maybe I don’t always agree with what the guy has to say. But 9 times out of 10, by the time I finish reading an article by Al, I’ve usually learned something that I never knew about the Walt Disney Company and/or had a hearty laugh at some incredibly caustic comment that Al has made about the Mouse.

Yes, Lutz can be extremely negative. And sometimes he can go WAY over the top. But there’s also no denying that Al has some absolutely killer sources. I mean, I honestly don’t know how he does it. But the guy regularly gets his hands on this absolutely incredible inside info about the Walt Disney Company. Stuff that no one else ever gets access to.

Which is why I always make a point of trying reading Al Lutz’s latest column. Which is why I followed the guy when he and Kevin Yee left MousePlanet to go form MiceAge. Just so my steady flow of juicy Disney inside info wouldn’t be interrupted.

“Wait a minute, Jim,” I hear some of you saying. “Why are you saying nice things about Al Lutz? Isn’t this the same guy who fired you from MousePlanet a year or so back? Why would you ever want to be kind to someone who treated you like that?”

Okay. It’s true. Al DID fire me from MousePlanet back in March of 2001. Which was pretty embarrassing. At the time, anyway.

But — given the way things whiz along on the Web — I figure that time here has to be measured in dog years. Which means — in order for me to still be angry with Al Lutz — I would have to have carried a grudge for over 10 years now. And life’s just too short for nonsense like that, isn’t it?

These days, I prefer to think of Al Lutz as the guy gave me my very first job on the Internet. Who did such a nice job with the layout of all of my old “View from a Hill” stories. A guy who could probably use a little help right about now as he and Kevin get their new website up out of the ground.

Look, based on personal experience, I can tell you guys how hard it is to start over again (and over again and over again …) on the Internet. Which is why I’m perfectly happy now to shine a spotlight on Al’s new website. To lend a hand. To try and make as many potential readers as possible aware of “MiceAge.” With the hope that it will send some sizable traffic their way.

Sure, I’m sure that there are people out there who will be extremely upset that I’ve taken this stance (two come immediately to mind). But I don’t care. It’s my website and I can say whatever the hell I want. So there! Nyah!

Anywho … I hope you all enjoyed Chuck Oberleitner’s latest column; I know I did. Which is why I’m now recommending that you all go check out Al Lutz’s new website, “MiceAge.” (Just be aware that this week’s column — the 2002 MouseTrap Awards — really isn’t the best introduction to Lutz’s stuff. Over-written and under-entertaining, the piece just tries too hard. Better you should go check out Al’s “Stitch Mountain” story from December 23rd. Just so you get a sense of what Al’s really capable of.)

As for me … Well, Nancy just informed me that the weatherman said we’ll be getting another 8½ inches of snow tomorrow. Which is why I’d better go pull on my boots and head out for the mall.

Speaking of the mall … so far, we’ve had a very nice response to last week’s offer of a free $10 off coupon for the Disney Catalog Outlet store to anyone who wrote in. Just be aware that the clock’s ticking, folks. That these coupons are in increasingly short supply and will only be good now through January 31st. So — if you’d like some of your own to use — send a self addressed stamped envelope ASAP to:

Jim Hill Media P.O. Box 261 New Boston, N.H. 03070

And — provided that our local post office is not buried in an avalanche in the next week or so — I’ll put your $10 off coupon in the mail just as soon as I get your request in hand.

That’s it for now. Have a safe (and hopefully snow-free) weekend, okay? And I’ll talk to you all again on Monday.

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