General

Why For

Jim Hill answers even more of your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim offers up a Muppet update, talks about his next round of Disneyland tours, brings Scott Liljenquist in to speak about what DVC may be doing in sunny California, talks about where WDW’s Matterhorn might have been built as well as revealing the winners of this week’s JHM readers contest.

Published

20 years ago

March 3, 2005

Jim Hill

First up, Splurge — a hardcore Muppet fan — writes in to say:

Dear Jim —

Did you see that Dove soap commercial that features a cameo by Miss Piggy? Is this really all that Disney can think to do with the Muppets? Stick them in ads for pizza and soap?

The Muppets deserve better than this. If this is really all that Disney can think to do with these classic characters, then I think that Disney should just sell the Muppets back to the Jim Henson Company.

What do you think?

Splurge

Dear Splurge —

Look, I know that I’ve been really critical in the past about how the Walt Disney Company has been handling the Muppets. But — to be honest — I’m not all that upset with Disney placing Miss Piggy & pals in commercials.

Why for? Because — as I keep hearing from the various arms of the Walt Disney Company — the Muppets are a faded franchise. That (based on all of the survey work that Disney has done to date) beyond having some limited appeal to baby boomers, Kermit & Co. aren’t exactly what you call a hot property.

Which is why the Mouse — under the guidance of Chris Curtin (I.E. The general manager and vice president of the Muppet Holding Company LLC, that teeny-tiny arm of the Mouse House that actually controls what Disney does with the Muppets) — is attempting to kickstart this franchise. The plan (as I understand it) is to ease the characters back into the spotlight. Not ram them down our throats.

Which explains Kermit & Piggy’s appearance as the anchors of the Disneyland portion of the 2004 “Disney World Christmas Day Parade” special. As well as that new Muppets / Pizza Hutt commercial that debuted on Super Bowl Sunday. Each of these recent Muppet TV appearances were supposedly carefully calculated by Disney in order to slowly raise the characters’ profile.

That effort continues this coming Sunday night as the Muppets appear on ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” Believe it or not, Kermit, Miss Piggy and Fozzie actually team up with Ty Pennington and his team of designers to retool a Birmingham, Alabama home that was damaged by Hurricane Ivan.

And — if that’s not enough Muppets stuff for you — the frog & friends then make another appearance on ABC on Monday night as part of that “Extreme Makeover” spin-off, “How’d They Do That?”

Then — when you factor in the Ebert & Siskel impression that Stadler and Waldorf have begun doing over at Movies.com — you can see that Disney really is trying to get the word out about these characters. All with the hope that — once May rolls around — the public will be that much more aware of the Muppets and will then go out of its way to watch “The Muppets’ Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”

‘Cause make no mistake, folks. A lot is riding on how well this new Muppet TV movie does in the ratings. If “Oz” wins its time slot that night, I’m told that Disney will greenlight production of a new Muppet TV movie (Possibly the “Muppets’ Alice in Wonderland”) the very next day. If “Oz” does poorly … Well, that really doesn’t bode well for Kermit & Co.

And — as for the Muppets returning to the Jim Henson Company … Sorry, Splurge. But that ain’t gonna happen.

Why for? Well, never mind the fact that Michael Eisner has dreams of turning the Muppets into another Winnie the Pooh (I.E. A group of much beloved characters that annually make billions for the Disney Company). But — over the past 12+ months, Brian & Lisa Henson have been busy turning the Jim Henson Company into a Muppet-free zone.

Brian & Lisa’s vision for this family-owned firm is to turn Henson into a start-of-the-art production house that specializes in high concept fantasy films in the wein of “The Dark Crystal” and “Labyrinth.” In fact, their initial effort along this line, “Mirrormask” debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival to much acclaim.

Mind you, “Mirromask” doesn’t have an official theatrical release date yet. (I’m told that the studio that currently has the distribution rights to this Neil Gaiman /Dave McKean film [I.E. Sony Pictures] absolutely loves this motion picture. They’re just a trifle unsure still about the proper way to promote this rather quirky project.) But that hasn’t stopped Brian & Lisa from plunging ahead with other productions.

Just last week, “Daily Variety” reported that Henson’s daughter had aquired the production rights to a number of interesting novels. These included:

Sean Stewart’s “Perfect Circle,” a darkly comic novel about a Texan in his 30’s who’s regularly visited by ghosts.
Paul Fleishman’s “Weslandia,” a children’s book about a boy who doesn’t quite fit into this world. Which is why he invents a world of his own.
Agapi Stassinopoulos’ “Conversations With the Goddesses” and “Gods and Goddesses in Love.” (Which Jane reportedly sees more as a project for television).

FYI: To assist in the development of the above project, Brian & Jane have actually hired several old Disney hands: Andrew Chapman (Who worked as a screenwriter on “Pocahontas’) and Alison Taylor (Who wrote the teleplay for that popular Disney Channel movie, “The Cheetah Girls.”

So — to be honest, Splurge — there really isn’t a place for the Muppets now at the newly re-configured Jim Henson Company. Kermit & Co. just wouldn’t fit in with Henson kids’ vision for their new production company.

Which is why we’d all better hope that the Walt Disney Company is ultimately successful in its effort to revive the Muppet franchise. Otherwise, Miss Piggy & pals could wind up on a shelf somewhere with Kukla, Fran & Ollie and/or Howdy Doodie. Lumped in with those other long-ago puppet stars that were once wildly popular but eventually fell out of favor.

Anywho … I’m hoping to talk with some of the Disney folks who are working directly with the Muppets when I get out to Southern California later this month. When I hear more, I’ll be sure to share that with JHM readers.

And — speaking of my upcoming trip to LA — Betty V. of Torrance, CA. wrote in to say:

Dear Jim —

I just saw that you’re coming back to California in March to do another round of JHM tours. I really enjoyed that tour of Disneyland that I took with you back in March of 2003 and I was thinking of maybe signing up for another tour next month. But I was wondering: Are you going to tell the same stories that you told last time or will you have some new material for this go-round?

Betty V.

Dear Betty V.

Actually, yes. I am going to be folding a lot of new material into my Disneyland and DCA tour this go-round. If only because it keeps me from getting bored from doing the same tour over and over and over …

So — this time around — in honor of Disneyland’s 50th anniversary, I thought that I might try & do something different. Rather than focusing on the history of the Anaheim theme park (Which everyone’s going to be doing this coming summer), I thought that I might talk about the Disneyland that never was. All the ideas that Walt had for “The Happiest Place on Earth” that he was never quite able to pull off … As well as all those other ideas that the Imagineers have proposed for Anaheim over the past 50 years.

Some of the projects that I plan to talk as part of this next round of tours are:

Liberty Street
International Street
Edison Square
Mythia
Big City U.S.A.
Discovery Bay
Hollywoodland

Plus great never-built attractions like “Garden of the Gods,” “Plectu’s Fantastic Galactic revue” and the “Atlantis Expedition.” So — if you’re really into Disney what-might-have-been stories, this is the series of JHM tours that you really want to sign up for.

Speaking of signing up: If you do want to join me in Anaheim on March 19th & 20th for a really unique Disneyland tour, then I suggest that you follow this link over to Mouseketrips.com. Where Scott Liljenquist will be more than happy to sign you for the next round of JHM tours.

Speaking of Scott: As you may notice by “Why For” ‘s new logo, this regular JHM feature now has an official sponsor. And — from here on in — Mr. Liljenquist will be occassionally be assisting me with this column. Particularly with those questions that I don’t actually have answers for.

Take — for example — this e-mail from Paul S.:

Jim:

My fiancee and I went through a DVC presentation {some people will do anything for a free lunch! ;)} and although there are plenty of DVC options in Florida and even one in Hilton Head, you’re out of luck if you go to California (or at least you’re out a lot more of your points). With all the land that Disney has in Anaheim now that could be developed (both near the 3rd park and in the vicinity of DL and DCA), has Disney ever seriously considered opening a DVC resort near DL?

For that matter, why don’t you ever hear about DVC when you visit the Disneyland Resort?

To be honest, Paul, I don’t know an awful lot about the Disney Vacation Club. Whereas my good friend, Mr. Liljenquist is a veritable whiz when it comes to this sort of stuff. So take it away, Scott!

Well, Paul, funny you should ask. If you look carefully, you’ll see the groundwork being laid for the first of several Disney Vacation Club (DVC) resorts in southern California. But before we go into details, perhaps a little history is in order. As you mentioned in your question, there are plenty of DVC options in Florida. In fact, the Disney Vacation Club was for a long time one of the few bright spots on the Walt Disney Company’s balance sheet. Disney loves DVC and the capital it brings in to the company, and they’ve pushed forward full speed ahead building new DVC resorts in Florida where land is not a problem.

From early on the suits at Disney wanted desperately to bring the Disney Vacation Club to California. In fact, Disney at one time actually purchased property in southern California with the intent of turning it into the area’s first DVC resort. The site where the Marriott Newport Coast Villas now stands was once destined to bring the DVC to the west coast. As with a lot of Disney’s plans, however, the property was never developed and was subsequently sold to Marriott, who went on to build the resort almost unchanged from Disney’s original plans.

So what happened (or, to be more cohesive with the title of this column, Why For)? Two things, actually. First, keep in mind that this property is located about 20 miles from Disneyland. The original intent was to make this a “Disneyland optional” destination – one where members could enjoy everything southern California has to offer without necessarily visiting Disneyland. However, market research quickly proved that most vacationers would indeed be using the property for a Disneyland visit. The research further showed that the thought of being shuttled back and forth to Disneyland in traffic was as unappealing to potential DVC members as it was to Disney, who did not want the expense and liability of running a fleet of shuttle buses back and forth.

The real killer of this deal, however, was located clear across the country on the east coast. Disney’s first experiment in DVC locations not adjacent to the theme parks opened in South Carolina, and quickly became a colossal disappointment. Disney’s Hilton Head Resort was the DVC’s first sales disaster. Up to that point, all of the DVC resorts had quickly sold out at a premium price. Hilton Head sold much more slowly, taking Disney by surprise and making them very wary of any further resorts not associated with the theme parks The Newport Beach property was quickly and quietly put up for sale. (Not only that, but properties in Colorado and Virginia intended for DVC resort were sold as well.)

All is not lost, however. Rumblings and rumors have been greatly increasing in frequency regarding DVC activity around the Disneyland Resort. Sales kiosks, similar to the ones found in Florida, will soon be constructed inside Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure. These sales positions will initially focus on the Florida resorts, but it doesn’t take a huge leap of logic to see where the whole process is heading.

Disney’s ultimate preference would be to include a DVC option for the flagship Disneyland resort, the Grand Californian. Several different plans have been proposed to add a DVC wing or convert existing rooms to accommodate the DVC. However, the high occupancy rate at the Grand Californian and the very limited real estate available for expansion have thus far put the kibosh on those plans. Options are still being considered, however, and this plan is by no means dead.

Most sources now indicate, however, that the most likely location for any Disneyland Resort DVC expansion would be adjacent to the new 3rd park to be built in the recently acquired strawberry fields. While no concrete annoucements have been made for that 3rd Disneyland Resort gate, plans are well underway for the DVC property to be featured as a part of that property. In fact (and remember, you heard it here first), don’t be surprised to see some kind of announcement made during the Disneyland 50th celebration concerning Disney’s plans for bringing the Disney Vacation Club to California.

So there you have it, Paul. Pretty cool, huh?

And speaking of cool stuff, Rocket Jay Swirl writes in to say:

Jim —

How come Disney World doesn’t have a Matterhorn. So many other of Disneyland’s classic attractions were recreated in Orlando. Why not the Matterhorn?

Rocket Jay Swirl

Dear Rocket Jay Swirl —

(By the way: As a longtime “Bullwinkle” fan, I really like your Internet handle. Anyway …) Actually, *** Nunis — the former Chairman of Walt Disney Attractions — tried for years to get a Matterhorn built in Orlando.

Initially, *** envisioned this 100th scale version of the Swiss mountain being built just about where Mickey’s Toontown Fair is located today. So that it would rise up dramatically between Cinderella Castle & Space Mountain. Which (to his way of thinking, anyway) would have made a really great picture postcard.

Nunis also wanted this Disneyland favorite (when it was recreated in Orlando) to straddle the WDW Railroad tracks. Why For? Because then the train could roll through the base of the mountain. And — as the steam engine pulled those passenger cars through those artificial ice caves — *** wanted those Magic Kingdom visitors who were on board the train to be treated to a fake blizzard. Talk about your interesting ways to beat the Florida heat.

Anyway … Just about the time that Nunis was winning Disney Company management over to the idea that Disney World really needed its very own version of the Matterhorn, Epcot Center opened up. And it quickly became apparent that this science & discovery theme park desperately needed some thrill rides.

Which was why — for a time in the late 1980s / early 1990s — World Showcase was slated to get a new country: Switzerland! This Epcot addition was (natch) due to be nestled between the German & Italian pavilions. And what was supposed to be seen rising up been the Swiss pavilion? You guessed it! An Orlando version of the Matterhorn.

Mind you, WDW’s version of the Matterhorn was supposed to be one of two mountains that World Showcase was originally supposed to have received as part of the late, great “Disney Decade.” Epcot’s Japanese pavilion was all set to get a miniature version of Mount Fuji, which was to have had a bullet train ride inside. Maybe next week (If I can persuade Jeff Lange to dig some images of this proposed WDW attraction out of his vast photo archives) I’ll share some pictures of “Fire Mountain” with you guys.

And speaking of sharing stuff — let’s make with the prizes by announcing the winners of this week’s JHM readers contest.

While I will admit that “Mix That Media!” was NOT one of the site’s more popular contests (As of midnight of last night, we had only received 37 entries), there were still some very funny entries.

Take — for example — this entry from Leslie C. Which combined a sitcom from the 1960s, a Disney film from the 1970s and an ABC newscast to create:

Gilligan’s Island at the Top of the World News Tonight

Or — better yet — how about this entry from Peter B. of Buffalo, N.Y. Who took a movie that starred O.J. Simpson, another Disney film from the 1970s as well as a Chuck Norris action adventure from the 1980s to create something that sounds like the ultimate drive-in flick:

Capricorn, One of Our Dinosaurs is missing in action

“So which was your favorite entry, Jim?,” you ask. To be honest, I think it was the one that MonkeyFaced Fred sent in. Which cleverly combined the names of two historic playthings, a beloved 1960s sitcom and Cuba Gooding’s catchphrase from “Jerry Maquire” to come up with this unlikely sounding phrase:

Raggedy Ann & Andy Griffith, show me the money

So if you three folks could please get in touch with me and send along your mailing addresses, I’ll be happy to send out your prizes.

Anyway … That’s it for this week. You folks try & have a great weekend, okay? And we’ll all meet here again on Monday, alright?

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

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