General

Why For are Tigger & Pooh getting out of the super sleuthing business ?

Jim Hill’s back with answers to even more of your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim talks about why the Company stopped production of “My Friends Tigger & Pooh,” why he prefers the new version of Epcot to the old as well as explaining his take on the term “Disney dweeb”

Published

15 years ago

January 30, 2009

Jim Hill

First up, Marni’s Mom writes in with a question about Winnie
the Pooh:

Jim –

I was surprised to learn recently that Disney is ending
production of “My Friends Tigger and Pooh.” My daughter really enjoys watching
this educational Playhouse Disney series as do many of her friends at daycare.
Which is why I was so startled to hear that the Disney Channel would be
shutting down production of this CG show after just two seasons. To borrow your catchphrase, Why For is Disney
pulling the plug on what I understand to be a very popular program?

Marni’s Mom

Dear Marni’s Mom –

This wasn’t actually the Disney Channel’s call. Truth be
told, the decision to shut down production of “My Friends Tigger and Pooh”
doesn’t have all that much to do with the show itself. But – rather – Disney Consumer Products’
recent decision to try & reposition its Winnie the Pooh franchise.

Long story short … Mothers of infants and toddlers are the
primary consumers of Winnie the Pooh merchandise. And at least when it comes to
“My Friends Tigger and Pooh,” these super-important shoppers never really
seemed to embrace this new take on A.A. Milne’s classic characters. Which is
why you can walk into your local Disney Store and pick up a Darby Plush
(which
was originally priced to sell at $25.00) for just $3.00.

So – with the hope of recapturing this key consumer – Disney is now refocusing the Winnie the Pooh brand. To be specific, they will be
retiring the “Super Sleuth” personas that Tigger & Pooh portrayed in
this Playhouse Disney series and then returning that Silly Old Bear to his
roots. Turning Winnie the Pooh back into the character that people around the
world (but especially mothers of infants and toddlers) used to know and love.

Mind you, there’s still be some “My Friends Tigger and Pooh”
–related product making it through the pipeline (EX: A new DVD – the “My Friends Tigger, Pooh and a Musical Too” –
which is due to hit store shelves on April 7^th). But once that stuff makes it makes out through
distribution channels, look for Winnie the Pooh (at least as far as the Walt
Disney Company is concerned) to revert to looking & behaving just as he
did in “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.”

FYI: This coming Wednesday is Winnie’s 43^rd
anniversary as a Disney character. “Honey Tree” (i.e. Pooh’s first featurette)
debuted in theaters back on February 3, 1966 on a double bill with “The Ugly Dachshund.”

Next up, SidKnee writes in to say:

Jim,

I’ve just discovered your website, and have spent the past
week digging down into the JHM archives and reading through all of your old
articles. I notice, though, that as I read through your stuff that you don’t
seem to have a lot of love for Epcot. Why is that?

SidKnee

I’ll admit that I’m kind of bass-ackwards when it comes to
this particular Disney theme park. Unlike most Disneyana fans, I’m actually
quite fond of some of Epcot’s newer shows. To my way
of thinking, “The Seas with Nemo & Friends” ride-thru is far more
entertaining than “The Living Seas” ‘s original pre-show. Likewise I consider “Gran Fiesta Tour starring the
Three Caballeros” to be a huge improvement over the Mexican pavilion’s
tired old “El Rio del Tiempo” boat ride. And as for “Soarin’” at The Land … I’ll
take that DCA clone any day over those two AA shows that used to occupy
this spot in the Park, “Kitchen Kabaret” and “Food Rocks!

As for the assortment of attractions that EPCOT Center
originally opened with back in October of 1982 … I’ll grant you that a number
of them were extremely ambitious & beautifully designed. But – to my way of
thinking, anyway – most of those Future
World pavilions were more earnest than entertaining. Far too corporate & safe when it
came to their take on the future.

Which is understandable. Given that the Imagineers had to cut
deals with some of America’s then-largest corporations (ex: Kraft, GE, AT &
T) in order to come up with the cash necessary to make Walt’s dream a reality.

Speaking of Walt’s dream … That’s another bone of
contention. For me, anyway. When Walt initially proposed EPCOT back in the
1960s, it was supposed to be this really-for-real city. A place where people
could live, learn & work. Not some camel of a theme park (i.e. half science
fair, half internationally themed shopping & dining district).

But that said, I can still understand why hardcore Disney
dweebs still jones for the early 1980s version of this Park. Back when EPCOT
Center had truly epic attractions like “Horizons” …

Photo by Jeff
Lange

… which promised us all a future that was full of limitless
possibilities … Plus flying cars!

Photo by Jeff
Lange

To be honest, I have some problems with the storytelling aspect in
this Future World attraction. I mean, as a father of a 14-year-girl, I think
that it’s great that Disney chose to depict the Mother in “Horizons” as being
the one who ‘s in charge of that huge hydroponic orange grove (Remember how
that artificial orange scent used to waft out of this pavilion’s then state-of-the-art
smellizers ?) ‘way out there in the desert.

Photo by Jeff Lange

But to then follow this scene with that toothless old gag which shows Dad in the kitchen, struggling to finish decorating Junior’s birthday
cake ? How lame & predictable is that? I mean, that sort of joke stopped being funny back in the early 1950s when Ozzie
first put on a frilly apron and then tried to serve Harriet breakfast in
bed.

Photo by Jeff Lange

You see what I saying? In “Horizons,” the wonder of the future
was constantly being undercut by these stale sitcom moments. Never mind about
how cool it might be to actually live under the sea. Here’s a guy promising
his girlfriend (for the umpteen millionth time) that he won’t be late for a
family party.

Photo by Jeff Lange

And as for the beauty & majesty of the infinite cosmos? It’s upstaged by a
Dad who struggles to retrieve his child’s teddy bear in zero G.

Photo by Jeff Lange

And then “Horizons” wraps up with this ham-handed attempt at
a heart-warming moment. Where it doesn’t really matter if our futuristic family is
scattered to the four winds. Thanks to holography, they can still
all be together (albeit artificially) for important moments like Junior’s birthday.

Photo by Jeff Lange

Okay. I admit it. “Horizons” did have a very cool ride
system. Not to mention those two amazing Omnimax projection rooms that you rode
through, where the enormous images on those screens just seemed to envelope you. And it is worth
noting here that – thanks to this Future World attraction’s
you-pick-the-finale feature – that “Horizons” was Disney’s very first
interactive attraction. Sort of.

But beyond that … Me personally, I found this Future World pavilion to be too safe, too predictable. And to be honest, that’s pretty much how I felt about the rest of this theme park back in 1982. That EPCOT Center had a lot of great design and showcased some amazing technology. But beyond that the place was just too bland, too corporate back then.

And I can’t have been the only one who felt
this way. Given that EPCOT Center’s attendance levels plummeted in its
second year of operation. The word clearly got out among would-be WDW visitors that the Resort’s newest theme park was something of a snooze. Which is why – in order to get those turnstiles turning
again — Disney’s new management team was forced to bring temporary, high profile attractions
like the Daredevil Circus Spectacular.

Photo by Jeff Lange

Mind you, WDW’s PR staff really struggled to come up with a
way to justify setting up what was obviously a contemporary circus right in the middle of Communicore. Which is why press releases from that era described
the pachyderms who appeared in this new EPCOT Center show as being “Martian Mastodons.”

Photo by Jeff Lange

Of course, your mileage may vary when it comes to Epcot. And
if you really are fond of the original version of this WDW theme park … Well, then you might want to go check out this auction. Which features an actual chunk of the 70MM film that was used in this Future World pavilion. Or at the very least head on over to JeffLangeDVD.com. Where Mr. Lange recently put together a terrific 3-disc set that pays tribute to “Horizons.” Plus – just today – Jeff posted
a great selection of images from the EPCOT Center Daredevil Circus Spectacular. So if you’d like
to see what this short-lived show really looked like, click on this link.

And – finally – one JHM reader who wishes to remain
anonymous wrote in to say:

I find it incredibly offensive when you refer to
JimHillMedia readers as “dweebs.” I, sir, am not a dweeb. I come to your
website for the entertaining & informative stories, not to be insulted. If you continue to call your readers “dweebs,” I – for one –
will stop coming by your website. And I will then tell all my friends who are
interested in reading about Disneyana to avoid JimHillMedia as well.So you’d best heed my warning. Stop calling JHM
readers dweebs.

Okay then. You’re not a dweeb. Are you an overly-sensitive, humorless jerk who takes himself entirely too seriously? Absolutely. But let me state for the record that you, sir, are not a dweeb.

Look, before anyone else chimes in here and pretends to be mortally offended, let me explain: Me personally, I consider “Disney dweeb” to be a fairly innocuous way to describe someone who’s just a tad too obsessive when it comes to The Walt Disney Company. You know the type. That guy who won’t let you get a word in edgewise because they’re determined to prove that they know ‘way more than you do when it comes to the World of Walt.

And — yes — I’ll admit it. There are days when I am a big, honking Disney dweeb. My only saving grace is … Well, I don’t take myself all that seriously. More to the point, I at least know when to shut up.

Speaking of which … It’s time that I wrap up this week’s Why For column. But before I go, I just want to remind everyone about New York Comic-Con. Which is being held next weekend at the Jacob K. Javits Center …

… because no self-respecting Disney dweeb is gonna wanna miss out on this year’s event.

Have a great weekend, okay?

And remember — if you want your Disney-related questions answered
as part of this weekly column — you need to send them along to jim@jimhillmedia.com.

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