General

Why For returns … again

Jim Hill’s back with answers to many of your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim reveals why the changes that are being made to Epcot’s “The Land” pavilion are actually a good thing. Rather than the trashing of a classic that some Disneyana fans might be trying to convince you that they are. Plus Hill takes a moment to praise the JHM staff.

Published

20 years ago

October 14, 2004

Jim Hill

A WDWMagic.com reader who’s also a JHM fan writes in to ask:

Dear Mr. Hill —

I was wondering if you could help us get out the word about General Grizz’s campaign to save the balloons, fountain & food court over at Epcot’s “The Land” pavilion. Rumor has it that these classic features of this Future World favorite are soon to be scrapped as the Imagineers rethemes the interior of this pavilion. So that “The Land” will be more in tune with its new E-Ticket attraction, “Soarin’.”

Anything you can do to help spread the word about this campaign would be greatly appeciated. JHM readers who’d like to join General Grizz’s on-line call to arms can do so by following this link.

Thanks in advance for your time & help,

A WDWMagic.com reader who’s also a JHM fan

Well, because you’re a JHM fan, I’ll post that link. But I’m not going to say that I support General Grizz’s effort to save “The Land” ‘s interior.

Why for? Well, to my way of thinking, anyway … It’s ill-considered campaigns like this that give Disneyana fans such a rotten reputation among Imagineers and Walt Disney Company management. That make it so easy for the powers-that-be at the Mouse House to just dismiss us all as this weird bunch of obsessed weenies. Rather than being seen as we really should. Which is as a bunch of extremely loyal customers who should be continually courted and coddled.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, folks. I’m sure that General Grizz’s heart is in the right place. And if this guy says that he truly believes that the Sunshine Season Food Court is a little slice of heaven … Well, then who are we to disagree with him? After all, over the years, other people have bonded to odder pieces of the Disney theme parks.

Take — for example — all those Southern Californians who were shocked & saddened in September 1985 when they heard that “Adventure Thru Inner Space” would be closing forever to make way for “Star Tours.” Giving all of the heavy petting that supposedly gone on inside this Disneyland dark ride during its 18 years of operation (Not to mention all of the children who were reportedly concieved while their parents rode its Omnimovers), a lot of baby boomers had an obvious emotional attachment to this Tomorrowland attraction. Which is why it’s easy to understand why they were truly sorry to see ATIS shuttered.

But as for people being emotionally attached to “The Land” ‘s food court, wailing & moaning about how we’re losing something historically significant here … I think it’s also important that we see the forest through the trees here when we talk about this upcoming Future World redo.

General Grizz is asking all of us to join in on his blanket condemnation of the changing of “The Land” ‘s interior. Which (to his way of thinking) just HAS TO be wrong because the Imagineers want to radically revamp the inside of this Future World pavilion. So that Epcot visitors can then make a smooth transition from the outside of this show building right up to the entrance of “Soarin’.” So that the interior of this pavilion would then appear to have a cohesive theme, so that all the decorative elements in this show building will then pull together to tell one single coherent story.

Seriously, folks. Is this really the sort of thing that we should be complaining about? That WDI is willing — eager, even — to spend money in an attempt to upgrade & improve a Future World pavilion? A collection of attractions that even the most rabid of Disneyana fans would have to admit haven’t aged all that well. Shouldn’t this be the sort of thing that we applaud … rather than condemn out of hand?

I know, I know. General Grizz’s main gripe is that the Imagineers want to redo “The Land” ‘s interior so that it will then resemble this stylized transportation center. Where guests can either take a scenic flight over the state of California on “Soarin’ ” or take an educational cruise on board the “Living with the Land” boat ride. Which he sees as being a serious detriment to the pavilion’s original theming.

I say … Is this guy serious? I mean, it’s not like this Future World pavilion has ever had what you could truly call seamless storytelling. Back when Epcot Center originally opened in October of 1982, this attraction had the “Listen to the Land” boat ride (with all of its oh-so-serious talk about hydroponic gardens & fish farming) right next door to “Kitchen Karabet,” arguably one of the strangest shows that WED ever created. Where the whole cracked concept behind this extremely bizarre AA extravaganza seemed to be that the Imagineers were trying to anthropromorphize the very food groups that they were then encouraging “Kitchen Kabaret” ‘s audience to go home & consume.

And don’t even get me started on that 70MM snoozefest that was called “Symbiosis.” Disney sent cinematographers all around the globe with the hope that they’d be able to come up with some compelling footage for this Future World attraction. What they got instead was this high-minded film that was so stultifyingly dull that Epcot visitors were known to doze off 5 minutes into the picture.

This is why — faced with the obvious fact that “The Land” had so clearly missed the mark with the public — that the Imagineers chose to radically rework this Future World pavilion in late 1993 / early 1994. The first attraction to go under the knife here was “Listen to the Land,” which hauled its last boatload of tourists past the space squash on September 27, 1993. After reworking the attraction’s extremely dated narration as well as overhauling a number of the ride’s introductory scenes, the slightly renamed “Living with the Land” re-opened on December 10, 1993.

Less than four weeks later, “Kitchen Karabet” closed its doors for good on January 3, 1994. Three months later, a modernized (and some might say severely dumbed down) version of this same attraction — “Food Rocks” — opened at this same location on March 26, 1994.

“Symbiosis”? That 70MM snoozer shut down on January 1, 1995. Only to be replaced on January 21st of that same year by “Circle of Life : An Environmental Tale.” Whose main claim to fame was that the “Lion King” footage which was featured in this film was actually produced at the WDFA satellite studio located at the Disney/MGM Studio theme park.

And as for “The Land” ‘s food court area … Well, that’s also what makes me a little crazy about General Grizz’s cry that “… we have to preserve the atmosphere and ambiance of the Sunshine Season Food Court.” You see, this area also got significantly revamped during this Future World pavlion’s 15 month long overhaul. How many of you recall the eatry that originally occupied this area? That’s right! The Farmers Market!

(Here’s an interesting bit of trivia for all you Epcot history fans. How many of you recall the automated rooster that used to be located over the Farmers Market? The one that used to crow every 15 minutes or so? Would you like to know where this piece of Future World wound up?

Well, the last time I saw that mechanical rooster and the little red barn-like building that he resided in, they were both outside rotting in the Central Florida sun. This whole artfully designed unit had been left out in the elements beside WDI’s field office [Which is located out behind Epcot’s “Universe of Energy” pavilion]. When I first saw the thing [during a visit with a friend who was working for Imagineering at the time], I couldn’t help but think: “What a waste.” Followed by a second thought: “I wonder if I can stuff this thing in the back of my car while nobody’s looking.” But — alas — I was never able to help Epcot’s rooster fly the coop. Anyway … )

Getting back to General Grizz’s call-to-arms … You see what I’m saying here, folks? It’s a little too late to try & save “The Land” ‘s original ambiance & artistic integrity. After all, all that disappeared during this Future World pavilion’s first redo back in the mid-1990s. When even the much ballyhoo-ed hot air balloons got a brand new paint job.

Okay. I know. In spite of everything that I’ve already said here, there will still be some Disneyana fans who don’t ever want Epcot’s “The Land” pavilion to change. These people just love the peace & the quiet of the Sunshine Season Food Court. They like to dine next to the tranquil albiet-seriously-dated fountain without dealing with the crush of the crowds outside.

Well, this is where I have to remind you guys that the Walt Disney Company is actually a business. And what you may view as a peaceful & tranquil environment to dine in, the execs who are running the Mouse House see as an area at Epcot that is severely underutilized. A section of Future World which is not pulling its weight.

This is why Eisner agreed to allow “Soarin’ over California” to be cloned & shipped off to Orlando. With the hope that this extremely popular DCA attraction might be just the thing to revive “The Land” ‘s sagging attendance levels. That “Soarin’ ” could be the show that convinces WDW visitors that it’s time for them to revisit this Future World pavilion. That there’s finally more to do hear than look at Audio Animatronic prairie dogs.

That’s the real reason that the Imagineers are ripping out the fountain and redoing the Sunshine Season Food Court. Not because these aspects of “The Land” are seriously out of date (Which they are). But — rather — because WDI is anticipating that large numbers of guests will soon start flowing into this Future World pavilion once “Soarin’ ” begins operating on a daily basis. Which is why something needs to be done to “The Land” to in order to accomodate the huge influx of guests that Disney expect to be arriving soon.

Which — in this case — means building a brand-new restaurant that is actually large enough to handle the number of people that we’re talking about here (Which is why the Sunshine Season Food Court is being shut down. So that this 1980s era eatry could then be radically revamped & expanded in order to meet the anticipated demand) as well as creating additional seating for all the extra guests who are expected to begin dining here daily (Which is why that fountain had to go too!). And — to accommodate all those Epcot visitors who might like a “Soarin’ ” souvenir to remember this Future World attraction by — that means that the Imagineers had to create additional retail space inside “The Land” pavilion. Which is why some sections of the old “Food Rocks” / “Kitchen Kabaret” theater are now being turned into a store.

So you see what’s really going on here: The Imagineers are making these changes to “The Land” NOT because they’re out to upset Epcot nostalgia fans like General Grizz. But — rather — because they’re trying to lure crowds back to this Future World pavilion. And — more importantly — WDI wants to make sure that this facility will be able to accomodate large groups of people, should the crowds actually come back once “Soarin’ ” opens for business sometime in the Spring of 2005.

So my apologies to that “WDWMagic.com reader who’s also a JHM fan.” I’m sure that they sent along that e-mail with the hope that’s I champion their cause. Not go out of my way to take the wind out of General Grizz’s sails.

But folks like General Grizz … They always make me a little crazy. For I can never quite understand how someone can arrive at the mindset that says: “The Disney theme parks may never change. They must always stay the way they were when I first encountered them, when I first fell in love with the place. “

Me personally? I’m not a big fan of the idea of an Epcot that’s forever encased in amber. A theme park that only celebrates the future circa 1982. I’d much prefer an Epcot that was always exciting & vital, a place that WDW guests can discover new sights & wonders each time they visit … Rather than a theme park that only appeals to hardcore Disneyana fans.

You see, this is why the Walt Disney Company has always resisted efforts to get buildings in its theme parks listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Sure, it would be a feather in Mickey’s cap if people in power began to recognize the cultural significance of a structure like Sleeping Beauty Castle. But NOT if it then came at a cost of not ever being able to update the look of that Disneyland icon.

That great paint job that everyone’s been “Oohing” & “Aahing” over lately? That never would have been allowed to happen if everyone within the Walt Disney Company thought like General Grizz does. That things must always remain the same because … Well, that’s the way they’ve always been.

Change is healthy, folks. Walt Disney certainly thought so. That’s why he said that “Disneyland will never be completed. It will always continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” Walt knew that — in order to keep the people coming to Anaheim & Orlando — he’d have to continually make changes to the place.

So — with all due respect to General Grizz — please don’t buy into what this guy is trying to sell. The revamping of “The Land” ‘s interior really isn’t the end of the world. Future World, anyway. Given what a wonderful ride “Soarin’ Over California” is, all these changes will be worth it in the end. Particularly two or three years down the line, when Epcot gets its very own “Soarin’ ” movie that’s filled with footage of incredible sights & sounds around the globe.

But that’s probably a story for another time …

I’m sorry that this week’s “Why For” was so late going up on the site this week, folks. More importantly, that I haven’t exactly been playing my A game lately. But it’s been a tough couple of weeks here at the Stadler / Hill household. Nancy’s Mom died suddenly at the start of this month. And — as you might understand — that threw the both of us into a tailspin.

Well, a couple of weeks have gone by at this point. So things are sort of returning to normal around here. Still, it’s hard to shake off the blues sometimes. Which is why I’ve kind of been maintaining a very low profile at JHM since the tail end of September / beginning of October.

Hopefully, that will change in the weeks ahead. Even so, I’d like to thank Tony Moore, Jeff Lange, Roger Colton, Matthew Springer, Andrew Franks, Sara Allen and David Michael for everything they did to keep JimHillMedia.com up & running while Nancy & I dealt with family stuff. When I needed their help earlier this month, these guys stepped up to the plate — no questions asked.

You really could not ask for a finer bunch of people to work with. Which is why — every day — I’m grateful for their talent & their friendship.

Anywho … That’s enough yammering for this week. Nancy & I have to head off for a wedding in Bar Harbor (Not our own), so I’d best close now.

Talk to you folks next week, okay? Until then, take care,

jrh

General

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

Published

10 years ago

June 23, 2015

Jim Hill

Greetings from NYC. Nancy and I drove down from New
Hampshire yesterday because we'll be checking out
Disney Consumer Products' annual Holiday Showcase later today.

Anyway … After checking into our hotel (i.e., The Paul.
Which is located down in NYC's NoMad district), we decided to grab some dinner.
Which is how we wound up at the Melt Shop.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is this restaurant that only sells grilled cheese sandwiches.
This comfort food was delicious, but kind of on the heavy side.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is why — given that it was a beautiful summer night
— we'd then try and walk off our meals. We started our stroll down by the Empire
State Building
…

Photo by Jim Hill

… and eventually wound up just below Times
Square (right behind where the Waterford Crystal Times Square New
Year's Eve Ball is kept).

Photo by Jim Hill

But you know what we discovered en route? Right in the heart
of Manhattan's Garment District
along Broadway between 36th and 41st? This incredibly cool series of life-like
and life-sized sculptures that Seward
Johnson has created.

Photo by Jim Hill

And — yes — that is Abraham Lincoln (who seems to have
slipped out of WDW's Hall of Presidents when no one was looking and is now
leading tourists around Times Square). These 18 painted
bronze pieces (which were just installed late this past Sunday night / early
Monday morning) range from the surreal to the all-too-real.

Photo by Jim Hill

Some of these pieces look like typical New Yorkers. Like the
business woman planning out her day …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the postman delivering the mail …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the street musician playing for tourists …

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention the tourists themselves.

Photo by Jim Hill

But right alongside the bronze businessmen …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there were also statues representing people who were
from out-of-town …

Photo by Jim Hill

… or — for that matter — out-of-time.

Photo by Jim Hill

These were the Seward Johnson pieces that genuinely beguiled. Famous impressionist paintings brought to life in three dimensions.

Note the out-of-period water bottle that some tourist left
behind. Photo by Jim Hill

Some of them so lifelike that you actually had to pause for
a moment (especially as day gave way to night in the city) and say to yourself
"Is that one of the bronzes? Or just someone pretending to be one of these
bronzes?"

Mind you, for those of you who aren't big fans of the
impressionists …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there's also an array of American icons. Among them
Marilyn Monroe …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and that farmer couple from Grant Wood's "American
Gothic."

Photo by Jim Hill

But for those of you who know your NYC history, it's hard to
beat that piece which recreates Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous photograph of V-J Day in Times Square.

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, a 25-foot-tall version of this particular Seward
Johnson piece ( which — FYI — is entitled "Embracing Peace") will actually
be placed in Times Square for a few days on or around August 14th to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of Victory Over Japan Day (V-J Day).

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, if you'd like to check these Seward Johnson bronzes in
person (which — it should be noted — are part of the part of the Garment
District Alliance's new public art offering) — you'd best schedule a trip to
the City sometime over the next three months. For these pieces will only be on
display now through September 15th.

General

Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues

Published

10 years ago

June 10, 2015

Jim Hill

Greeting from the 2015 Licensing Expo, which is being held
at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center in Las
Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

I have to admit that I enjoy covering the Licensing Expo.
Mostly becomes it allows bloggers & entertainment writers like myself to
get a peek over the horizon. Scope out some of the major motion pictures &
TV shows that today's vertically integrated entertainment conglomerates
(Remember when these companies used to be called movie studios?) will be
sending our way over the next two years or so.

Photo by Jim Hill

Take — for example — all of "The Secret Life of
Pets" banners that greeted Expo attendees as they made their way to the
show floor today. I actually got to see some footage from this new Illumination
Entertainment production (which will hit theaters on July 8, 2016) the last time I was in Vegas. Which
was for CinemaCon back in April. And the five or so minutes of film that I viewed
suggested that "The Secret Life of Pets" will be a really funny
animated feature.

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, Universal Pictures wanted to make sure that Expo
attendees remembered that there was another Illumination Entertainment production
coming-to-a-theater-near-them before "The Secret Life of Pets" (And
that's "Minions," the "Despicable Me" prequel. Which
premieres at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival next week but
won't be screened stateside 'til July 10th of this year). Which is why they had
three minions who were made entirely out of LEGOS loitering out in the lobby.

Photo by Jim Hill

And Warner Bros. — because they wanted "Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice" to start trending on Twitter today — brought
the Batmobile to Las Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention full-sized macquettes of Batman, Superman and
Wonder Woman. Just so conventioneers could then see what these DC superheroes
would actually look like in this eagerly anticipated, March 25, 2016 release.

Photo by Jim Hill

That's the thing that can sometimes be a wee bit frustrating
about the Licensing Expo. It's all about delayed gratification. You'll come
around a corner and see this 100 foot-long ad for "The Peanuts Movie"
and think "Hey, that looks great. I want to see that Blue Sky Studios production
right now." It's only then that you notice the fine print and realize that
"The Peanuts Movie" doesn't actually open in theaters 'til November
6th of this year.

Photo by Jim Hill

And fan of Blue Sky's "Ice Age" film franchise are in for an even
longer wait. Given that the latest installment in that top grossing series
doesn't arrive in theaters 'til July
15, 2016.

Photo by Jim Hill

Of course, if you're one of those people who needs immediate
gratification when it comes to your entertainment, there was stuff like that to
be found at this year's Licensing Expo. Take — for example — how the WWE
booth was actually shaped like a wrestling ring. Which — I'm guessing — meant
that if the executives of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. didn't like
the offer that you were making, they were then allowed to toss you out over the
top rope, Royal Rumble-style.

Photo by Jim Hill

I also have to admit that — as a longtime Star Trek fan —
it was cool to see the enormous Starship Enterprise that hung in place over the
CBS booth. Not to mention getting a glimpse of the official Star Trek 50th
Anniversary logo.

Photo by Jim Hill

I was also pleased to see lots of activity in The Jim Henson
Company booth. Which suggests that JHC has actually finally carved out a
post-Muppets identity for itself.

Photo by Jim Hill

Likewise for all of us who were getting a little concerned
about DreamWorks Animation (what with all the layoffs & write-downs &
projects that were put into turnaround or outright cancelled last year), it was
nice to see that booth bustling.

Photo by Jim Hill

Every so often, you'd come across some people who were
promoting a movie that you weren't entirely sure that you actually wanted to
see (EX: "Angry Birds," which Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia
Pictures will be releasing to theaters on May 20, 2016). But then you remembered that Clay Kaytis —
who's this hugely talented former Walt Disney Animation Studios animator — is
riding herd on "Angry Birds" with Fergal Reilly. And you'd think
"Well, if Clay's working on 'Angry Birds,' I'm sure this animated feature
will turn out fine."

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, there were reminders at this year's Licensing Expo
of great animated features that we're never going to get to see now. I still
can't believe — especially after that brilliant proof-of-concept footage
popped up online last year — that Sony execs decided not to go forward
with production of Genndy Tartakovsky's
"Popeye" movie. But that's the
cruel thing about the entertainment business, folks. It will sometime break
your heart.

Photo by Jim Hill

And make no mistake about this. The Licensing Expo is all
about business. That point was clearly driven home at this year's show when —
as you walked through the doors of the Mandalay
Bay Convention Center
— the first thing that you saw was the Hasbros Booth. Which was this gleaming,
sleek two story-tall affair full of people who were negotiating deals &
signing contracts for all of the would-be summer blockbusters that have already
announced release dates for 2019 & beyond.

Photo by Jim Hill

"But what about The Walt Disney Company?," you
ask. "Weren't they represented on the show floor at this year's Licensing
Expo?" Not really, not. I mean, sure. There were a few companies there hyping
Disney-related products. Take — for example — the Disney Wikkeez people.

Photo by Jim Hill

I'm assuming that some Disney Consumer Products exec is
hoping that Wikkeez will eventually become the new Tsum Tsum. But to be blunt,
these little hard plastic figures don't seem to have the same huggable charm
that those stackable plush do. But I've been wrong before. So let's see what
happens with Disney Wikkeez once they start showing up on the shelves of the
Company's North American retail partners.

Photo by Jim Hill

And speaking of Disney's retail partners … They were
meeting with Mouse House executives behind closed doors one floor down from the
official show floor for this year's Licensing Expo.

Photo by Jim Hill

And the theme for this year's invitation-only Disney shindig? "Timeless
Stories" involving the Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm brands that
would then appeal to "tomorrow's consumer."

Photo by Jim Hill

And just to sort of hammer home the idea that Disney is no
longer the Company which cornered the market when it comes to little girls
(i.e., its Disney Princess and Disney Fairies franchises), check out this
wall-sized Star Wars-related image that DCP put up just outside of one of its
many private meeting rooms. "See?," this carefully crafted photo
screams. "It isn't just little boys who want to wield the Force. Little
girls also want to grow up and be Lords of the Sith."

Photo by Jim Hill

One final, kind-of-ironic note: According to this banner,
Paramount Pictures will be releasing a movie called "Amusement Park"
to theaters sometime in 2017.

Photo by Jim Hill

Well, given all the "Blackfish" -related issues
that have been dogged SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment over the past two years, I'm
just hoping that they'll still be in the amusement park business come 2017.

Your thoughts?

General

It takes more than three circles to craft a Classic version of Mickey Mouse

Published

10 years ago

June 9, 2015

Jim Hill

You know what Mickey Mouse looks like, right? Little guy,
big ears?

Truth be told, Disney's corporate symbol has a lot of
different looks. If Mickey's interacting with Guests at Disneyland
Park (especially this summer, when
the Happiest Place on Earth
is celebrating its 60th anniversary), he looks & dresses like this.

Or when he's appearing in one of those Emmy Award-winning shorts that Disney
Television Animation has produced (EX: "Bronco Busted," which debuts
on the Disney Channel tonight at 8 p.m. ET / PT), Mickey is drawn in a such a
way that he looks hip, cool, edgy & retro all at the same time.

Looking ahead to 2017 now, when Disney Junior rolls out "Mickey and the
Roadster Racers," this brand-new animated series will feature a sportier version
of Disney's corporate symbol. One that Mouse House managers hope will persuade
preschool boys to more fully embrace this now 86 year-old character.

That's what most people don't realize about the Mouse. The
Walt Disney Company deliberately tailors Mickey's look, even his style of
movement, depending on what sort of project / production he's appearing in.

Take — for example — Disney
California Adventure
Park's "World of Color:
Celebrate!" Because Disney's main mouse would be co-hosting this new
nighttime lagoon show with ace emcee Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Goldberg really had
to step up Mickey's game. Which is why this master Disney animator created
several minutes of all-new Mouse animation which then showed that Mickey was
just as skilled a showman as Neil was.

Better yet, let's take a look at what the folks at Avalanche Studios just went
through as they attempted to create a Classic version of Mickey & Minnie.
One that would then allow this popular pair to become part of Disney Infinity
3.0.

"I won't lie to you. We were under a lot of pressure to
get the look of this particular version of Mickey — he's called Red Pants
Mickey around here — just right," said Jeff Bunker, the VP of Art
Development at Avalanche Studios, during a recent phone interview. "When
we brought Sorcerer Mickey into Disney Infinity 1.0 back in January of 2014,
that one was relatively easy because … Well, everyone knows what Mickey Mouse
looked like when he appeared in 'Fantasia.' "

"But this time around, we were being asked to design
THE Mickey & Minnie," Bunker continued. "And given that these Classic
Disney characters have been around in various different forms for the better
part of the last century … Well, which look was the right look?"

Which is why Jeff and his team at Avalanche Studios began watching hours &
hours of Mickey Mouse shorts. As they tried to get a handle on which look would
work best for these characters in Disney Infinity 3.0.

"And we went all the way back to the very start of Mickey's career. We began
with 'Steamboat Willie' and then watched all of those black & white Mickey shorts
that Walt made back in the late 1920s & early 1930s. From there, we
transitioned to his Technicolor shorts. Which is when Mickey went from being
this pie-eyed, really feisty character to more of a well-behaved leading
man," Bunker recalled. "We then finished out our Mouse marathon by
watching all of those new Mickey shorts that Paul Rudish & his team have
been creating for Disney Television Animation. Those cartoons really recapture
a lot of the spirit and wild slapstick fun that Mickey's early, black &
white shorts had."

But given that the specific assignment that Avalanche Studios had been handed
was to create the most appealing looking, likeable version of Mickey Mouse
possible … In the end, Jeff and his team wound up borrowing bits & pieces
from a lot of different versions of the world's most famous mouse. So that
Classic Mickey would then look & move in a way that best fit the sort of
gameplay which people would soon be able to experience with Disney Infinity
3.0.

"That — in a lot of ways — was actually the toughest
part of the Classic Mickey design project. You have to remember that one of the
key creative conceits of Disney Infinity
is that all the characters which appear in this game are toys," Bunker
stated. "Okay. So they're beautifully detailed, highly stylized toy
versions of beloved Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm characters. But
they're still supposed to be toys. So our Classic versions of Mickey &
Minnie have the same sort of thickness & sturdiness to them that toys have.
So that they'll then be able to fit right in with all of the rest of the
characters that Avalanche Studios had previously designed for Disney Infinity."

And then there was the matter of coming up with just the
right pose for Classic Mickey & Minnie. Which — to hear Jeff tell the
story — involved input from a lot of Disney upper management.

"Everyone within the Company seemed to have an opinion
about how Mickey & Minnie should be posed. More to the point, if you Google
Mickey, you then discover that there are literally thousands of poses out there
for these two. Though — truth be told — a lot of those kind of play off the
way Mickey poses when he's being Disney's corporate symbol," Bunker said.
"But what I was most concerned about was that Mickey's pose had to work
with Minnie's pose. Because we were bringing the Classic versions of these
characters up into Disney Infinity 3.0 at the exact same time. And we wanted to
make sure — especially for those fans who like to put their Disney Infinity
figures on display — that Mickey's pose would then complement Minnie.

Which is why Jeff & the crew at Avalanche Studios
decided — when it came to Classic Mickey & Minnie's pose — that they
should go all the way back to the beginning. Which is why these two Disney icons
are sculpted in such a way that it almost seems as though you're witnessing the
very first time Mickey set eyes on Minnie.

"And what was really great about that was — as soon as
we began showing people within the Company this pose — everyone at Disney
quickly got on board with the idea. I mean, the Classic Mickey that we sculpted
for Disney Infinity 3.0 is clearly a very playful, spunky character. But at the
same time, he's obviously got eyes for Minnie," Bunker concluded. "So
in the end, we were able to come up with Classic versions of these characters
that will work well within the creative confines of Disney Infinity 3.0 but at
the same time please those Disney fans who just collect these figures because
they like the way the Disney Infinity characters look."

So now that this particular design project is over, does
Jeff regret that Mouse House upper management was so hands-on when it came to
making sure that the Classic versions of Mickey & Minnie were specifically
tailored to fit the look & style of gameplay found in Disney Infinity 3.0?

"To be blunt, we go through this every time we add a new character to the
game. The folks at Lucasfilm were just as hands-on when we were designing the
versions of Darth Vader and Yoda that will also soon be appearing in Disney
Infinity 3.0," Bunker laughed. "So in the end, if the character's
creators AND the fans are happy, then I'm happy."

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Tuesday, June 9, 2015