General

Why For? : The Tom, *** and Jules-y edition

As in: Legendary Imagineer Tom Scherman, Disney’s “*** Tracy” movie as well as noted french author Jules Verne. Yeah, Jim covers a wide gamut with this week’s column.

Published

20 years ago

January 13, 2005

Jim Hill

First up, James Tai from North Hollywood, CA. writes in to ask:

First off, I am a life-long Disney park fan and just discovered your brilliant website — love these articles, especially the ones about attractions that never made it, like Western River Expedition. Incredible stuff.

Aside from whatever sadness I may feel because of these attractions never being built, I’m fascinated at the way that WDI recycles their “abandoned” ideas. Reading your Twilight Zone ToT story – the part about the DLP’s Discovery Mountain, indoor lagoon, Nemo’s Nautilus, volcano – I immediately thought of how this did come to fruition at Tokyo Disney Sea, almost exactly as described.

Question though: can you explain the Disney/WDI fascination/connection with Jules Verne, (20,000 leagues, journey to the center…), and “Discovery”-theming? Do you already have an article about this? I know Discovery Bay was an old DL idea, and it’s stuck around, and a lot of the parks now have areas (mostly in Tomorrowland) that have “Discoveryland” type theming (with the copper coloring, and the way the rocket jets were redone at DL’s Tomorrowland entrance, etc.) Was it all based off a fondness for Verne that Disney held, ie the 20,000 Leagues movie?

Do tell. Or rather, Disney + Jules Verne – why for?

Dear James —

You’ve pretty much hit the nail on the head already. It’s that movie version of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” that Walt had made back in 1954 that has — over the past 50 years — caused all of these Verne-ish elements to pop up in Disney theme parks around the globe.

You see, you have to understand that — back when that Richard Fleischer film first came out — a lot of the guys who are currently in senior management at WDI were just kids. And — in several cases — seeing ” 20K” up there on the big screen was their very first movie-going experience. So when the Nautilus (as it was so elegantly designed by Imagineering pioneer Harper Goff) rose from the depths, that image really burned into their brains. And many of these future Imagineers were never quite the same.

Take — for example — the late Tom Scherman. By all accounts, Tom was a brilliant model maker who was much beloved at WDI for his attention to detail. But Scherman was also one of these guys who allegedly caught the “20K” fever when the film was first released back in December of 1954. And — as soon he caught a glimpse of the rivet-covered submarine that was half crocodile and half shark — Tom had to have one of his own.

And — for the next 40 years — that’s just what Scherman did. He started out by making models of the Nautilus. Initially these models were small and somewhat crude. But — over time — they grew in size and detail.

And — as these models grew — so did Tom’s obsession with “20 Leagues.” He’d return — time and again — the “20K” walk-through exhibit in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland area. Where he’d carefully study the film’s sets and props. (It was this exhibit that eventually inspired Scherman to decorate the interior of his apartment as if it were a cabin on the Nautilus. Which — if I’m remembering this story correctly — didn’t exactly thrill Scherman’s landlady.)

Anyway … Tom eventually lands a job at WED. And it was there — surrounded by other artists and designers who had also caught “20K” fever at a young age — that his love of all things Nautilus came into full flower. Here, Scherman was able to work on projects like Discovery Bay. An expansion area for the Anaheim theme park that was to have featured a full-sized version of Nemo’s sub as its centerpiece.

But — when that project failed to make it off of Disneyland’s drawing boards — Tom just couldn’t let go. He knew that there had to be other Nautilus fans out there. People who’d be thrilled to get the chance to actually climb aboard a full-scale version of Nemo’s sub.

So Scherman did everything he could think of to revive Disney executives’ interest in the Discovery Bay project. Even going so far as to shoot (on his own dime, mind you) a 5-minute long teaser/pilot for a TV series that would be based on this proposed Disneyland expansion area. “The Discovery Bay Chronicles” (obviously) never made it on the air. But even that didn’t stop Scherman.

Tom kept plugging away, working with like-minded folks at WED like Tony Baxter and Tim Delaney. Imagineers who also loved Disney’s “20,000 Leagues” film. Who also longed to make real fantastic places like Nemo’s secret sub base in Vulcania.

It would take another 15 years (And a Euro-centric project like Disneyland Paris. A theme park where it suddenly made sense that the Imagineers wanted to create an entire land that was dedicated to the writing of Jules Verne) for Scherman to achieve his dream. To actually stand on the deck of a full-sized version of Nemo’s sub. Which was built as part of DLP’s “Les Mystères du Nautilus” walk-through exhibit.

Recognizing what an important moment this was for Tom, Tim & Tony had a special certificate made up. Which listed Scherman as the commodore of the Nautilus.

Tom died just a year or so later. Of cancer, so I here. Which is a really tough way to go.

But — even so — I can’t help but feel a little happy for Scherman. For the man actually achieved his dream. As unlikely as it might sound, Tom eventually got to stand on the deck of a full-sized version of the Nautilus. His “20K” obsession (and how it slowly spread to other Imagineers) eventually resulted in all us Disney getting some pretty kick-ass rides, shows and attractions. Like that entire “Mysterious Island” area at Tokyo DisneySea.

So never under-estimate the power of a Disney film, folks. Who knows. Somewhere out there right now, there’s probably some future Imagineer who’s repeatedly watching the DVD of “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.” Who’s determined to learn everything he can about the treasure cave at Isla de Muerta. So that someday — when he’s working at WDI — he can make that place real.

Speaking of “Pirates of the Caribbean,” a lot of JHM readers have been writing in with additional questions about yesterday’s “Skeleton Crew” story. Here’s what Deputy Dawg had to say:

Jim —

Loved the story today about the new nighttime version of Disneyland’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride. I’d dearly love to see this thing make it off the drawing board. But it seems to me that the Imagineers would have to overcome an awful lot of obstacles in order to make this proposed redo a reality.

But even so, it was nice to hear that they’d been thinking about doing this. Thanks for sharing this story with us.

“… Would have to overcome an awful lot of obstacles in order to make this … a reality.” That’s putting it mildly, Deputy Dawg.

So — in the spirit of fairness — let me list some of the reasons why it’s not all that likely that Disneyland will ever add that alternate flume to their “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride.

1) Why fix what ain’t broke? As it stands right now, over 45% of all guests who go to Disneyland eventually take a trip on “Pirates” as part of their visit. Clearly this 38-year old attraction doesn’t need help to attraction the attention of DL visitors. So why waste money here on something that already works, when Tomorrowland is in such desperate need of new rides, shows and attractions?

2) Limited hours of operations. Think about it, folks. The whole story hook behind this new version of “Pirates of the Caribbean” is that the skeletons only get to take over the attraction after the sun sets. But what about those times during the winter months when Disneyland is only open ’til 8 or 9 o’clock at night? Or — worse yet — those weeks during the summer when the sun doesn’t set ’til 8-8:30 p.m.? Then think about the tens of thousands of DL guests who are going to want to be able to ride the new version of “Pirates.” Are you really going to be able to accomodate all of those people, getting them all safely through the attraction with only the few operational hours you have left on the clock?

3) This attraction can’t be cloned. Only Disneyland — because its POTC building is so huge — can actually accomodate a second flume track. Given that this is the new Walt Disney Company (Which now only likes spending ride development money on proposed attractions that it can possibly copy and then send to other Disney theme parks around the globe), do you seriously expect the Mouse to spend this much coin on a ride that can’t be cloned?

4) What if the “Pirates” sequels all under-perform? I know, I know. Given how entertaining the first “Pirates” film was, this doesn’t seem all that likely. But let’s remember that expectations were also high for both of the “Matrix” sequels. And while “The Matrix Reloaded” made $281 million during its initial domestic release in May of 2003, “The Matrix Revolutions” made less than half that amount ($139 million) less than six months later.

So — given that there’s no such thing as a sure thing in Hollywood — if either “Pirates II” or “Pirates III” under-performs at the box office, you can bet that no one within the Walt Disney Company would ever want to build a theme park attraction that celebrates these films.

A quick call-back to our earlier “Why For” question: This was actually why Discovery Bay wasn’t built at Disneyland. You see, back in the early 1970s, Disney execs were initially all gung-ho about the idea of building an all-new land at the Anaheim theme park that celebrated Jules Verne. Why for? Because they had this Verne-esque film in the works, “The Island at the Top of the World.” And they were so confident about that project’s future success that they insisted that the Imagineers include an “Island” – themed E Ticket as part of that proposed Disneyland expansion area.

But then “The Island at the Top of the World” under-performed during its initial theatrical release in December of 1974. Once those box office results came in, executives grew very cool to the idea of building any attractions that might remind the public of that Walt Disney Productions failure.

And what was true of Walt Disney Productions execs in 1974 is still true of the suits that run the Walt Disney Company of today. They love to loudly celebrate their victories and quietly bury their mistakes.

I mean, why else do you think that the Imagineers never got to build that truly cool “*** Tracy Crimestoppers” attraction for Disney-MGM? That was because the studio’s “*** Tracy” movie had to struggle through the entire summer of 1990 before it finally achieved blockbuster status (I.E. Earning over $100 million).

Mind you, Disney’s “*** Tracy” eventually did earn $103 million. But — when you factor in the cost of making & then promoting this Warren Beatty vanity project — this high budget motion picture remained in the red for a good number of years after its initial domestic release. Only after factoring in its foreign ticket sales, what the film earned via pay television as well as its video rentals revenue did “*** Tracy” finally eek out a small profit.

The same rules keep applying, folks. And don’t think that just because the Disneyana fan community is suddenly singing the praises of this second “Pirates” flume that’s been proposed for Disneyland that this will actually help this proposed attraction get built. The execs who run the Walt Disney Company … They make decisions about stuff for the parks that are driven by factors that you & I would never consider.

Take — for example — this rough concept sketch.

Does the shape of this show building look familiar? It should. It’s Epcot’s old “Horizons” pavilion. Only — if you’ll look closely at this concept drawing — you’ll see that this old ride-through system for this Future World attraction has been ripped out in favor of a new hands-on sort of attraction.

Oh, sure. If you look to the very front of the old “Horizons” show building, you’ll see that the Imagineers were considering building a moving-theater-seats attraction as part of this pavilion’s new line-up of rides & shows. But — beyond that — this radically reworked Future World pavilion was to have become mostly a walk-through experience. One were WDW guests could actively participated in the fun, rather than passively observe the celebration.

“And just what would this new version of “Horizons” have celebrated?,” you ask. The wonders of technology.

I know, I know. That sounds like yet another version of “Innoventions.” Which it is. But this one would have at least kept all of these exhibits under one roof and strived to give them some sort of unifying theme. It would have undoubtedly been easier on the eyes & the ears than what we have today. Which (to be blunt) is a Disneyified version of the Consumer Electronics Show.

But Disney executives opted not to try & save the old “Horizons” building. Why for? I’m told that it was mostly for tax purposes. That — were the Walt Disney Company to just tear this Future World pavilion down — that the corporation would then get a huge tax break which was based on the Mouse’s accountants being able to write off the cost of demolishing that show building.

And as for “Mission: Space” and why that show building wound up the way it is … Well, that’s because that was as much of the Future as Compaq was willing to pay for.

Okay. That’s enough about the future for now. Let’s talk about the past for a bit. This past Monday, to be exact. When we announced this week’s JHM trivia contest. As you may recall, the question went went a little something like this:

QUESTION: Andrea Martin & Harvey Fierstein both have ties to Disney animation. Can you name the movie and/or the TV show that these two Tony Award winners have done voice work for?

BONUS QUESTION: What were the characters’ names?

The correct answers to this week’s trivia contest are:

Harvey Fierstein was the voice of Yao in “Mulan,” while Andrea Martin did the voice of both Mrs. Stoppable in “Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time” and Lunch Lady Harriet in “Recess: School’s Out.”

And — out of the 106 JHM readers who correctly answered this week’s questions — the three randomly selected winners are:

Jeff Kozlowski
Denise Riley
Charlie Zimmerman

Though it should be noted that Jeff Kozlowski deserves extra credit for remembering that Harvey Fierstein was also doing the voice of Hucua for “Kingdom of the Sun” before that Disney Feature Animation production was suddenly shut down and significantly reworked, eventually to become Disney’s December 2000 release, “The Emperor’s New Groove.”

So Jeff, Denise and Charlie … If you can please send me your mailing information, I’d be happy to put your prizes (I.E. One pound of “Just Plain Joe” whole bean coffee as well as a limited edition t-sshirt) ASAP.

Well, it’s been a big week here at JHM. And — frankly — I’m exhausted. So you folks go and enjoy your three day weekend.

Speaking of which … If you live in the Central Florida area and/or are going to be visiting the Walt Disney World Resort over the next few days & are looking for something fun to this coming weekend … Well, then you might want to consider checking out the two events that the N.F.F.C. (I.E. The National Fantasy Fan Club, THE Club for Disneyana Enthusiasts) will be holding at the Radisson Parkway in Kissimmee.

The fun actually begins on Saturday night as Alex Mahr and Brian Blackmore of the Disney Design Group give a special presentation. There’ll also be pin trading & room hopping going on. So this will be a great chance to score some cool Disney collectibles.

Then on Sunday morning, the Radisson’s convention space will play host to the N.F.F.C.’s Show and Sale. Where you’re sure to find tons on fun items up for sale. Not to mention meeting some very nice people who are also into collecting Mouse-related stuff.

If you’d like to learn more about this event, I suggest you follow this link. And — while I’m suggesting things — Chuck Oberlietner has some intriguing articles up over at his website, o-meon.com, . Including an overview of this week’s MacWorld where Chuck gets to chat (albeit briefly) with Robin Williams. So if you’re looking for some interesting reading this weekend, you might want to head over there.

Me? I wish that I had time to go to the N.F.F.C. Show & Sale and/or read Chuck’s stuff. But I gotta get back to work on Monday’s column. Which take a special look at how Martin Luther King’s legacy became intertwined with that of the Walt Disney Company.

See you then okay?

jrh

General

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

Published

9 years ago

June 23, 2015

Jim Hill

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

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

… the postman delivering the mail …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the street musician playing for tourists …

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention the tourists themselves.

Photo by Jim Hill

But right alongside the bronze businessmen …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

… or — for that matter — out-of-time.

Photo by Jim Hill

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

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

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

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

General

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

Published

9 years ago

June 10, 2015

Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Photo by Jim Hill

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

Your thoughts?

General

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

Published

9 years ago

June 9, 2015

Jim Hill

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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