General

Wouldn’t it be cool if …

JHM rolls out a brand-new feature today. One that will allow this website’s readers to make suggestions that Walt Disney Company officials will (hopefully) take seriously. In this debut column, Ken Plume points to a long-abandoned short subject that WDFA should probably seriously consider reviving

Published

18 years ago

May 16, 2006

Jim Hill

You know, a lot of people seem to think that I’m out to “get” the Walt Disney Company. That I deliberately only post stories on JHM that talk about the negative things that are happening at the Mouse House (Gee, after Monday’s “Dreamfinder” story and yesterday’s “Midway Madness” article yesterday, I don’t know how anyone could have ever gotten that idea … Anyway …)

With the hope that I might somehow be able to turn this false impression around, I’d now like to talk about something very cool that’s just gotten underway at Disney Feature Animation. You see, the Mouse Factory is getting back into the shorts business.

Seriously, folks. Ed Catmull & John Lasseter (I.E. WDFA’s new president and chief creative officer, respectively) are obviously huge fans of short subjects. After all, it was short films like “Luxo Jr.,” “Tin Toy” and “Knick Knack” that initially persuaded Disney execs that they should try & develop a full-length computer animated feature with Pixar.

And Ed & John … Well, they view Pixar’s short programs almost as that studio’s farm team. You see, these short films allow talented newcomers to test their wings, see if they’re actually ready to move up to the “big leagues” (I.E. Helm one of the company’s full-length animated features). More to the point, these shorts have also proven to be great testing grounds for new pieces of software that Pixar is thinking of using on its features.

Sooo … Given that Catmull & Lasseter are looking to remake Burbank in Emeryville’s image, it just made sense that Disney Feature Animation should also get its own shorts program going. Which is why — just a few weeks back — Ed & John asked WDFA story artists to prep a few pitches for animated short subjects. And sometime later this month, Catmull & Lasseter will first review these pitches and then select a short or two to put into production.

Now the current plan calls for the first new animated short to debut in front of WDFA’s next big feature, “Meet the Robinsons.” Which is scheduled to bow in theaters on March 30, 2007.

Now where this gets interesting is that Ed & John are supposedly looking to put at least two new animated shorts in production at Disney Feature Animation. So that a larger number of animators can then try their hand at working on an animated short subject.

Which then raises an interesting question: If that first WDFA short is going to be shown in front of “Meet the Robinsons” … Well, which Walt Disney Pictures release is the second animated short going to be shown in front of?

The reason that I bring this up is … Obviously, the biggest Disney Studios release for the Summer of 2007 is going to be the third (and supposedly final) “Pirates” film, “Pirates of the Caribbean: World’s End.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Please note that “supposedly final” comment in the above paragraph. Though no one at the executive level at the Walt Disney Company has actually dared to mention this in public, I’ve heard from various vendors that Disney Consumer Products reps are already talking up “Pirates 4.” With the hope of possibly extending this extremely lucrative brand into 2010 and beyond.

Which is a pretty ballsy thing to do, given that Johnny Depp, Kiera Knightley and Orlando Bloom are only under contract to do three pictures. So — should this fourth “Pirates of the Caribbean” film actually go into production — it would be interesting to see who eventually winds up at the helm of the Black Pearl.

Anywho … Getting back to our original story now …)

So what with “Pirates of the Caribbean: World’s End” coming out in the Summer of 2007 … Well, wouldn’t it be cool if Walt Disney Feature Animation produced a pirates-theme short subject that could then be shown in front of this Gore Verbinksi film?

Mind you, the reason that I’m bringing this idea up is … Well, as my good friend Ken Plume recently pointed out, Disney Feature Animation already has a great storyboard for a pirate-based short subject sitting in its files. One that was supposed to have starred Mickey, Donald and Goofy.

Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC

I am referring — of course — to “Morgan’s Ghost.” The infamous aborted project that was originally developed back in 1940 & 1941 by Homer Brightman & Harry Reeves with an assist by the “Big Mouseketeer” himself, Roy Williams.

Now if the “Morgan’s Ghost” name sounds familiar to you (Particularly to all you Disney comic buffs out there) … Well, there’s a reason for that. You see, this never-produced short served as the inspiration for the very first Donald Duck comic book, “Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold.”

This particular comic book (Which was first published by Western Publishing back in October of 1942) is especially revered by Donald Duck enthusiasts. Mostly because “Pirate Gold” was illustrated by the two artists who (arguably) had the largest impact on Donald’s overall career: cartoonist Carl Barks and animation director Jack Hannah.

Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC

Anywho … As for the story of “Morgan’s Ghost”: It’s actually a pretty solid premise for a Mickey-Donald-Goofy short. As this proposed picture gets underway, the trio are living in Fish Haven, a sleepy seaside town where nothing much ever happens.

Mickey is the proprietor of the Jolly Roger Inn and Donald & Goofy are his assistants. And there at the Inn, these three have a pet parrot called Yellowbeak.

Now what Mickey, Donald & Goofy don’t know is that Yellowbeak was once a member of Captain Morgan‘s crew. The infamous pirate who amassed a huge treasure before he was finally caught & hung.

Captain Morgan’s treasure? It was never found. And only Yellowbeak knows where the late pirate’s horde is still hidden.

Which is where Black Pete comes in. You see, he wants this treasure. Which is why Pete slips into the Jolly Roger Inn late one night and steals Yellowbeak.

Of course, now it’s up to Mickey, Donald and Goofy to rescue the kidnapped bird. So the trio stows away on Pete’s ship (“The Vulture”) and — of course — much hilarity ensues. Particularly since Goofy (in this proposed film, anyway) is prone to sleep-walking …

Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC

And Pete … Well, it’s clear that he’s not exactly the smartest salt to ever sailed the seven seas. Given that he almost blows up “The Vulture” one night when he absent-mindedly strikes a match in the ship’s powder room.

Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC

Anyhow … Mickey, Donald and Goofy eventually actually beat Black Pete to the deserted isle where Captain Morgan’s treasure is hidden. And ‘way down deep in a dark cave, this trio finds a large wood chest that they think contains the treasure. But once they pry this container open, Mickey, Donald & Goofy don’t find gold inside. But — rather — ghosts!

Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC

To be specific, it’s the spirit of Captain Morgan and two loyal members of his crew. Who have been trapped inside of that chest for more than a century now.

Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC

Of course, having finally be freed from that accursed chest is a cause for celebration. So Captain Morgan & his ghostly crew dance a quick hornpipe …

Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC

… before finally agreeing to help Mickey, Donald & Goofy in their effort to rescue Yellowbeak as well as unearth Captain Morgan’s long-hidden treasure.

Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC

Mind you, once they get back that bird, Mickey, Donald & Goofy still have to follow all of the clues that Captain Morgan left behind in order to unearth his treasure. (“Why can’t the ghost of Capt. Morgan just tell this trio where his horde is hidden?,” you ask. Because — according to the pirate code — “Dead men tell no tales.” Which is why Capt. Morgan is strictly forbidden from revealing where his treasure is actually buried.)

Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC

Of course, as Mickey, Donald & Goofy begin their hunt for the treasure, Black Pete is hot on their heels. And — as the story sketches below readily illustrate — there are still plenty of chills & thrills to be found in this proposed picture’s premise.

Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC

Anywho … As this short finally draws to a close, Captain Morgan is reunited with his treasure.

Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC

And — as a reward for freeing him from that awful chest as well as unearthing his long-lost treasure — Captain Morgan happily awards a share of his horde to Mickey, Donald & Goofy.

And as our heroes sail off into the sunset, rich beyond their wildest dreams …

Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC

… Black Pete winds up getting his just desserts. Being locked away for 101 years for attempting to pass some phony doubloons.

Copyright Disney Enterprises LLC

Okay, I know. That’s not a very detailed description of “Morgan’s Ghost.” To be honest, I only mapped out this story in the broadest possible strokes. Were you to take a look at the 800+ story sketches that were originally done for this proposed animated short, you’d have a much better understanding of how the “Morgan’s Ghost” story was actually supposed to play out.

And all of this great material … It’s still just sitting there in Disney’s Animation Research Center. Waiting for some clever WDFA employee to come along, open the right files and then pin these story sketches back up on some cork board. So that John Lasseter & Ed Catmull can then see that “Morgan’s Gold” still has plenty of potential.

More importantly, so that John & Ed can then realize that a fully animated version of this particular story would be an inspired companion piece for “Pirates of the Caribbean: World’s End.” Which is why it would be really smart if someone at WDFA would greenlight production of this long-ago-aborted animated short ASAP.

FYI: In the very unlikely event that someone at Disney Feature Animation actually does pursue this suggestion and attempts to get “Morgan’s Ghost” put on WDFA’s development track, I’d like Ken Plume to get the credit for this suggestion. Rather than myself.

After all, it was Ken who first told me about this 65-year-old concept that was just sitting in the ARC’s files. Waiting for someone to remember that this very promising premise was still there, waiting for Walt Disney Studios to get back into the shorts business.

And now that Disney is getting back into the shorts business, wouldn’t it be cool if — strictly from a historical point-of-view — “Morgan’s Gold” finally made it out of WDFA’s morgue and wound up on the big screen in front of “Pirates III” ?

Your thoughts?

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