News Bob Iger is back! Chapek is out!!

[LittleBuford]

Maybe off topic, but it speaks to a larger problem that shows in everything Disney does these days. Profit used to be the result of going above and beyond in every part of the Walt Disney company. Now, it’s not the result…..it’s the entire focus. And it shows.

I’m rewatching the original Ducktales at the moment for nostalgia’s sake, and much as I’m enjoying the experience, the animation is at times on the shoddy side. To my eyes at least, the new Mickey shorts look great by comparison. Yes, they are nowhere near as technically accomplished as the classic shorts of the ’30s-’50s, but they offer a lot of visual charm and interest,* particularly by the standards of Disney TV animation.

———

* One of the best things about them is that they’re packed with clever and affectionate references to Disney animation history and the Disney theme parks. Indeed, they’re made very much with Disney nerds in mind. The members of this forum are their ideal audience.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

The new Mickey shorts aren't without their moments. They can be entertaining at times and occasionally even have some really nice looking background art (though this can be somewhat inconsistent). There's also some nostalgia seeing cameos of old rarely used characters.

But that's about where my praise ends. I find them somewhat grating to watch, there's something very "off" about them. They feel like something that would be more at home on Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network. They have a very obnoxious and uncomfortable feeling to them. Character designs are really weird and ugly, and in motion they have a poor looking "flash animation" quality. The worst is the abundance of grotesque Ren and Stimpy poses/expressions. I absolutely hate that this style became so prevalent across the world of animation. Very disappointed that Mickey Mouse finally jumped on the bandwagon...

 

[brb1006]

The ‘art direction’ I’d argue looks cheap & off-model. Like a knockoff or a parody/spoof of Mickey & Friends rather than the real deal. But again, all subjective taste.

Have you not seen Mickey Go Local? Now those are some ugly designs right there.

 

[brb1006]

The new Mickey shorts aren't without their moments. They can be entertaining at times and occasionally even have some really nice looking background art (though this can be somewhat inconsistent). There's also some nostalgia seeing cameos of old rarely used characters.

But that's about where my praise ends. I find them somewhat grating to watch, there's something very "off" about them. They feel like something that would be more at home on Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network. They have a very obnoxious and uncomfortable feeling to them. Character designs are really weird and ugly, and in motion they have a poor looking "flash animation" quality. The worst is the abundance of grotesque Ren and Stimpy poses/expressions. I absolutely hate that this style became so prevalent across the world of animation. Very disappointed that Mickey Mouse finally jumped on the bandwagon...

Actually the recent shorts "The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse" (a continuation of the 2013 shorts but longer) and it's recent Seasonal Specials on Dinsey+ all manage to tone those moments down.

 

[James Alucobond]

Have you not seen Mickey Go Local? Now those are some ugly designs right there.

Is that you, Fichwa Fellow?

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Ducktales 2017 by comparison is better at not being so obnoxious. The character designs are just as bland as the Mickey shorts, but they thankfully usually refrain from using the Ren and Stimpy expressions. That said, the background art in Ducktales 2017 is a huge drop off in quality from even Mickey. The colors and detail are as bland and basic as they can be. The original 1987 version blows it out of the water. The "flashy" character animation is also still present in Ducktales 2017.

There was a lesser known series from 2018 called Legend of the Three Caballeros that had an IMO much better and more classic visual style than either Mickey or Ducktales. It unfortunately didn't get much attention, at least in English speaking regions. I don't know if the series was actually any good from a story standpoint, but it certainly looks and animates a heck of a lot better than the others...

 

[brb1006]

Ducktales 2017 by comparison is better at not being so obnoxious. The character designs are just as bland as the Mickey shorts, but they thankfully usually refrain from using the Ren and Stimpy expressions. That said, the background art in Ducktales 2017 is a huge drop off in quality from even Mickey. The colors and detail are as bland and basic as they can be. The original 1987 version blows it out of the water. The "flashy" character animation is also still present in Ducktales 2017.

There was a lesser known series from 2018 called Legend of the Three Caballeros that had an IMO much better and more classic visual style than either Mickey or Ducktales. It unfortunately didn't get much attention, at least in English speaking regions. I don't know if the series was actually any good from a story standpoint, but it certainly looks and animates a heck of a lot better than the others...

I remember when episodes of Legend of The Three Caballeros first leaked onto Youtube during the Summer of 2018. The series was first discovered from a Tumbler blog that posted screenshots from an overseas Disney App which quickly gained a ton of attention. The series even gained a fanbase overnight after the episodes leaked before Disney took them down at a later date. I remember really liking the series but the production behind it was very secretive.

I even created a thread giving awareness to the series before the episodes were leaked back in June 2018.

A mysterious Three Caballeros show has appeared on the DisneyLife app called “The Legend of the Three Caballeros” (Now on Disney+)

I love the obscure Disney references in this show. I haven’t noticed that many. Which one’s did you find?

forums.wdwmagic.com

In a Ducktales podcast, Tony Anselmo said that this was his favorite performance as Donald Duck compared to the DT reboot.

 

[_caleb]

Seems this thread got a little off topic, so I started a thread in the Disney Movies, Animation, TV, and Disney+ forum to talk about the art direction, style, and writing of the current World of Mickey shorts.

@donaldtoo, @LittleBuford, @Elijah Abrams, @Pancho, @Inspired Figment, @DisneyHead123, @Skywise, and anyone else who might be interested, I’d love talk more about which Mickey design is the best (and why it’s the Paul Rudish one) over here:

Mickey Shorts Animation and Style

It’s hard to believe the Paul Rudish-produced Mickey Mouse shorts were launched ten years ago! The art style—especially the visual designs and personalities of the fab five—have always been polarizing. Some saw these versions as throwbacks to the originals from the 30s and 40s, with Mickey being...

forums.wdwmagic.com

 

[HauntedPirate]

The new Mickey shorts aren't without their moments. They can be entertaining at times and occasionally even have some really nice looking background art (though this can be somewhat inconsistent). There's also some nostalgia seeing cameos of old rarely used characters.

But that's about where my praise ends. I find them somewhat grating to watch, there's something very "off" about them. They feel like something that would be more at home on Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network. They have a very obnoxious and uncomfortable feeling to them. Character designs are really weird and ugly, and in motion they have a poor looking "flash animation" quality. The worst is the abundance of grotesque Ren and Stimpy poses/expressions. I absolutely hate that this style became so prevalent across the world of animation. Very disappointed that Mickey Mouse finally jumped on the bandwagon...

Don't forget the "I Just Got Off A 3-Day Bender" Goofy look.

As for The Imagineering Story covering the flaws in DCA - Well, it's "rescue" puts a certain former-CEO-now-CEO-again in a positive light. Even though he also oversaw the Pixar overlay as well, which arguably detracted a lot from the previous iteration that was fairly well done.

 

[Ayla]

Have you not seen Mickey Go Local? Now those are some ugly designs right there.

Yikes.

 

[lazyboy97o]

As for The Imagineering Story covering the flaws in DCA - Well, it's "rescue" puts a certain former-CEO-now-CEO-again in a positive light. Even though he also oversaw the Pixar overlay as well, which arguably detracted a lot from the previous iteration that was fairly well done.

Other events are also ignored, distorted or not presented chronologically to make said CEO look better.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Other events are also ignored, distorted or not presented chronologically to make said CEO look better.

"Here, Bob shows his creative chops in a meeting with Imagineers"

"More trees"

 

[GhostHost1000]

Just saw some “I was part of the magic” pins for the farewell 50th celebration.

You can’t make this stuff up

Pep rally Bob solving all the problems

 

[drizgirl]

Just saw some “I was part of the magic” pins for the farewell 50th celebration.

You can’t make this stuff up

So is the "celebration" glowing away?

 

[James Alucobond]

Just saw some “I was part of the magic” pins for the farewell 50th celebration.

You can’t make this stuff up

Next pin idea:

'Member the magic?

 

[Grumpy4196]

More like "Walt Disney World Resort" "Magic Not Included" in small print.

 

[Magic Crush Drop]

Maybe off topic, but it speaks to a larger problem that shows in everything Disney does these days. Profit used to be the result of going above and beyond in every part of the Walt Disney company. Now, it’s not the result…..it’s the entire focus. And it shows.

Most of the conversation was about the quality of the shorts themselves and didn't really talk about the corporate side of the company.

Anyways, what's you guys' thoughts on whether Iger is going to complete his task in 2 years?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

The new Mickey shorts aren't without their moments. They can be entertaining at times and occasionally even have some really nice looking background art (though this can be somewhat inconsistent). There's also some nostalgia seeing cameos of old rarely used characters.

But that's about where my praise ends. I find them somewhat grating to watch, there's something very "off" about them. They feel like something that would be more at home on Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network. They have a very obnoxious and uncomfortable feeling to them. Character designs are really weird and ugly, and in motion they have a poor looking "flash animation" quality. The worst is the abundance of grotesque Ren and Stimpy poses/expressions. I absolutely hate that this style became so prevalent across the world of animation. Very disappointed that Mickey Mouse finally jumped on the bandwagon...

1995

 

[_caleb]

Most of the conversation was about the quality of the shorts themselves and didn't really talk about the corporate side of the company.

Anyways, what's you guys' thoughts on whether Iger is going to complete his task in 2 years?

By "his task," do you mean "choosing a (better) successor?" Because I think he's already well into that.

But if you mean "righting the ship," I'm not sure we've seen anything yet.

I think his recent attempts to calm investors and reassure customers/fans needs to be followed up with a grand gesture or two.

 

[HauntedPirate]

1995

One-off, and part of the story.