PAX 2010: A Very Escapist Mickey

It's no secret that we at The Escapist are excited about Epic Mickey, but it turns out that Mickey is just as excited about The Escapist! In fact, when he's not flinging paint and thinner around The Wasteland, he's practicing drawing our distinctive "E".

Ok, that's not really true. If you were willing to wait in line - or were like me and were lucky enough to get there very early - you could have a genuine Disney artist draw you a customized picture of the character of your choice. I've always been partial to the duck clan, personally, but as I stood there surrounded by huge screens projecting Epic Mickey footage, it seemed wrong to ask for anyone other than the Mouse himself.

Jeffrey Shelly, Character Art Director for Disney Consumer Projects, has been drawing Mickey and his pals for about twenty years now. He says he doesn't have a favorite character to draw: "I just like it when people ask for something different." Perhaps I should've asked for Mickey dancing the merengue with a wombat, instead. Maybe next time.

It's easy to take Disney's artistic brilliance for granted, but watching Jeffrey effortlessly whipping up stunning renditions of legendary characters was a little awe-inspiring. Click on the images in the gallery above to get a better look at Jeffrey, the work in progress, and the final result.