$1,500 (assuming they divvy it that way, which I find unlikely since they have publicly commissioned a writer too) is roughly 6-8 full-colour, fully-shaded images with a top-tier artist if you commission them for getting it done on the first try. That's not talking about the screwy way layering has to be done for this game, where it has to be pixel perfect to work properly (despite how you're talking about it, that takes time and artists will charge you accordingly when they know that's the job).
We're also not talking about making backgrounds, which is also being done.
So I'm not "shitting" you, this would probably be way more expensive if they commissioned an outside team to do it for sure. Ask a furry if you don't believe me, a grand and a half can be spent fast in the world of art commissions and it would take longer than a few months at a time; skilled artists will usually get to you a week or two out for a single image.
As I remarked above, I'm not saying anything about Mulan's team. Whether they're dragging or not (and I've admitted in the past that it appears to be the case), that's not my call because I don't know the individual personally enough to be able to comment and I don't pay Mulan in order to be complaining. You just don't seem to have a lot of awareness as to what this kind of work takes or costs, and that annoys me because I have quite a few friends who are artists.
