Disneyfilter

January 26, 2005 6:09 AM

InspEARations- As part of their 75th anniversary celebration of Mickey Mouse in 2003, Disney collaborated with celebrities and designers to create new takes on the classic pose. The statues include work by Dick Vitale, Jerry Bruckheimer, and James Gandolfini, among others. In case you missed it the first time, they're bringing these statues on tour to parks around the country this spring and summer.
posted by shawnj (18 comments total)

That reminds me, I must go out and purchase some more Disney merchandise.
posted by veedubya at 6:17 AM on January 26, 2005

A number of years back, Disney commissioned Peter Kuper and other artists for a stylized take on Mickey Mouse. While this current lineup is within the same vein, I suspect it's more of a belated response to Cow Parade, Qee, and Tom Everhart.
posted by Smart Dalek at 6:24 AM on January 26, 2005

Wow I am definitely gonna find a place near me and take the kids down there and have a couple of pepsi blues while i rehash memories about my personal relationship to the cartoon deities. They probably won't care but at least its another thing we can share over a tasty oh so sexy pepsi blue.
posted by sourbrew at 6:28 AM on January 26, 2005

Most likely, Smart Dalek. It also reminds me of the Peanuts statues that were all over St. Paul for the past few years. You couldn't walk around in St. Paul without tripping over one of them.
posted by shawnj at 6:29 AM on January 26, 2005

Chicago had a bunch of Mickey Mouse statues downtown last summer, too.
posted by SisterHavana at 6:50 AM on January 26, 2005

I saw these before they went on tour. Some of them are lovingly, painstakingly created. Some are obviously a 5 minue phone call from the "celebrity" and 2 or 3 hours from an intern somewhere.

Hint, use the media/licensing version to see thumbnails of all of them --
link

Some of them were fantastic -- Others, kinda enh.
posted by cavalier at 7:00 AM on January 26, 2005

Hmmmmm.....

I saw these last year at Disney. I remembered seeing one by a somewhat controversial musician. When I went to the Disney page linked above, I couldn't find the Mickey in question. I then Googled, and, sure enough, it's there, but, unless I'm missing something, it's not linked. Am I missing something?
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:12 AM on January 26, 2005

It is a real shame that this form of "public art" is so wide spread. It doesn't get much less creative than painting these dumb things.

Yeah, I know, kids might like it, but imagine if the % .01 of the artists who manage to get something good out of this assignment were simply given some public space to display something more substantial! Instead the world gets this Wal-mart equivalent of "art" pinched off on every city every few years.
posted by JBennett at 8:12 AM on January 26, 2005

The folks behind Pandamania and Party Animals should sue Disney.
posted by terrapin at 8:44 AM on January 26, 2005

There is also the Trail of the Painted Ponies in Albuquerque, NM. Willing by Virgil Ortiz is my favorite.

Seattle also has Ponies on Parade.
posted by onhazier at 8:59 AM on January 26, 2005

Oops. I also forgot about the Mermaids on Parade in Norfolk, VA.
posted by onhazier at 9:06 AM on January 26, 2005

Orlando had LizArt. They mostly got vandalized.
posted by Sangre Azul at 9:25 AM on January 26, 2005

Toronto moose.
posted by Frasermoo at 9:34 AM on January 26, 2005

London cows.
posted by Frasermoo at 9:35 AM on January 26, 2005

To the Janet Jackson poster, I can't find a link for it but the rationale was there were actually closer to 100 statues, and as time and damage and touring went on, they would be subbed out. I dont know wheter Janet's damage was physical or financial :)
posted by cavalier at 10:48 AM on January 26, 2005

All I can think of is that this is a celebration of the Copyright Extension Act. Sort of a "we got another coupla decades to milk this one!" kind of party. Depressing.
posted by breath at 3:06 PM on January 26, 2005

Ech. Largely uninspired celeb-boosting disney-boosting wankery on a cartoon character well past his prime.

What if these people just quietly gave money to charity instead?
posted by cortex at 5:03 PM on January 26, 2005

Cortex, at some level all celebrities want to be celebrities. Quietly donating money to charities does not further their desire. Not to be saying that none of these people don't also do the quiet giving thing, mind you. Otherwise I agree with you on the general uselessness and Disney disparaging.
posted by billsaysthis at 6:19 PM on January 27, 2005