MetaFilter posts tagged with mickeymouse and Disney

Oswald, Mickey, and Mortimer

filthy light thief — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:51:29 -0800

Mickey Mouse's early road to fame (yt playlist with ~160 videos) has some odd twists and turns. One of Walt Disney's early cartoon creations was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, the star of Trolley Troubles (5:45, 1927) and other early shorts. Disney had big plans for the popular little rabbit, and wanted to increase his budget from Universal Pictures. Unfortunately, Charles B. Mintz wanted to scale back the budget, and in the end Universal kept control of Oswald Rabbit. Without Oswald, Disney needed something new. Jack Dunham, one of Disney's Nine Old Men recalled animating Oswald and "the one without the ears." Initially, this one was called Mortimer, but Lillian Disney, Walt Disney's wife, believed the name "Mortimer" sounded too pompous and suggested the name Mickey, though Mickey Rooney claims he was the inspiration. Either way, the mouse was renamed Mickey in short order, and he starred in Plane Crazy (video, 6:00, 1928, previously). By 1929, he was wearing his iconic gloves (and talking), in The Karnival Kid (video, 7:41). But Mortimer returned, as Mickey's Rival (8:16, 1936), eventually getting his own themesong (1:56, modern recording off of TV; better quality song with a still image, 1:35) and again in a modern short (1:30, 2000), amongst other appearances. Then there's Uncle Mortimer, who first traveled with Mickey Mouse in Death Valley, though it's not always clear whose uncle he is. And in the alternate universe that is Bloom County, Mickey's fraternal twin is Mortimer (technically, he resides in Outland).

Free Mickey?

Astro Zombie — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:02:42 -0800

His is the most vigorously defended copyright in history, the reason behind the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. But Mickey Mouse may already be in the public domain. (Via)

Ub Iwerks

Astro Zombie — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 04:38:06 -0800

He had an awesome name for an animator. He created Mickey Mouse. He won two Academy Awards. He invented rotoscoping. Now he is mostly forgotten, except among cartoon aficionados. Also forgotten: Flip the Frog. He was Ub Iwerks.

Disneyfilter

shawnj — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 06:09:02 -0800

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.

Sticherbeast — Thu, 09 Dec 2004 13:27:17 -0800

Disney's War Against the Counterculture. Parody Mickey Mouse and see your life turn to madness, even if things are more or set straight in the end. “The main point,” O’Neill says, “was to buck corporate thinking. We just didn’t like bullshit.” [via]

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Mouse?

jonp72 — Sat, 25 Jan 2003 23:12:33 -0800

Mickey Mouse attempts suicide and fights the Nazis. Minnie Mouse goes wild at National Lampoon, while Donald Duck has a drug problem. Read about a 1970s porn film, a series of underground comics, the missing black centaur in Fantasia, and all the other cultural history that Disney doesn't want you to see.

ahughey — Sat, 09 Nov 2002 02:55:56 -0800

Hidden Mickeys: In designing, constructing or adding the final touches to a Disney park attraction, Imagineers subtly "hide" Mickey Mouse silhouettes in plain sight.

tpoh.org — Sat, 01 Sep 2001 14:38:40 -0800

Talk About Your Graven Images! Look out, Golden Calf - you've got competition! Now up for sale on eBay, a two-foot-tall, 100+ pound solid gold statue of Mickey Mouse. "The manufacturer of 'Celebration Mickey', The Great Western Mint, adds 'Never in the history of art has a work of such enormous size been cast in pure gold. We are proud to be able to present this piece with expectations that art lovers and cultural historians yet unborn will look back upon this 1,500 troy ounce casting of pure gold and marvel at the technical prowess that it exhibits.'" Wow. I thought I heard all the theories, but it never dawned on me that Mickey Mouse was the Antichrist.

gluechunk — Tue, 12 Dec 2000 17:13:25 -0800

Did you know that Mickey Mouse was kept out of the public domain by the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act? [via librarian.net]