Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. Created as a replacement for a prior Disney character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Mickey first appeared in the 1928 short Plane Crazy, which was not originally picked up for distribution; his public debut ended up being his third short from the same year, Steamboat Willie.
Origin[]
The longtime icon and mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse. Inspired by such silent film personalities as Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks, Mickey is traditionally characterized as a sympathetic underdog who gets by on pluck and ingenuity in the face of challenges bigger than himself, but was initially portrayed as a cheeky troublemaker. The character's depiction as a small mouse is personified through his diminutive stature and falsetto voice, the latter of which was originally provided by Disney. Mickey is one of the world's most recognizable and universally acclaimed fictional characters of all time.
Steamboat Willie[]
In Steamboat Willie, Mickey sails the steamboat. He is interrupted by Pete and later helps load a cow onto the boat. Mickey helps Minnie Mouse onto the boat and they make music using the ship's animals. He is eventually punished by Pete and locked in a room to peel potatoes. Mickey is mocked by the Parrot, but he throws a half-peeled potato at the bird, sending the parrot splashing into the river.
Appearance[]
Mickey Mouse appears to be an anthropomorphic mouse with huge round ears and white muzzle surrounding his face and simple cartoony eyes. He wears red shorts, brown shoes and no gloves in the cartoon itself, white gloves in the title card and yellow gloves on a poster depicting him in color.
Starting with The Opry House, Mickey began to wear gloves in the cartoons themselves.
Mickey's first speaking appearance is in The Karnival Kid.
His first singing appearance is in Mickey's Follies.
Public Domain Appearances[]
- Plane Crazy (May 15, 1928)
- The Gallopin' Gaucho (August 2, 1928)
- Steamboat Willie (November 18, 1928)
- The Barn Dance (March 14, 1929)
- The Opry House (March 28, 1929)
- When The Cat's Away (May 3, 1929)
- The Barnyard Battle (June 1, 1929)
- The Plowboy (June 28, 1929)
- The Karnival Kid (July 31, 1929)
- Mickey's Follies (August 28, 1929)
- Mickey's Choo-Choo (September 26, 1929)
- The Jazz Fool (October 15, 1929)
- Jungle Rhythm (November 15, 1929)
- The Haunted House (December 2, 1929)
- Wild Waves (December 21, 1929)
- The Mad Doctor (January 30, 1933)
Copyright[]
- The 1928 cartoons entered the public domain in 2024 due to the copyright expiring after 96 years. The 1929 cartoons entered the public domain in 2025.
- The color version of Mickey, first appearing in Parade of the Award Nominees, enters the public domain in 2028.
- The Disney animated movies starring Mickey, Fantasia and Fun and Fancy Free enter the public domain in 2036 and 2043 respectively.
Gallery[]
.jpg "Mickey Mouse Color Stock Poster (Celebrity Productions era, 1928).jpg (211 KB)")
