Who is Mickey Mouse?

That may sound like a strange question. I grew up much too late for the original Mickey Mouse Club, and was much too old to watch the later version. I loved Warner Brothers cartoons when I was younger (still do). My point is that I knew who Bugs Bunny was, I knew his personality, and liked it. If a saw Bugs in a bar I’d buy him a drink. Well, if I saw him in a bar I might have had too much to drink already. What I’m trying to say is besides being a corporate logo, what is Mickey like? Is he shy or outspoken, devious, friendly or what? Are there any specific classic cartoons I can watch to understand who he is?

Sure, just pick up a copy of the Spirit of Mickey DVD to se Mickey through the ages. Mickey, like Bugs, developed over time. While Bugs developed from a wise-cracking Brooklyn trouble maker, Mickey started off as a little trouble maker himself, then developed in different roles to the kind-hearted character we know today.

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Originally Posted by Rick Blaine

If a saw Bugs in a bar I’d buy him a drink.

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I wouldn't recommend doing that...besides, he never leaves the VIP lounge to mix with the common folk.

This is what happens when the Disney Channel does not play any of the Mickey Mouse cartoons. I used to love to turn over the Disney Channel to catch some of the classic cartoons that would play late at night, or even catch some of the behind the scenes shows - even at age 30+!!! :D

Now it's all Miley, Jonas Bros., High School Musical, and other assorted **** that has nothing to do with the brand any more! The only way you can see Mickey on the Disney Channel is to watch the toddler show House of Mouse. And if you aren't a toddler, you'll want to spork your ears after the first 10 minutes...and the animation is ****.

Wow, didn't expect that soap box to come out, but there it is. Sorry!

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Originally Posted by disneyfun55

This is what happens when the Disney Channel does not play any of the Mickey Mouse cartoons.

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I agree. Disney has hundreds of hours of cartoons that they NEVER play. That is why Mickey isn't much more than a corporate logo at this point.

i totally agree. i'm so sick of all these teenie bopper ****.. what happen to the wonderful world of disney and all the old shows and cartoons.. why cant they make a channel that shows stuff like that

There's probably not much money in it. If there was you can bet the old cartoons would be on 24/7.

We should all write letters to the disney channel producers !!!!!

All 10 of us. That would show them.

eleven...i'm in i would love to see more old school disney!! when have a laugh shorts come on now i try to explain to dd4 ...she kinda looks at me wierd. she likes them though. but i would love to see more oldies come back or a whole channel for that

As soneone who grew up watching Walt Disney's wonderful world of color and really enjoyed all those old shows it was very sad and interesting to watch Vault Disney get pushed back to later and later in the night and early am to finally being pushed off the air completely. If you want to see alot of the old shows I would suggest the 9 years of the series called Walt Disney Treasures. It has tons of the old shorts and alot of interesting things about Disneyland; just one example being time lapse film of the park
being built from several points around Disneyland.

Make that twelve letters to Disney. They have always released the animated features, I guess they don't so a financial gain in making the older shorts, etc. available on TV.

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Originally Posted by NC_WDW_Daddy

Sure, just pick up a copy of the Spirit of Mickey DVD to se Mickey through the ages. Mickey, like Bugs, developed over time. While Bugs developed from a wise-cracking Brooklyn trouble maker, Mickey started off as a little trouble maker himself, then developed in different roles to the kind-hearted character we know today.

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Thanks for the idea, I'll look for the DVD.

(from Mickey Mouse book (I helped with) coming soon Cinemassacre Productions)



By Mike Matei, May 14th 2011



"Everyone on Earth knows who Mickey Mouse is. But how many people know anything about the original Mickey Mouse comic strip? Not many, at least in the United States. And there’s a reason for that. The original Mickey Mouse comic strip has never been fully reprinted in this country.
http://cinemassacre.com/wp-content/u.../05/Desert.jpg

The Mickey character most people know is a watered down family-friendly version of the character. A one-note nice guy without much depth of personality. Simply put, the Mickey most people know is a boring, bland corporate mascot. He hasn’t been able to do anything terribly funny, because he has to be sugar and spice and everything nice. As Donald Duck would say, “Aw, phooey.” That’s not the way Mickey Mouse was when he was created. I remember watching Steamboat Willie when I was young. And that had a scene with Mickey swinging a yowling alley cat by the tail. As I got older, I always wanted Mickey to act more like THAT.
http://cinemassacre.com/wp-content/u...enSnapz007.jpg

I remembered him being FUNNY. But sadly, he was toned down. And we were left a happy-go-lucky, zip-a-dee-doo-dah, goody-two-shoes! That’s not the Mickey I knew.
In the comics, Mickey would go on adventures, often getting into wild shoot-em-ups and other battles.
http://cinemassacre.com/wp-content/u...enSnapz035.jpg

He was also at times, more mischievous. A trait that today, we identify more with Donald Duck. Mickey often paced his living room floor insisting that life was too BORING and he had to go look for ADVENTURE. And this meant taking dangerous jobs, like flying airmail through pirate territory, or publishing a newspaper exposing government corruption, or just driving away the crazy hillbilly who’d moved in down the block. Mickey didn’t exactly swear like a sailor, but when he got in these crises and insulted his enemies, they knew they’d been insulted. http://cinemassacre.com/wp-content/u...1/05/Curse.jpg

Doesn’t sound much like the Mickey we know today, huh? Instead of a goody-goody, this Mickey was feisty and human and REAL. And so much more likable BECAUSE he had that edge.
The point is that now, for the first time, the original Mickey Mouse comic strip is being reprinted unedited and in it’s entirety. So you can actually see what the REAL Mickey Mouse is like.
http://cinemassacre.com/wp-content/u...enSnapz029.jpg

I was fortunate enough to be able to work a bit on the book and helped with some image restoration. Gottfredson’s team also produced some rare Disney children’s book illustrations in 1931, and I helped clean the versions of those illustrations that you’ll see here. What’s cool about the book is that, not only do you get all the amazing uncensored comics, but you also get some intricate historical background on Gottfredson and the history of Mickey comics. Great scholarly essays that really provide some fascinating information. Thanks are due to my friend David Gerstein, the co-editor of the book, for letting me take a small part. I recommend this book highly to everyone. Not because I worked on it, but because the comics themselves are worth reading. Scratch that. They are ESSENTIAL reading.
Mickey Mouse is a figure every person on earth knows. But very few people really know what the character is all about. If you’re a fan of comics, you have to own this long, long overdue book. Plain and simple."

http://cinemassacre.com/wp-content/u...eygerstein.jpg

What an excellent and informative post, CA. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.:)

Really enjoyed your post Conceited Ape, and will be definitely looking for that book when it comes out.

I have small children, and really enjoyed watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with them, even though it wasn't the classic Mickey Mouse I grew up watching. (can proudly sing every word of the Hot Dog song, LOL).

To me, Mickey is the ideal friend, leader of the group who always wants to involve others. He is loyal, caring, smart and silly. He's what I hope my children grow up to be.