Although he had appeared in the animated short Plane Crazy six months earlier, November 18, 1928 is widely recognized as Mickey Mouse’s birthday as it was the day that Steamboat Willie—the first Mickey Mouse cartoon with synchronized sound—was released.

Explore the galleries and discover the Earliest Known Drawings of Mickey Mouse and so much more, including vintage Mickey merchandise, the creation of Mickey’s friends, an interactive station that demonstrates how sound is synchronized to animation, and a special section dedicated to the Mickey Mouse Club. Come celebrate and learn about the birth, history and life of the leader of the club that’s made for you and me: M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!

The Museum is open from 10AM to 6PM, Wednesday through Monday. For more information, visit www.waltdisney.org or call 415-345-6800.

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Come Celebrate Mickey Mouse’s Birthday at the Walt Disney Family Museum
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The mischievous sorcerer’s apprentice of “Fantasia’’ has become an empty vessel, devoid of any of the sharp edges that might define his character.

I have to say I don’t agree at all. Going back to Runaway Brain, attempts to reinvigorate Mickey have inevitably ended back at the original Mickey Mouse – an adventurer, a ladies man, and a funny guy. As always, a reflection of his creator. Epic Mickey is going to be more of the same.

What Mickey does need is to be relevant. He’s at his best when he’s doing some sort of commentary on society, usually with a humorous angle. His role as an entrepreneur in the House of Mouse series was a step in the right direction. While not really commentary, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse has also done a good job reacquainting a whole new generation of kids with the character.

The direction I would take Mickey in is to put him in situations we’re all dealing with. In today’s economy Mickey should be championing the little people. Give him an electric car, send him to the mall, the unemployment line, make him a doctor, send him back to school. Some of Mickey’s best moments in his early career involved spoofing celebrity. That would fit in today too.

Where would you like to see Mickey Mouse go from here?

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Does Mickey really need a makeover?
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My wife and I took the boys (ages 3 and 5, respectively) to an advanced screening at the beautiful El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, CA, which begs the question why did it take this long to write a review?  Eh, it’s a long story and it can’t compete with anything PIXAR is offering so we’ll just skip the excuses and get straight to the heart of the matter, which happens to be just that, the heart of the matter.  UP is about heart and lots of it.

Sure, the same can be argued for just about anything that Disney-PIXAR has created, and it would all be true, but UP takes the idea to new heights – and I’m not talking balloons here.  It’s an epic love story wrapped in a layer of silly, sweet fun, the likes of which haven’t been seen on screen since, well, WALL-E.

There is a montage towards the beginning of the film that will bring a tear to the eye of even the toughest of customers, but not mine because I’m disgustingly stoic, but other customers, even the tough ones, they cried.

Kids, however, didn’t.  They skipped right over the moments of tender sadness that some sites have warned against without even batting an eye.  PIXAR is subtle when it needs to be, and the “darker” areas of the film didn’t appear to impact the children in the theater nearly as much as the snarl of a mean dog with a funny voice.

I have a theory that the story of UP (said theory contains some adult language and unnecessary ridicule at the expense of Kenny G) could be broken down into two distinct parts, those being the romantic quest of promises kept and the more “cartoonish” search for Snipe, respectively, and I stand by that.

I believe that the movie has two distinct levels of story being told, but it is done in one voice, and that’s what makes it so darn amazing, or awesome as the case may be.

I’m not a believer of adding spoilers so early in the game, so I’m not going to give you any more than I have.  However, I will add that the plot of UP was something of a mystery to me prior to seeing it, and in hindsight any guess I may have wagered would have been wrong.  It surprised me and it felt good.  I felt up.

What? I couldn’t not say it.

As I stated earlier we were lucky enough to see the show at the El Capitan Theatre, complete with a stage show called “Lighten Up” featuring Mickey and friends, not to mention the musical stylings of Mr. Ricky Martin, and an UP sundae in the soda shop after the show.

If you’re in the Los Angeles area between now and July 23rd, treat yourself (and your family if you’re so inclined) to an afternoon at the El Capitan.  Tell them Whit sent you (and act disgusted when they just stare at you blankly- it’s a Hollywood thing).

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“UP” Gets Two Thumbs, um, Up! Also, Disney Landmarks!
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Previously we saw Joey’s amazing 1933 Mickey Mouse themed mural for his son’s bedroom.

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Cute Disney Emoticons
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Perhaps the best tribute is how Mickey Mouse has recently been re-invigorated for the Walt Disney Company by “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” on The Disney Channel. I know that Wayne and Russi worked with the show’s producers to make sure that Mickey and Minnie stayed true to their characters even while making themselves available to a new generation. I also know that they were working with Disney to make sure there was someone ready to step into Mickey’s shoes if needed. There has even been talk of another animated feature with Mickey and the gang.

I know that many more tributes will pour in from those who knew Wayne better and I be adding them here as the days go on.

• April Winchell
• Mark Evanier
• Andy De Maertelaere
• Cartoon Brew (read the comments)
• Voice Actors in the News
• Will Scott
• LaughingPlace.com
• Jim Hill
• Kate at Cholula Red
• John Matthews
• Rich Koster of DisneyEcho
• The AP’s Obit
• LA Times

To add your tribute drop me an email with the link.

Update: Clip of Wayne on Ukelele with Russi at an NFFC convention (via LaughingPlace.com) below the cut:

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Wayne Allwine, tributes pour in
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These last 80 years have been quite transformative for you. You’ve gone from a sweet and unpretentious little rascal to a modern day role model for the young. The next 80 are sure to be as transformative, especially as more images of you begin to enter the public domain. Sure there will be fights, huge ones, for control of your future. You have become a part of us. And now you belong to all of us as much as you ever belonged to Walt and the company he set up with his brother. I only hope you’re up to the task.

Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse.

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Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse!
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We’ve always known there is a bit of a dark side to Mickey Mouse. Usually he was just being his mischievous self, but sometimes, as in Runaway Brain, he seemed like a completely different mouse. Okay. Maybe he was a completely different mouse. But he’s always been fairly squeaky clean when it comes to consumer products. In the last few years, however, we’ve been treated to some wider extremes of Walt’s most famous creation.

Walt Disney’s influence as a creative visionary and artist has inspired generations and BLOC28 by Disney is a new label that uniquely connects today’s street art and contemporary art culture with Disney’s most iconic character, Mickey Mouse. BLOC28 by Disney – Series 2, builds on the phenomenal success of the first series with well-known urban artists Aroe, Chaz Bojorquez, Ewok, Rime, Suiko and Tenga.

Each artist developed a one-of-a-kind piece of Mickey–themed art in their signature style which serves as the inspiration for a line of limited-edition product. And in celebration of the contemporary art community, Disney is kicking off a ten-day auction of limited edition BLOC28 product with eBay Giving Works to benefit Art Share Los Angeles – a community arts incubator whose mission is to shape lives through art, education and community action.

If you don’t live in New York or Los Angeles it can be incredibly difficult to get your hands on the BLOC28 line of products. So this auction is probably your best chance. Plus it supports a good cause. So everyone is a winner.

More information on the auction is available at eBay.

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Urban Street Art meets Mickey Mouse for good cause
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If you’re Basel, Switzerland you can catch the exhibition at the natural history museum. Otherwise, Michael Sporn has pictures.

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Animated Anatomy
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So this article in the LA Times about how the Walt Disney Company may have flubbed the copyright for Mickey Mouse during his early days, definitely interests me. The short of it is, copyright laws can be very arcane and how it’s enforced today often depends on the requirements dating from the era of its creation. Apparently a researcher, a former Disney employee who doesn’t like the way the company is treating Walt’s creations, found that the original release of Steamboat Willie was on shaky copyright grounds.

There’s a lot more to the story than that. But the end result is Disney may or may not have lost the copyright on the Steamboat Willie short, but they still own the trademarks on all the various Disney characters (with a few exceptions where the Disney characters are based on public domain stories). So even if someone was to press for a public domain use of Mickey Mouse from Steamboat Willie and try and market that movie or stills from it, they would still face a very costly legal battle from Disney’s deep pocket over exactly how the film could be used without violating Disney trademark on Mickey Mouse.

In no way does this mean Disney no longer owns Mickey Mouse. Nor did Disney lose the copyright or trademark on Mickey or any other Disney characters (many iconic characters got their start in Steamboat Willie). At the most, I think you might see a few people try and sneak a full version of the Steamboat Willie short on a DVD or compilation with a clear disclaimer about how they’re not Disney and that the movie is in the public domain.

I, for one, would like to see a version of Steamboat Willie where a true passionate fan of early Disney animation is able to show how the magic was made. Sort of a subject matter expert DVD commentary. Or how about some mashups or remixes of the short with other music or animation cues. Public Domain would allow that. As long as it was clear it wasn’t Disney making those editions.

Eventually everything must enter the public domain where it can be used to create new artistic endeavors. This is how cultures grow and stay healthy. They question now is just when?

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Mickey Mouse Copyright Mystery
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I’m loving these Mickey Mouse Paintings by Floyd Gottfredson between 1978-1983. Gottfredson pencilled the daily Mickey Mouse comic strip beginning in 1930. He was inducted as Disney Legend in 2003.

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Mickey Mouse Paintings by Floyd Gottfredson
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The El Capitan is located in the heart of Hollywood, right across the street from the Kodak Theatre- you know, the Academy Awards place.  It originally opened in 1926 as “Hollywood’s First Home of Spoken Drama.”  In the ten years following its opening it featured over 100 stage productions starring the likes of Will Rogers, Joan Fontaine and Clark Gable.  In 1941 Citizen Kane made its World Premiere at the El Capitan Theatre.  Basically, the place has history.

Then there is the ice cream.  Disney’s Soda Fountain and Studio Store features an old fashioned ice cream parlor (with actual soda jerks!) serving Bakersfield’s famous Dewar’s and homemade candies.  They also make a mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich (Mickey-shaped, of course).

The store portion is basically a small Disney Store with DVDs and character merchandise, but with a strong emphasis, including theming, on the film currently featured in the adjacent theatre.

We saw WALL-E (my review here, and my kids’ review here).

One of the cool things about the theatre is that they overlay everything to fit the movie, and by everything I mean from the marquee to the ATM (it was space-themed, not a robot).  This is carried next door into the ice cream parlor where my son and I shared a WALL-E sundae, and by share I mean I had two bites and he went into a sugar-fueled eating frenzy (see above).

For WALL-E the El Capitan teamed with NASA and JPL.  The lobby was decorated in models and information regarding various satellites, robotics, and other milestones of space exploration.  It was out of this world (sorry, I couldn’t resist).  WALL-E runs through August 27th.

Prior to WALL-E there was a live stage show that incorporated scenes from classic Disney/Pixar movies into dance numbers featuring the characters from the corresponding films.  The show is called “Disney’s Flight of Fantasy” and the crowd went wild.

My family and I had a blast and I can’t recommend the experience enough.  If you’re visiting for a Disneyland Resort vacation you should really consider adding this to your itinerary, and if you’re local you’ll appreciate this: clean bathrooms in Hollywood.  That’s the Disney touch.

Upcoming shows include Sleeping Beauty, TinkerBell, Beverly Hills Chihuahua (Chihuahua!), The Nightmare Before Christmas (3-D), High School Musical 3: Senior Year, and Bolt (3-D).

You can call 1-800-DISNEY6 or visit www.elcapitantickets.com for tickets and information.

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Disney’s El Capitan Theatre, Hollywood
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I thought we put this one to bed last year, but now I’m so riled up to see it hit the airwaves again that I had to make another attempt at setting the record straight.

Someone get the local FOX news affiliates on the horn and ask them to do the slightest bit of research on this story about this confused gentlemen Steve Stein who thinks he has an original Mickey Mouse drawing from the 1920s. A simple search for “SteamBoat Willie” (Mickey’s first released animated short film) or “Plane Crazy” (the first film to feature Mickey, but not the first released) will reveal that: Mickey didn’t develop gloves on his hands until later in his life, he didn’t get the famous pie-eyes until the 30s, and the phones in the 20s didn’t use those curly phone cords either. Best of all, Walt wouldn’t have been drawing Mickey Mouse at that point anyway, it was Ub Iwerks who did almost all the drawings of Mickey Mouse for the Disney Brother Studios.

Thing is we already debunked this story in February of 2007 when the same Fox Tampa Television station ran this story. If the current reporter had just Googled “Steve Stein Mickey” my February story is the 4th result. Lazy reporting, exactly what I expect from Fox.

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World’s Laziest Reporting Strikes Fox News – It’s NOT an original Mickey Mouse
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Concept art for the re-made entrance plaza to California Adventure shows them getting their own Cathay Circle Theatre replica. I hope they leave this collection alone.

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Vintage Mickey Mouse toys at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
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Now this NY Times article hints that another shift is coming. Whether it’s just an evolution in wardrobe, as in the later stages of that postcard, or a serious makeover remains to be seen. But I think we’ve already seen some hints and the new Mickey Mouse animated short/featurette that Disney is rumored to be working on will reveal even more.

“I love classic Mickey, but he needs to evolve to be relevant to new generations of kids,” Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, said in an interview.

Mr. Iger talks about the need to balance “heritage and innovation.” For Mickey and other Disney characters, one method is to keep the core attributes of the characters the same, but to update the world in which they live. For instance, Disney is updating Toontown, the section of Disneyland that Mickey calls home. One plan features an old-fashioned trolley, but Mr. Iger is not sure that is a smart idea. Will modern children know what an old-fashioned trolley is?

I certainly hope modern children will know what a trolley is. If not, one ride on the Jolly Trolley will show them. Even then they can just look it up on wikipedia when they get home (or via their netlink at the parks while standing on line).

Btw, the re-introduction of Mickey Mouse to today’s children is occurring primarily through the “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” pre-school targeted television series. The Mickey kids meet there is very different than the Mickey I grew up on. He’s much more self-assured, not milktoast, and unlikely to stumble or bumble his way through events. In fact, Mickey is more of a leader these days (although he was always the leader of his two closest friends Goofy and Donald). He’s also a problem solver. Which is what the show aims to install in modern children, the ability to solve problems by thinking thinks through and examining what tools you have at hand.

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Mickey Mouse manipulation
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AGIT-POP Muslim Mickey Mouse
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She is currently appearing in a TV spot that features classic clips of Mickey and her new rendition of the "Mickey Mouse March."  No word on whether or not we’ll see these ads on American television.

Glad to have you back in the family, Hilary.

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Hilary Duff: Still a Disney Girl
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The latest DVD for the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is called "Mickey’s Treat". It packages three already broadcast episodes. In "Mickey’s Treat" Mickey and his pals journey to the Trick-or-Treat Tower for Pete’s big Halloween Party. Many surprises await and The Sensational Six need a couple of tricks to reach the tower in time for the festivities. The additional episodes "Goofy the Great" and "Doctor Daisy, MD" capture the magical spirit of Halloween while showcasing how cooperation and teamwork go a long way in getting out of any sticky situation.

While those episodes may show up on your DVR on a regular basis you won’t find the extras that appear on this DVD so easily. First there is a bonus Halloween episode with the cast of another Playhouse Disney favorite, Little Einsteins. There is also DVD-ROM Halloween Party Planning Activities: "Spooky Clubhouse Cookbook" and "Creepy Clubhouse Character Stencils".

If you don’t own a DVR this DVD is an excellent way to have three of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse’s more charming episodes available for on-demand viewing. The extra features make this a good buy to build up excitement for some Halloween Trick or Treating too.

There are a few clips available online so you can preview the disc before ordering.
Trailer, Woods, Extended Clip:

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse – Mickey’s Treat is available now!

Full detail details and credits are below the cut.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Treat
Show & DVD Details

Executive Producer: Bobs Gannaway / Directors: Sherie Pollack, Rob LaDuca, Victor Cook / Writers: Ashley Mendoza, Jeff Borkin / Producer/Story Editor/Story: Leslie Valdes / Line Producer: Bradley Bowen

Voice Cast: Wayne Allwine (Mickey Mouse), Tony Anselmo (Donald Duck), Bill Farmer (Goofy, Pluto), Tress MacNeille (Daisy Duck), Russi Taylor (Minnie Mouse), Jim Cummings (Pete), April Winchell (Clarabelle Cow), Dee Bradley Baker (Wise Owl, Others), Corey Burton (Chip ‘n Dale)

Running Time: 72 Minutes (3 episodes) / Not Rated (TV-Y equivalent)
1.33:1 Fullscreen (Broadcast Ratio) / Dolby Stereo 2.0 (English, French, Spanish)
DVD Release Date: August 28, 2007 / Subtitles: English; Closed Captioned
Suggested Retail Price: $19.99 / Single-sided, single-layered disc (DVD-5)
White Keepcase / Episodes Originally Aired October 28, 2006 – February 16, 2007

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Mickey Mouse Clubhouse – Mickey’s Treat DVD Review
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(via Broke Hoedown)

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Mickey Mouse Mashup – Through The Mirror and Pink Floyd
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The What Japan Thinks blog found a recent television poll on the show Trivia no Izumi, Fount of Trivia, that asked which character Japan’s residents found to be the cutest. The answer was Mickey Mouse and Winnie The Pooh. Those American and British creations beat out Hello Kitty, Rilakkuma (a San-X character), and DoCoMoDaKe (the mobile phone mascot). (Link)

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Pooh, Mickey Japan’s Cutest Characters
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"We learned a certain work ethic that served us all well," Gosling says. "It could not have been greater for a kid, doing a TV show there. I was 12-14, and working at Disney World. Every time I had a little time off, I would ride Space Mountain. Must’ve held the record for most-times-riding it. Yeah, I was working. But I just rode rides and had a good time. I could be a kid, working there."

Gosling actually has an Oscar nomination under his belt, which is better than most of his Mickey Mouse Club classmates can say.

Disney has rode the backs of this current crop of teen and tween-age stars for a number of years. I think the time might be right for another re-incarnation of Mickey’s #1 crew. How about you?

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Ryan Gosling, a Mouseketeer life
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