Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse (born November 18, 1928; age 95) is a fictional cartoon mouse character from Walt Disney. He first appeared in the awesome 1928 cartoons Plane Crazy and Steamboat Willie. Also one of Disney's most timeless classics ever, Mickey Mouse is the official mascot of Walt Disney Studios. Mickey was most popular for his role on Disney's hit show House of Mouse up until 2007 when the modern Disney Channel series Hannah Montana unfortunately replaced Mickey due to decline of TV viewers. Mickey was featured in Playhouse Disney's 2006 show Mickey Mouse Clubhouse up until 2016, when Disney Junior's 2017 show Mickey and the Roadster Racers replaced it on January 15, 2017. He was voiced by Wayne Allwine from 1977-2009, and now Bret Iwan since 2009.

History[]

For the cartoon series, see Mickey Mouse Cartoons. For the list of episodes, see List of Mickey Mouse cartoons. For the list of the TV show's episodes, see List of Mickey Mouse episodes.

Origin of Mickey Mouse (1925-1928)[]

Mickey Mouse was created in 1925 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. It started out as a drawing on paper until Disney called a friend to help create what would soon become known as "Mickey Mouse". The small drawing soon became thousands of lovely pictures of cartoon mice. It was a replacement for another popular cartoon from Disney called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Disney decided to name him Mickey Mouse, because Walt liked the name and thought that it would make him popular.

Mickey Mouse first appeared in the cartoon film Plane Crazy on May 15, 1928. It was about Mickey, "a smart mouse who wants to date his girlfriend Minnie Mouse, so he takes her for a ride in an airplane." The film was about 6 minutes long. His second appearance was in Steamboat Willie on November 18, 1928. The cartoon Steamboat Willie was about Mickey Mouse driving a steamboat and whistling his epic song in the beginning of the cartoon. It was the first Mickey Mouse cartoon with synchronized sound. His third appearance was in The Gallopin' Gaucho on December 30, 1928. This cartoon was about Mickey as a gaucho and riding a rhea instead of a horse. Mickey goes to a restaurant called Cantino Argentino and starts smoking at the bar and drinking beer. This is the first time Mickey Mouse smokes in the series.

Mickey Mouse cartoons (1928-1950's)[]

On May 15, 1928, the first episode of the Mickey Mouse cartoon series, Plane Crazy premiered by Walt Disney Studios. It was about Mickey Mouse, a smart mouse who wants to learn how to fly an airplane like Charles Lindbergh, so he allows his friends to build him a plane. When the plane is finished, Mickey salutes his friends and starts flying the airplane, but the plane crashes into a tree before it can fly. With the first plane destroyed, Mickey is upset and starts to build his own plane by turning a car into an airplane and collecting a chicken's feathers for the plane. When the film was released, it was not a huge success at the box office until 1929, when it was re-released with audio and played in theaters.

On November 18, 1928, the second episode of Mickey Mouse premiered in theaters, called Steamboat Willie. It was about Mickey driving a steamboat and whistling his epic song. In the episode, Pete is the captain and he kicks Mickey down the stairs, and he gets mocked by a laughing parrot and Mickey throws a bucket at it. Then Pete pilots the boat again and starts chewing tobacco and spits it at a bell twice. By the third time, the chewed-up tobacco lands on Pete's face and he gets mad. The steamboat then stops at "Podunk Landing" and picks up a load of cargo at the dock. Then Minnie Mouse appears trying to catch the boat before it leaves, but it departs from the dock before Minnie can get on the boat. So Minnie Mouse tries to run after the boat, and Mickey catches her with a boat hook and Minnie falls in the boat and she drops her guitar and music sheets for the song "Turkey in the Straw" inside the boat, leading to the goat eating the music sheet and musical notes come out of the goat's mouth. So Mickey and Minnie decide to use the goat as a phonograph and use his tail as a crank, and the song Turkey in the Straw plays from the goat's mouth. Later in the episode, Mickey uses the other animals as musical instruments, (such as the cow as a xylophone by using the cow's teeth, the pigs as another instrument by pulling their tails, a cat as another instrument by pulling his tail, and the bird as one other instrument by pulling his neck). And then, Captain Pete is angry at Mickey for playing his song, so he puts Mickey to work by slicing potatoes. Finally, the same parrot from before appears in the porthole and mocks him again, and Mickey throws a partially peeled potato at him, and knocks over the parrot into the river below. The film ends with Mickey laughing at the sound of the bird struggling in the water, and the ending logo appears at the end.

On December 30, 1928, the third episode of Mickey Mouse called "The Gallopin' Gaucho" premiered. This cartoon was about Mickey as a gaucho and riding a rhea instead of a horse. Mickey goes to a restaurant called Cantino Argentino and starts to relax and smoke at the bar and drink beer. This is the first time Mickey Mouse smokes in the series. At the cantina, Mickey Mouse and another customer are dancing there. However, Pete is the latter and he is a wanted outlaw. Minnie performs the tango and salsa and the customers start flirting at her. Pete then kidnaps Minnie and escapes on his horse while Mickey chases them on his rhea and soon catches up to his rival. Then Pete and Mickey challenge each other in a sword duel. The latter emerges the victor (by covering Pete's head with a chamber pot he pulls out from under a bed) and Mickey finally gets hold of Minnie. In the end, Mickey and Minnie ride the rhea stage until until they are obscured entirely by trees in the foreground, and then the episode ends. This cartoon also did poorly at the box office; but after Steamboat Willie and Plane Crazy became successful, this episode became a hit. However, it did not become popular until at least 1929.

In 1929, 12 more episodes were released for the series, and once again made Mickey Mouse a successful cartoon. On March 14, 1929, the fourth episode of the show, called "The Barn Dance" premiered from Walt Disney Studios.

In 1930, more episodes were released for the series, and Mickey Mouse soon became very popular.

Mickey Mouse becomes famous (1940's-1954)[]

Disneyland (1954-1958)[]

The Mickey Mouse Club (late 1950's-1974)[]

The golden era (1980's-1999)[]

Mickey Mouse Works years (1999-2001)[]

In 1999, Mickey Mouse was featured in another new show called Mickey Mouse Works.

House of Mouse years (2001-2006)[]

In 2001, Mickey Mouse was given his own TV show on Disney Channel. The show was called House of Mouse. It was about Mickey and all the Disney characters coming together in a big restaurant near Disney Land.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse years (2006-2016)[]

On May 5, 2006, Mickey Mouse was given another TV show on Playhouse Disney called Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It was about Mickey Mouse and all of his friends who came together in a clubhouse where Mickey and the gang just solve problems and get into little situations. However, the show became very popular with little kids and preschool children ages 1-5, but the show did not do very well with older kids and adults. Despite that Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was on Playhouse Disney (now Disney Junior), it was aimed at little kids and young children, but that didn't stop the show from being great because it included Mickey Mouse, and that wasn't exactly the reason why most older kids and teens today didn't appreciate the show as much as old school Disney Channel and Mickey Mouse fans, because it was about someone who we don't usually see on Disney Channel that much anymore, Mickey Mouse. However, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was cancelled on November 6, 2016 from Disney Junior, signaling the end of the original Mickey Mouse for the young generation.

Mickey Mouse after the Clubhouse (2016-2017)[]

On November 6, 2016, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was cancelled from Disney Junior and poor old Mickey wanted a retirement and a new life, so he decided that he would continue the Clubhouse while Disney was working on a new show called Mickey and the Roadster Racers. The new show premiered on January 15, 2017 on Disney Junior and marked the possible end of Mickey Mouse's entire career after this show and would help Mickey deal with his abandonment from Disney Channel as he got older.

Mickey and the Roadster Racers (2017-2019)[]

On January 15, 2017, Mickey and the Roadster Racers premiered on Disney Junior, giving Mickey Mouse a quick comeback from his brief retirement from his hard work in the Clubhouse with the little kids. In this show, Mickey Mouse is back with his friends as race car drivers who go on adventures all around the world with fun things and hot dogs. The show Mickey and the Roadster Racers includes old friends like Professor Ludwig Von Drake, Scrooge McDuck, Huey Dewey and Louie, Chip and Dale, along with new friends as well. Mickey and the Roadster Racers is well considered as a revival of Mickey Mouse's popularity with kids today and adults as well, and also a comeback from Mickey's demise in popularity on Disney Channel in 2007 with the continuing rise of teen sitcoms and celebrities due to Hannah Montana in the late 00's and the decline of animated shows and classic characters on Disney Channel in the mid 00's. However, Mickey Mouse is back and this show will be an instant classic to this day until the original Disney characters return in the future and Mickey Mouse's soul and spirit shall live on and never die, while Mickey Mouse continues to bring joy and smiles to everyone forever. On August 2, 2019, Mickey and the Roadster Racers was cancelled and Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures replaced it on October 14, 2019.

Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures (2019-2021)[]

On October 14, 2019, Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures premiered on Disney Junior as the third season of Mickey and the Roadster Racers and a continuation of the show as well. On March 27, 2021, Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures was cancelled and the new show Mickey Mouse Funhouse premiered on August 20, 2021.

Mickey Mouse Funhouse (2021-present)[]

On August 20, 2021, Mickey Mouse Funhouse premiered on Disney Junior. It was about Mickey Mouse and his friends now in a funhouse and doing activities together and playing games. The show became a modest success with young children and adults just like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Mickey and the Roadster Racers, and Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures.

Mickey Mouse is still popular, but he is only showing reruns on Disney's morning program Disney Junior on the shows Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Mickey and the Roadster Racers, Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures, and Mickey Mouse Funhouse. Mickey may seem to be gone from Disney Channel, but his memory and soul shall live on forever in the hearts and souls of all the people who love Walt Disney for what it is.

Mickey's retirement (2024-present)[]

On January 1, 2024, Mickey Mouse entered public domain and retired from service at Disney Channel. Poor Mickey was too old to be entertaining children, so he decided to retire from service at Walt Disney Studios and move on as an iconic legend of Disney history for many years to come.

Future of Mickey Mouse (Coming 2030)[]

Coming 2030

Criticism[]

Mickey Mouse has been criticized by most of today's cheese-head children of today who believe that Mickey Mouse is boring, annoying, stupid, or even retarded. But of course he isn't because he was the original Disney mascot since the 1920's. He has recently been on pre-school television from Disney Junior channel on the classic TV show, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in 2006.

Decline[]

Mickey's popularity has gone downhill ever since Disney cancelled most of the original classic Disney cartoons in the early 00's. Another reason of Mickey's possible decline of fame was probably due to Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus in her show taking over Disney Channel in 2007.

In 2007, Mickey Mouse was overtaken by Hannah Montana when her fame and total sexiness replaced Mickey on the schedule and the kids of today don't remember him anymore.

References[]

Coming Soon
TBA

The End