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Mickey Mouse - Walt Disney's popular cartoon
rodent came to television in the 1950s in the form of THE MICKEY MOUSE
CLUB/ABC/1955-59 which focused on the activities of a group of youngsters called
the
Mouseketeers.
The kids wore black hats with mouse ears, white Mickey Mouse T-shirts and
danced, sang, and watched cartoons. They ended each program by saying
"M-I-C...(See you real soon)...K-E-Y...(Why? because we like you)...M-O-U-S-E-."
Originally called Mortimer Mouse, the Mickey Mouse character was created by
Ub Iwerks and debuted in Steamboat Willie (11/18/28), the first animated
cartoon with synchronized sound.
Mickey actually debuted in two previously made 1928 silent cartoons entitled
Plane Crazy and Gallopin' Goucho which were released after
Steamboat Willie and later given soundtracks.
Mickey's rodents voice was first supplied by Walt Disney (1928-47) and later
by James MacDonald (1947-83) and currently by Wayne Allwine (1983-present).
The first daily newspaper comic strip to feature Mickey Mouse appeared on
January 30, 1930.
In 1937, Mickey Mouse was aired on the radio program THE MICKEY MOUSE THEATER OF THE
AIR. He later starred in a segment of the animated movie Fantasia (1940)
called the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" as a young magician who foolishly played
around with a sorcerer's magic book of incantations and caused a flood.
Mickey's girlfriend is Minnie the Mouse (voice of Marcellite Garner/Thelma
Boardman/Ruth Clifford)) who debuted in 1928 cartoon Plane Crazy.
Mickey also owned a dog named Pluto and had two nephews Ferdy and Morty who
debuted in the 1933 cartoon Giantland.
From his conception, Mickey has been a success not only in cartoons, but in
merchandising products. In the 1930s Mickey's image first appeared on a school
writing tablet and followed that success by being featured on the face of a
watch manufactured by Ingersoll-Waterbury Company that sold over 2 million.
The first Mickey Mouse doll was designed by animator Bob Clampett (of BEANY &
CECIL fame). Mickey's image is now hawked worldwide in all of the Disney theme
parks located in California, Florida, Japan and France.
Mickey is known as Topolino in Italy, Musse Pigg in Sweden, and Miki Kuchi in
Japan.
On November 17, 1978, Mickey celebrated his fiftieth birthday and his
presence as a reigning icon of Americana has no end in sight.
As of the 1990s, Mickey starred with Goofy, Donald Duck and Pluto in The
Prince and the Pauper, an all-new 35-minute film short and Runaway Brain in the
summer of 1995. See also - "Rickey Rat"
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