Happy 90th, Mickey Mouse!Author : AZIndia News Desk
Nov 6 (AZINS) It’s time to go ‘Meeska Mooska Mickey Mouse!’ and do the hot dog dance as the character turns 90 on November 18. Disney has celebrated the big moment through 2018 and festivities will spill into the next year as well. Since his public debut with Steamboat Willie in 1928, the most famous mouse in the world has found his way into fashion, education for kids and protest votes. Here’s what makes him more than just a cartoon character.
Pulling a mouse from a hat
Before Mickey, came Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. However, a dispute between Walt Disney and his business partner saw the former losing the rights to his creation, which inspired him to create Mickey and his partner Minnie. Disney imagined the two as happily married to each other. Every year on November 18, Mickey and Minnie celebrate their birthdays together.
Mickey’s love for hot dogs
The first words Mickey ever uttered were ‘Hot dog!’ followed by a little jig in his ninth film The Karnival Kid (1929). He soon made his first appearance on March 12, 1931, in Los Angeles in a live stage show called the Mickey Mouse Idea.
The Charlie Chaplin connection
Did you know that Mickey was inspired from Charlie Chaplin? Walt said, “We wanted something appealing, and we thought of a tiny bit of a mouse that would have something of the wistfulness of Chaplin...a little fellow trying to do the best he could.” He got a makeover in 1935 by animator Fred Moore, who gave Mickey big eyes, white gloves and the pert little nose.
More than just a cartoon
Mickey is more than just a kiddie and entertaining cartoon character. He has an interactive television programme The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, where he and his buddies Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, and mechanical assistant Toodles solve age-appropriate problems utilising basic math skills and identifying shapes. The series uses ‘cognitive, social and creative learning opportunities’.
Today, a Mickey tee paired with jeans is a classic look and most celebs have sported it at some point, including singer John Mayer, model Gigi Hadid, actresses Emma Roberts and Sarah Hyland. Mickey accessories including rings, belts, hairbands, bracelets, neck pieces, watches, socks, etc are equally popular. That apart, in America, Mickey’s name is used as a protest vote. Instead of ticking ‘none of the above’, voters often opt to write in his name.