Mickey Memories

Mickey Mouse burst into culture in 1928 with his fondly remembered short, Steamboat Willie. Since then he has become one of the most recognised images in the world. It is estimated that over 90% of Earth’s children recognise him. His image has evolved over the years and fans around the world have adored him throughout. His simple design and well mannered personality has kept him in the mainstay of the Disney Corporation and will continue to do so. It’s unknown for how long this mouse will be remembered and recognised for, it is a strange thought that people in 100 years time will recognise him long after his creator, or you and I, have long since passed.

To celebrate Mickey’s 90th Birthday, The Disney Store released a selection of Mickey Memories products on limited release. Each set contains a Pin set, a mug and a Mickey Plush, all designed in a different style which represents a different decade.

Starting in the 1920s, Mickey enjoyed an instant hit with Steamboat Willie, the joyful character is known as one of the first cartoons to have synchronised sounds to its picture. Although many see Mickey as Walt’s first character, he actually follows in the footsteps of cartoon favourite and equally as popular, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Oswald’s story is interesting in a completely different way to mickey and if things had gone differently then the celebrations could have been for him instead. Thankfully for Mickey fans it didn’t.

It’s notable to mention that this year also marks the 90th birthday of Minnie Mouse but she was only ever created as a secondary character for Mickey and never intended to be a fully fledge character in her own right. This is very much like one of the trolls getting their own cartoon on the back of Frozen.

Mickey appeared in 15 cartoons in the last two years of the decade, the first release was Steamboat Willie on November 18th 1928. Two cartoons were actually made before this and previewed but they didn’t take off. Walt then decided to add the synchronised sound to Steamboat Willie and, after it had great reviews, revised the original two cartoons to add the sound. For those who wish to watch the very first Mickey Cartoon they should look for Plane Crazy, although this became the fourth short released.

Walt was only concerned about making shorts in the 1920’s, he himself had gone through a turbulent time but with Oswald things took a bittersweet turn for him and Mickey elevated him into the spotlight. All of the cartoons made in this time were in black and white, Mickey Mouse was no different. His image is crude compared to today’s imagining of the character but this version has enjoyed a nostalgic resurgence.

The Mickey Memories starts with a celebration of the monochrome appearance in Steamboat Willie. The plush is very stylised and Disney have done well not to make it look too much like the black and white plush released a few years ago. The fake leather skin also has a Steamboat Willie Pattern and the foot comes with a lovely quote from Walt Disney. The pins are also stylised around Steamboat Willie and the mug comes with the same pattern as on the plush. Of all the Mickey’s released this one is the most special and is an ideal choice to start the range. Many people queued up to get this and were left disappointed as it sold out really fast. There was also a Pin Book released at the same time which came with a limited edition pin. All of these items were released on January 20th 2018 and have all sold out.

The plush for the 1920s is based on an Art Deco design. The colour matches that popularly used at the time and has a nostalgic look to it. Of all the plush released this is the dullest and is a complete contrast to the stylised Steamboat Mickey release in the previous month. The Pins are equally as dull and this looks to be the most disappointing release in the range. The mug also gives the appearance of a coffee stain colour, which is a shame. However, this was the style of the time and the products do well to realise this. The Plush doesn’t look as hard and coarse as the previous release. The products were released on February 17th 2018 and have all sold out.

The 1930s was an exciting decade for Walt Disney, in 1937 audiences witnessed the first feature length, animated film with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, his company grew and the success of all of his cartoons was assured. Mickey’s cartoons were upgraded with more detail and most importantly colour. The Band Concert was released in 1935 and we saw the mouse in glorious colour for the first time, however a lot happened before this in the first half of the decade. Before Mickey’s colour introduction he was joined by Pluto, his dog, which underwent many prototypes before arriving as the pooch we know today. Goofy also made his first appearance and later went off on his own series. Minnie was boosted to a main character, and Donald Duck joined him for the first time. There were also some scenes where the film was tinted red in fire sequences. Mickey enjoyed his first full decade.

As mentioned before Walt produced the first feature length animated film, he also set to work on more during this time but these were not released until the next decade. With World War Two beginning at the end of the 1930s the entire world was heading for War. The fruitful age of the decade will have a tailspin in the 1940s.

The Products for the 1930s come in… colour, and what a fabulous array of colours it is. The plush is a complete contrast to the previous two months and future releases have a job to beat it. The badges are fun but the Mickey Shorts can look a little cheap on their own and do better when sat next to the others in the range. The mug is also fun, yet stylish. The 1930s products were released on March 17th 2018 and have now sold out. All future releases are set as the 18th of each month.

The 1940s saw war brought to the world. The fun, magical worlds of Disney, as we know it, had yet to be established. As people went to war, rationing and poverty swept the world. This meant going to the cinema provided a relief in the harsh world. Mickey enjoyed filling hearts with joy and had plenty of friends to accomplice him. The Silly Symphonies, Pluto, Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse and many more all kept audiences happy in their own cartoons. Mickey’s appearances were few and far between for the majority of the decade and many of his cartoons featured the other characters. Mickey is also named as Michael Mouse in one of the shorts but this isn’t usually his referred name. He also starred in some of the feature length films, most noticeably as the Sorcerers Apprentice in Fantasia. The amount of Mickey’s cartoons reduced in this decade and the whirlwind of all that came in the decade before was also slowing up.

The studios were commandeered during the 1940s to help with the war effort, many workers went off to fight and the world was in a sorry state. The films that came after Snow White didn’t do very well in this decade either. Fantasia was seen as a failure at the time and Bambi was too sad and down to earth for a world that longed to be taken away to forget their worries. Dumbo provided the answer with a cheaper style of animation and fun story. During the war, only shorts that were pulled together were released as feature films. This kept the studio running but wasn’t what the audiences or Walt wanted.

The products for this month focus of the hero fighter pilots of the war. Mickey wears his ‘sheepskin bomber jacket’ style shorts on the plush with a very simple design. Incidentally in the cartoons; Mickey’s red shorts are seen for the last time in the original run. The pins are fun but the ‘Oh Boy’ one gives the appearance of running out of ideas. The mug is equally as plain as the art deco one from the 1920s. The products were released 18th March 2018 and have now all sold out.

Mickey began to shy away from his own cartoons in the 1950s, Walt was now producing and presenting Disneyland, a TV slot which was used to advertise his ‘up and coming’ theme park. Walt had mostly finished voicing the mouse and for his few instalments in the 1950s he was voiced by Jimmy Macdonald. The cartoons were unofficially retired in 1953, with only four being released in those first few years of the decade. It is at this stage when many see him beginning his transition from Star of Disney to the Face of Disney. However, with Walt appearing on his own show, there was no argument of who was still number one. Nothing new happened to the mouse in this decade, although with only four cartoons since 1949, it is hardly surprising.

Walt had successfully regained his position as a leading part of Hollywood’s film makers in the 1950s. Not only did he have a run of successes with live action films, his animated classics returned to full form. Each one is now heralded as a prime example of what the studio can do and the time is widely regarded, and referred to, as the silver age of Disney. By the end of the decade, Sleeping Beauty ruined this running streak and almost became the last animated classic. Change was afoot, not only in the animation style, the television shows and Mickey’s role in the company but in Walt’s intentions and priorities.

The products for this decade really optimise the time, the colours and the patterns are true 1950s style. The plush is a pastel shade with a typical 1950s pattern; the mug is stylish and could have been made into a set with matching plates and bowls. The pins also return to true form, being the best set since the first. Although there is another ‘Oh Boy!’ pin this is done with a better design and feels like it could be a pin sold on its own. The series shows no signs of slowing down sales wise. All products were release on 18th May 2018 and have sold out throughout all stores.

Mickey had no new cartoon adventures in the 1960s, the show had completely ended. Television was not only his new home, but had already started to take over from the cinema. Families would watch new shows including The Mickey Mouse Club. Other cartoon characters similarly retired from the big screen. This biggest change to how Mickey was perceived was the opening of a new type of fairground, Disneyland in California during the 1950s. The park created new opportunities including a meet and greet with Mickey and friends. He may not have been in the cinemas any more but fans could now get to meet him in person.

Walt was still the face of the company; he even had an office above the fire station on Main Street in his Disney Land Park. His shows were also doing well in terms of an advertising campaign for the park. Walt’s most famous saying ‘It all started with a mouse’ was never truer than in this decade. The animated films did waver during this period but still produced classics such as 101 Dalmatians and The Jungle Book. The rate at which the films were released slowed down after the latter. The live action films also continued to be huge successes with Mary Poppins becoming the world wide phenomenon she is today. The most devastating news to hit Mickey and the whole company was the death of Walt Disney. He may have passed away in this decade but his ideas, characters and name live on, and no more so, than in Mickey Mouse.

The products from this decade push the quality even further in terms of design. After a fair start the products started to epitomise the decades and each year’s stands uniquely on its own. The 1960s was the decade of love and peace which is transferred onto the items, the plush even contains the words printed on Mickey’s ears. The pattern is classic and gets no awards for originality, but it works. Two of the pins are the best in the range; whilst the third is a nice enough design. The mug is striking and, although not as sophisticated as the previous decade, it stands out. All products were released on 18th June 2018, these have now sold through.

The 1970s saw Mickey take over from Walt as the face of Disney; his image began to appear on all merchandise and logos. No new cartoons were produced; however, he did star in a short lived series called The Mouse Factory. This program showed clips from pervious cartoons and was hosted by celebrity guests of the time. The series lasted for two seasons but was cancelled due to low ratings. The differences of the early black and white design to the 1970s Mickey could be seen in these re-runs, although very little of the monochrome clips were used. Unfortunately, without Walt’s influence, Mickey had no progression.

The studios started to focus on its live action films, there were only four animated films released in the 1970s and this arm of the company seemed to be drying up. The company struggled to continue to be a leading studio in the market and often fell second in its attempts, compared to other films being made at the time. A second Disney Park opened, this time in Florida. Named DisneyWorld, the park is still the biggest and the main one as far as many fans are concerned. The park continues to be renovated throughout the ages. Hidden Mickeys can be found in the most unusual of places; turning him into an image rather than a fully dimensioned character.

The 1970s collection again continues the improvement to the range from the 1950s designs. The 1970s colours and pattern again brings a stylish flare to the mug, the plush is equally as stylish and, although not as striking as the 1960s, still looks good as a single piece. The pins are one of the better sets released with all the pins being great designs. The pattern on the ears of the plush could easily be transferred onto towels, bedding and clothes. All products were released on July 18th 2018, many stores have now sold through of the mugs and pins, whilst the plush are completely sold out.

Mickey returns in ‘Mickey’s Christmas Carol’ a short that revises the classic Charles Dickens novel in the 1980s. The characters included are the full range and really shows where the corporation has brought the characters through comics, cartoons, and shows since first being created. The Mickey shape had now been used across the board at Disney, none more so than on the VHS releases. The images used would change across the life of the VHS, DVD and Blu-ray releases. The most famous being the Sorcerer Mickey logo. Other than Mickey’s Christmas Carol, no new cartoons were made. The time of animated shorts at the cinema had passed. The Mouse Factory did have a rerun in the 1980s and 1990s but The Disney Channel was to be the new home of the mouse.

The 1980s almost saw the end of the animation branch of Disney, by the middle of the decade the plug was ready to be pulled. However, a complete turnaround happened within the last few weeks of the decade when the little mermaid jumped onto our screens. More merchandise that supported Mickey’s image came out and was a sure sign of things to come. The company had a shift around high up and some of the decisions had rippling effects, both good and bad. The live action side began to collaborate with other companies more, many of which Disney have bought out. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? became one of the biggest successes of the decade, a film which was acquired by Disney when buying the company that made it. Disney became a brand at this point, it didn’t lead the way with new material but it did understand what it had at its disposal. Live action films seemed the way forward, a claim that would describe the decade perfectly.

The product released for the 1980s seems to have gone wrong, the neon designs, the sparkle and bright colours, the electric and dynamic notions of the decade seemed to have been missed out when they designed this decade’s products. Instead they opted for a gold and black design which represents the Discos of the 1970s than anything of the 1980s. The plush is stylish but is a huge let down from the previous three releases and may have been commissioned at the same time as the 1920s. The pins also get it wrong; they are not fun 1980s designs, although if they had been neon colours instead of gold this would have worked. The mug is stylish and is the only redeeming product however it isn’t unique enough for such a unique decade. The products will be released on 18th August 2018 and no doubt will sell out fast.

The 1990s for Mickey was the decade that brought Mickey back to the forefront of animation. Animated series began to come from the Disney studios with The House of Mouse being the most prolific. The Mickey Mouse Club returned, projecting some famous names into pop culture, most are still prominent today. The Disney Channel gave new leases of life from the end of the 1980s onwards for all of its veteran stars. Ducktails, Tail Spin, Rescue Rangers and many more graced the television screens. Mickey had returned to being a character again. He also appeared as the main character at the Disney parks, the clips of him and his other pals being used to advertise not only the existing parks, but the new Euro Disney too. The park was later renamed Disneyland Paris.

The success story of the decade lies in the animated classics. From Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion king at the start of the decade to Mulan and Tarzan at the end, the studios enjoyed a renascence of success. Pixar also produced Toy Story, a film that took the world by force, a sequel came out later in the decade, and A Bugs Life became the second hit for the studios. The live action branch saw more success with films such as Hocus Pocus, Flubber and Cool Runnings. Other branches were also being explored and released hits such as James and the Giant Peach and the Nightmare Before Christmas. The company was going from big to huge and it seemed like nothing was going to stop the Disney train from riding high into the new millennium. One of the biggest things to happen to Disney, other than film wise, was the opening of The Disney Store world wide. These stores allowed fans to buy the products for which they could only previously get by visiting one of the American parks. The stores have changed many times over the years but Mickey has always been a mainstay.

The 1990s designs are fabulous; they are everything that happened in this decade. The brilliant pattern and colours can be identified as the 1990s even for those not alive at the time. The Sprinkle effect over the Mickey plush works and really gives this product the edge when picking the best of them all. The pins are also the best in terms of really representing the era; the mug is also a bright example. The products will be available on 18th September 2018.

The designs for the final three releases have yet to be announce, the official calendar states that there will be a release in October, November and December. What that final one will be time will only tell; the last decade will be represented by November’s release.

But Mickey’s story doesn’t stop there, in the new millennium Mickey found new fame with yet another generation. His classic cartoons were released on DVD and new adventures with The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The new CGI mickey was almost a sideline to what else was out there. Mickey’s progression once again began to build up; the first notable time since before Walt’s death. He married his one true love, Minnie Mouse, in 2004, something that the real life voices of the characters had already done. He stared in The Three Musketeers and Twice Upon a Christmas. His face was now out there regularly with all children. The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was one of Disney’s most successful shows for young children; the style of the program has spurned a spin off with the same characters. The ranges of toys are available everywhere and not just exclusive to the Disney store.

The animated films division began to slowly decline once more, other studios, with the introduction of cheap computer animated films, were able to produce cheaper, funnier and more original films. The new animation style made 2D animation look old and inferior. Pixar had also over taken everything in the field of animation. Nothing could keep up with the whirlwind that continues to this day with successes such as Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo and Cars. The Live action division did keep strong with one of its bigger successes being the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The parks also continued success with Mickey at the forefront.

Since 2010 Mickey has been revitalised, The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse continues to be a success in whatever format it takes. A new ‘classic animation’ style has been applied to Mickey for a new series of shorts which are as funny as anything else in their category. To celebrate 50 animated classics, Steamboat Willie became the opening logo for the animated films. Mickey’s image, with the parks, spread to the furthest reaches of the planet. The merchandise for him exploded over the last decade, most of which has been in the original comic book/ 1920-30s design. He continues to move forward through more than just the cartoons. His appearance in stores, on the internet and at the parks allows new people to enjoy this lovely character every day. Mickey turned 90 in 2018 and was celebrated by a set of limited edition products from The Disney Store.

For the Disney Company things are only on the up. After buying Marvel and Star Wars the corporation has had success after success with its live action films. Most films beat a record only for another one of their films to come along and beat that record months later. The parks have opened up around the world and the older ones are going through renovations and expansions to represent the successes of the last 20-30 years. The stores are continuously looking back at the back catalogue and have also spread the license to other stores meaning that Disney Merchandise is now everywhere and accessible to all. Animated Classic have spiralled with huge success stories such as Tangled, Wreck it Ralph, Moana and Frozen. Pixar has also seen their success story grow to even new heights with Finding Dory, Inside Out, Toy Story 3 and The Incredibles 2. But it doesn’t stop there, 2018 saw the purchase of 20th Century Fox, a move which will no doubt increase the success of franchises ready to see daylight again.

The progression of animation, technology and the Walt Disney Company has been overseen by one animated mouse. He may have been based on another cartoon produced yet taken away from Disney but from his successful short Black and White cartoons, Mickey has enabled Walt to create an entertainment empire. The mouse represents fantastic storytelling, magical experiences and a window into happiness. The Mickey Memories range is a great edition to the ever increasing merchandise available. With each design it shows a true reminder of how much has happened to the world since that little cartoon mouse steered that steamboat all those years ago. The story of Mickey will continue and there is plenty more for this mouse to do. It is strange, therefore, that the Disney Company hasn’t had an idea to produce a movie based on his humble beginnings… or maybe they are saving that for his 100th Birthday.

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