#Plane Crazy

[heyitsduplex]

So Steamboat Willie is now public domain

But what about Plane Crazy, the ORIGINAL original Mickey Mouse short?

#mickey mouse #public domain #mortimer #winnie the pooh #steamboat willie #plane crazy #do they know #f in the chat #digital art #artist on tumblr

[kevinarsenault]

Steamboat Crazy

#mickey mouse #steamboat willie #plane crazy #minnie mouse #public domain #eeyorbart

[alanshee-keeper-of-realms]

The Disney Brothers

Happy New Years and welcome to the public domain Mickey Mouse.

#mickeysona #mickey mouse #oswald the lucky rabbit #Disclaimer #this is made by a freelance artist and not by the Disney company. #I made this using public domain rights. #disney bros #disney brothers #walt disney #steamboat willie #plane crazy #public domain

[new-employeeamillion]

The past week has seen a big fuss in the cartoon community over the expiration of Mickey Mouse’s copyright, meaning that after 96 years, his first 3 shorts are now public domain and free for anyone to use (although the added soundtracks to the first 2 are still under copyright until next year).

Everyone’s been preparing for this moment for a long time, ever since Disney got copyright laws extended in 1998. Already, there’s been a lot of people uploading the shorts everywhere without consequence to stick it to the man, and I’ve seen more dark and twisted interpretations of Steamboat Willie in 5 days than my entire life. It’s all been fascinating to see, and while I would be one to participate in such squalor, I’m holding off some energy for next year’s copyright expirations.

12 more Mickey Mouse shorts enter the public domain next year, and conveniently enough, it’s the rest of the catalogue to be animated by Ub Iwerks. That gives me the opportunity to make a video documentary about “the early years of Mickey Mouse”, going frame by frame if I want to, without any threat of a takedown. Of course, I like to believe nearly all my videos are protected under the purposes of analysis and critique, but you can never be too careful with companies like Disney. And that’s just what I plan to be when I make that video next year- too careful.

Milestones that expire next year include:

-The Opry House, the first time Mickey wears gloves in a cartoon

-The Plowboy, the first appearance of Horace Horsecollar (and maybe of Clarabelle Cow)

-The Carnival Kid, Mickey’s first audible dialogue (meaning you better be careful to not use his iconic falsetto voice for the meantime)

-Mickey’s Follies, the first appearance of original Mickey Mouse theme song, Minnie’s Yoo Hoo

-The Haunted House, a low key sequel to the premiere of Silly Symphonies, The Skeleton Dance, which is also going public on New Years Day 2025

#disney #mickey mouse #1920s #steamboat willie #plane crazy #the gallopin gaucho

[fyeahcopyright]

Mickey art by @foxestacado; Magic Kingdom photo by @heidi8.

I took my first Copyright Law class in 1993; just after the term concluded, certain motion pictures had their copyrights restored because of NAFTA, but the copyright terms for things like the Marx Bros' Animal Crackers, and yes, the original Mickey Mouse cartoons including Steamboat Willie and Plane Crazy were supposed to expire by the early 2000s, free for use by anyone, for any purpose (other than trademark infringement).

As we all know, they did not; the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Extension Act stretched the term from 75 years to 95 years after first publication, keeping the public domain closed for 20 years -- but those 95 years expire at midnight on January 1, 2024 for Steamboat Willie -- as well as Virginia Woolf's Orlando, the picture book Millions of Cats, a few of my favorite songs from Burt Kalmar & Harry Ruby, and the first sound recording of "Yes! We Have No Bananas!"

What does this mean for creativity? It's unpredictable! Will there be more productions of Threepenny Opera? Stage musical versions of Animal Crackers -- or Marx Bros VR? More tiktoks and YouTube videos set to songs our great grandparents enjoyed, now that the sea shanty trend is over? Will there be horror movie versions of early Mickey cartoons, the way some indie filmmakers did a horror movie version of Winnie the Pooh when the first Milne book went into the public domain a few years ago? Will there be a sequel to that horror film featuring Tigger now that His Bounciness is entering the public domain? Will I do a video setting Mickey to "Mack the Knife"? Perhaps!

But I and everyone else needs to remember that Disney still holds trademark rights in Mickey Mouse -- the original version and the evolutions since -- so it'll be important to include a disclaimer or notice that any follow-on work based on things in the public domain is not owned, created or distributed by Disney or the other relevant brand-owner.

What will I be doing to mark the occasion? I'm planning on celebrating the public domain moment *at* Walt Disney World; I need to feel it in my soul; I expect fireworks, and absolutely no recognition from anyone other than me (and possibly my family who tolerate my ridiculousness on this) about the momentousness of the moment. I may livestream it.

I've been waiting for this moment for thirty years, and I can't believe I finally get to celebrate it this week! Creativity is magic, and it'll be fascinating to see what happens next!

#public domain #fair use #fandom is my fandom #mickey mouse #steamboat willie #plane crazy #copyright law

[aaronsworkspace]

Mickey In The Public Domain

Hi I’m a Disney nerd.

I love that Mickey is slowly entering the public domain. (Not excited for the shitty horror projects though, looking at you infestation 88/lh)

But here are some notes

This is the earliest years Mickey is being put into animation. So his design kinda shifts a little this year.

Plane crazy (1928)

Plane crazy is the first cartoon produced.

This is the early design of Mickey that lasts for a few shorts. He has eye balls not just pie eyes along with no gloves or shoes and is a lot more nasty to Minnie here. (Along with a few other of these shorts) he’s a cheeky little guy who’s a bit of a jerk.

In this cartoon, he makes a plane. And things go wrong

Plane crazy (1928)

Minnie doesn't have any real discernable features here except a skirt and eyelashes

Gallopin Gaucho(1928

Mickeys second film.

Taking place in Argentina, Mickey goes to a bar where minnie is a dancer they dance and then Pete kidnaps her. There’s a chase scene and then Pete Mickey sword fight Mickey wins of course saves her.

Gallopin Gaucho(1928)

Pete’s first reappearance since Oswald known in this cartoon as “black Pete” has large noticeable whiskers in this. There’s also a whole lotta smoking and drinking in this cartoon in general.

The most recognized of these shorts and first officially released is steam boat Willie of course. Mickey looks alot like his usual self

No more eye balls only pie eyes. Pete also appears here

He's cat no peg leg and is much lanky I guess? He's not as round just tall and imposing as he plays mickeys boss. Mickey is less of a jerk here and just a mischievous little guy.

Steamboat Willie (1928)

Minnie changes a little gaining her classic hat and a bra she's a musician here and plays the ukulele causing Mickey through the short using various animals on the boat as instruments.

#mickey mouse #steamboat willie #disney #public domain #cartoons #animation #1928 #animated #character design #mickeyinthedomain #plane crazy

[the-bravest-tailor]

wanted to try something different! :]

#mickey mouse #the wonderful world of mickey mouse #disney #art #1928 #steamboat willie #plane crazy #early mickey

[chronicbeans]

Y'ALL IT'S OUR SWORN DUTY TO PEEVE DISNEY NOW. WE MUST GO AND COMPLETELY RUIN THESE CHARACTERS!

YIPPEE!!!!

#steamboat willie #plane crazy #The galloping gaucho #oswald the lucky rabbit #mickey mouse #disney #public domain #We must ruin them

[enlightenedrobot]

Concerning the Mouse

Disclaimer. This is a blog post. It's not an essay or legal advice or any of that. It's mostly a collection of thoughts. If you want something a little more well researched, might I suggest this post here. Anyways, let's talk about this lovable rat right here.

As of January 1st, 2024, Mickey Mouse, as depicted in Steamboat Willie, The Galloping Goncho, and Plane Crazy is in the public domain. Personally, I've been looking forward to this, and I've kinda taken it as a personal challenge to figure out how exactly I can reinterpret the mouse for my own projects. And I actually think I got it. But before that... let's talk about this.

I don't think the image above is safe.

It's true, Steamboat Willie is in the public domain, but Mickey Mouse is still protected by trademark law, and those frames and that get up specifically are still very much protected.

I can't be too sure about this, because both Infestation 88 (The Videogame) and Mickey's Mouse Trap (The Horror Movie) seem to use variations of this specific design, but like... those ears are probably still protected, as are those pants. This version of Mickey also lacks his iconic white gloves, but contrary to what other people might say, I don't think "old cartoon wearing white gloves" is something uniquely trademarkable to the Disney corporation.

So if you wanna play it safe, it might be a good idea to use other elements provided by these cartoons as the base for your own interpretation of the character.

This is the version of Mickey Mouse as depicted in the title card of Steamboat Willie, and like, there's a bit more to work with here. His pants have stripes not seen in other incarnations of the character, and he also has a pretty distinct hat and cane.

More notably, his eyes are actually very different from Modern Mickey. They're huge, and the pie eyes that everybody associates with this era of animation are actually pupils. Not the eyes by themself.

What's funny is that there's a definite resemblances between these eyes and those of Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic was apparently based on Mickey Mouse, so I'm not super surprised.

Those eyes in the title screen actually seem to be a holdover from Plane Crazy, where Mickey Mouse continues to have huge eyes. From that same cartoon, We also have Mickey Mouse deliberately messing up his hair to resemble the pilot Charles Lindbergh.

And like... it's cute. It's a look.

One thing I also keep seeing on social media is that Mickey Mouse has to be Black and White and he's not allowed to speak, because both Mickey's voice and his iconic red pants wouldn't be used until much later.

But like... you're allowed to build on these designs. Just because you can't color his shorts red doesn't mean you can't use color period. And using a different voice for the mouse is a very good way to differentiate your incarnation of the character from Disney's. This isn't legal advice, but I do believe you could get away with giving him a different colored outfit and, say, a deep souther accent ala Foghorn Leghorn.

Anyways, with all this in mind, allow me to introduce my own take on the character, Micheal Elias Mouse Jr. (Mike E. Mouse for short)

He's a former childstar, the son of the original Mickey Mouse, and an intellectual property lawyer with a dubious degree.

I intentionally made him rattier to make him more distinct, but don't let the smell of beef and cheese scare you off. This mouse might of been hit by hard times, but he still has a big heart, and deep down he's still the mouse we all know and love.

From a design standpoint, I tried my best to make the character recognizably mickey life while also changing up the original silhouette. Neither of the ears are perfect circles and one of them has a pretty significant bite taken out of it. The ratty hair and hat also help.

His gloves are yellow, inspired by various promotional materials for the original Steamboat Willie where Mickey dawns yellow gloves instead of the usual white. Further, I changed up the design of his shorts just because pushing the design that much further would help make this version of the character distinct from the Disney version.

If I'm not already protected by the public domain, I'm also protected by the fact that this character is obviously a parody. Middle aged dilf Mickey is not something Disney would never make, and the story I have in mind for him is more or less critical of the Disney corporation while still celebrating the artistry of the original cartoons and animation on the whole.

Anyways, Mickey Mouse entering the public domain is a big win for creatives everywhere, especially for fans of the original character. My interpretation isn't the only valid take on the character out there and I'm excited to see where everyone else goes now that the rat is free use.

#Mickey Mouse #Steamboat Willie #Public Domain #Plane Crazy #Mickey's Mouse Trap #Infestation 88 #Art #Fair Use #Creativity #Mickey #Cartoons #Animation

[jisreal64]

You know, I’m glad that Disney isn’t getting rid of/going to stop using Micky Mouse after the first three shorts fell in the public domain, but I do feel like that my boy Donald was robbed of his chance to shine.

#disney #micky mouse #steamboat willie #plane crazy #donald duck #goofy #daisy duck #kermit the frog #meme #memes #disney memes #fnaf security breach

[femboycatofmystery]

Something I think is amazing about the Mickey Mouse Public Domain Transition is that it will happen gradually, and we can make a lot of that. Like ok, what if we take the personality shift and make it diagetic?

In 2024, Mickey is a jerkwad who hurts animals and laughs about it and has inexplicable reality-bending powers that seem to make him even more of a threat, but over the next few years, cartoons will come out where he gets softer, kinder, and above all less arrogant. He's going to grow up, and we can write stories about it.

And like in 30 years he's like, not all that eager to talk about stuff from 2024 but he'll do it, and advise you not to learn manners the hard way, as it leaves a long shadow on your heart.

ANOTHER NOTE:

Hey remember all those skeleton war gifs? They're from a disney short that enters the public domain in 2025. Plan with this what you will...

#mickey mouse #public domain #steamboat willie #plane crazy

[rjalker]

Public Domain Mickey animations you can watch in the highest quality I've found on the web archive:

The Gallopin Gaucho

Plane Crazy

Steamboat Willie

Update: Here's an HD version of Steamboat Willie from wikipedia!

#Mickey Mouse #The Gallopin Gaucho #Plane Crazy #Steamboat Willie #Public Domain #animation

[cdgzilla]

Plane Crazy

#mickey mouse #disney #walt disney #plane crazy #cartoons #rubberhose #cartoon art #toon

[intexda]

I changed my mind. If anything in the public domain should get the horror treatment, It's that era of mickey. He tortures small animals and forces himself on minnie in the first 2 shorts.

Steamboat willie is just 7 minutes straight of animal abuse to turkey in the rye.

Plane crazy is alright at first and then delves straight into mickey trying to get into minnie's pants while they are mid air.

#steamboat willie #mickey mouse #mickey was an animal abuser #plane crazy

[loniirstar]

Drew Plane Crazy Mickey this morning because I had nothing better to do. This guy was and still is canonically a sex offender btw, even before he became public domain. He tried to assault Minnie on his very first appearance, so he pretty much was a sex offender since the very beginning.

#mickey mouse #disney #plane crazy #bruuuhhjjhhh

[feralsrock]

first doodle of the year how could i not make it the mouse?

#feralsrock draws #mickey mouse #steamboat willie #plane crazy #public domain