Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse!

Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse!

The Big Cheese turns 85 years young today! Well, that is not actually correct. Today is considered (by Disney and the fans) the day Mickey Mouse first appeared in cartoons. It is the day he first appeared as Steamboat Willie in 1928. But, it is not actually his first appearance in a cartoon. Mickey first appeared in Plane Crazy on May 15^th, 1928.

The Disney Brother’s Studio did not have a distributor when they first released Plane Crazy. Steamboat Willie was actually the second of 130 shorts Mickey Mouse has appeared in and the first that made him popular. Plane Crazy was not widely distributed and was not popular when first released due to distribution issues.

How did Mickey Mouse come to be? You may have heard the story Walt use to tell years ago that went something like this;

Well, it was on a train on the way back from New York. Disney had just lost Oswald the Luck Rabbit and needed a new leading character. Walt was sitting on train with his wife, Lillian and was just doodling and thinking about what to do next. A funny looking mouse was what he drew and it kind of struck Walt’s fancy. Walt wanted to name this mouse Mortimer but Lillian said that name was not right and suggested Mickey.

This is what really happened. Walt went to New York to sign a contract to continue distribution with Charles Mintz, a producer who distributed through Universal Studios. Walt was hoping to ask for more his very popular Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoons but Charles Mintz told Walt he, and therefore Universal Studios owned Oswald and Walt was to take a 20% cut for making future Oswald cartoons. Not only had Mintz taken Oswald he had secretly hired most of Walt’s animators out from under him as well! So Walt was left with no character and only one trusted animator, Ub Iwerks. Ub was not only an animator he was Walt’s business partner and part owner of the studio.

While traveling home Walt sent a telegram to Ub Iwerks telling him of what happened and requesting he design some new characters for him to look at when he got pack. Walt also sent a telegram to his brother Roy. Roy’s telegram said something to the effect that they had lost Oswald but everything was going to be ok.

When Walt returned to the studio Ub had several characters for Walt to look at. There were dogs and cats along with a male horse and a female cow that later returned as Horace Horsecollar and Clarabelle Cow. There was also a frog that was later used as Flip the Frog.

The Disney Brother’s Studio was not the first animation studio that Ub and Walt had started. Laugh O Graham and the Iwerks Disney Studios were the other two studios they created. Both early ventures had failed. In 1925, at Laugh O Graham Hugh Harman drew mice around Walt. This picture of Walt with the mice inspired Ub to design the mouse that later became Mickey.

Walt provided the voice of Mickey from 1928 to 1946 and again for a soon to be released Mickey Mouse short (Mickey Mouse in Get a Horse) Walt’s voice is used again.

Jimmy McDonald, a sound effects artist at the Disney Studio did the voice from 1946 to 1977 when he retired.

McDonald trained Wayne Allwine to do Mickey’s voice before retiring. Allwine said the greatest advice to keep things in perspective from McDonald was, “Just remember this kid, you are only filling in for the Boss.” In 1983 Wayne make his theatrical depute as the voice of Mickey in Mickey’s Christmas Carol. Wayne was the voice of Mickey until his death in 2009. Allwine married Russi Taylor the voice of Minnie Mouse, you could say Mickey and Minnie were really married!

In 2009 Bret Iwan took over the voice work for Mickey. Even though he is the main voice actor for Mickey Chris Diamantopoulos does the voice of Mickey for the 2013 Mickey Mouse animated series.

Here are some quotes of Walt Disney about Mickey Mouse.

“The life and ventures of Mickey Mouse have been closely bound up with my own personal and professional life. It is understandable that I should have sentimental attachment for the little personage who played so big a part in the course of Disney Productions and has been so happily accepted as an amusing friend where films are shown around the world. He still speaks for me and I still speak for him.”

“All we ever intended for him or expected of him was that he should continue to make people everywhere chuckle with him and at him. We didn’t burden him with any social symbolism, we made him no mouthpiece for frustrations or harsh satire. Mickey was simply a little personality assigned to the purpose of laughter.

“I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing - -

that it was all started by a mouse.”

We can’t forget Minnie Mouse!!! She first appeared in Plane Crazy and then was with her sweety in Steamboat Willie!

So Happy Birthday Mickey & Minnie Mouse!!! May you continue to live to make us laugh!!!

To find out more about how Mickey was created see if you can find the documentary by Leslie Iwerks (Ub’s Granddaughter) called, “The Hand Behind the Mouse.”

My Christmas book, “An Angel Remembers 25 Voices of Christmas” is available!!

This is a collection of 26 short Christmas stories that together bring the amazing events of Christ’s birth alive. It is my hope that this will help encourage families to spend 10-15 minutes a day together during the busy holiday season remembering the true reason for the season.

You can find it for ALL eReader formats and PDF at:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94784

For your Nook the link is:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-angel-remembers-25-voices-of-christmas-carolyn-hoagland/1106912931?ean=2940032802624

It is also available at the iTunes book store and many other ebook seller sites.

The only big site not carrying my book is Amazon.

You can download a Kindle version from Smashwords.com

Mickey Mouse in Get a Horse!

Mickey Mouse in Get a Horse!

 

D23 Expo attendees got a first look at a never before seen Mickey Mouse Short! This is a unique short cartoon! This cartoon will play before the feature film Frozen in November 2013.

John Lasseter came out and introduced the “head” of the Animation Library (Better known to all Disney Geekdom as ‘the Morgue’) She discussed a new find in a privet collectors hands of a single drawing of the classic Mickey Mouse that lead to a fantastic and larger find. She showed how by looking at the style of paper (2 holes for holding it to the drawing table vs 3) she could place the general decade it was done. Then she pointed out some numbers on the paper that indicated it was an unfinished 4^th Mickey Mouse cartoon from 1928. After that she said they had found the film and had decided to show it to the D23 attendees. After watching the cartoon it is obvious this is not a find of an old lost Mickey Mouse cartoon but an entirely new cartoon.

This amazing cartoon was directed by Lauren MacMullan and is totally worth seeing by any true animation and/or Disney fan. First off the majority of the cartoon is done in the style of Ub Iwerks (the original creator of Mickey Mouse and main animator of Mickey cartoons in the early years). It is roughly drawn in black and white and animated in the style used in 1928. The humor is crude and in some moments boarders on bawdy but never crosses to crass, once again in keeping with the 1928 style Mickey Mouse shorts.

The animators all knew how to draw Mickey Mouse but had to “go back to school” to learn to draw him in the Ub Iwerks style. Also the fact that they combined hand drawn animation with CGI is incredible! (stopping spoiler talk now) This was obviously a very difficult cartoon to make and I believe it is a stepping stone to more technological breakthroughs in animation at the Disney Studios.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!    Read no further if you do not want the surprise spoiled then come back after November 2013!!!

During the cartoon characters get tossed out of the screen and go from flat 2D animation in black and white to full CGI 3D color! This is eye popping and amazingly done!

Someone is going to have to update Walt Disney’s IMDP page because besides staying faithful to the early style of drawing for Mickey Mouse they used the original voice of Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney! This will be the first time in decades Walt will be credited for voicing Mickey Mouse.

Besides the technical triumph of going from 2D Black & White to 3D Color they added Walt’s voice to the entire cartoon. This was done by going back over all he had done in the early cartoons and splicing them together to fit their needs. There was only one word they could not find Walt saying as Mickey Mouse, RED! It took 2 weeks to piece the sounds together to make the word RED for Mickey to say in this cartoon so I hope you listen for it to be said.

Baa Humbug, There is No Santa Claus or Mickey Mouse!!

Baa Humbug, There is No Santa Claus or Mickey Mouse!!

At this time of year comes every parent’s dilemma. Do you tell your child that Santa Claus is just a made up story or legend or do you tell them he is real? While at a Disney Park or Cruise do you tell them Mickey Mouse is just a person in a costume? Why is this decision important, or is it? I believe it is very important.

Our modern Santa Claus did not start out as a red suited fat man living in the North Pole with a group of magical little people and flying elves. Santa was a real living person by the name of Nicholas and he lived in a little city place called Myra. You can find documentation in the records of the Counsel of Nicaea around the year 325 AD that prove his existence.

Nicholas was the son of rich merchants who died when he was a young man. Nicholas was faithful believer in Christ. He went to church every day. He used money from his inheritance to help those in need and gave freely to the church. He became a priest and later was made a Bishop. As a Bishop he was called by the Roman Emperor Constantine I to the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. There he helped shape the Christian Faith into what we know it as today. When other Bishops wanted to deny the divinity of Jesus Christ Bishop Nicholas argued the point for four months. After four months a one of the other Bishops was determined to continue the agreement and would not be swayed. The other Bishop of divisive and at the end of four months of debate Bishop Nicholas physically fought with him to stop it and in the end the divinity of Christ was no longer argued. He was a defender of the faith.

It is important to know at least that he was real and that there is a reason for us still remembering him today. So what does St Nick have to do with Christmas? Legend goes he found out about a family with 3 daughters, the eldest of which had just reached the age to marry. At that time if a young lady could not get married she was doomed to become a prostitute or be a cleaning woman and live poor for the rest of her life. What a woman needed at that time to secure a marriage was a dowry. Her family would give the groom or his family money or goods to secure their life.

When Nicholas found out about the first daughter and the families prayers for a solution he had an idea. He snuck over to the house and dropped some gold coins into a window for the girl and they landed in her shoe! The family was so happy and excited! They could not believe the horror of what could have happened to their beloved daughter was now averted!

Soon came the time for the second daughter to find a husband. Still this family of modest means could not afford the dowry for this daughter either! They prayed and hoped for a miracle! If someone dropped money off this time the father wanted to know who did it. He closed the windows and barred the doors. Nicholas once again went to the house and quietly looking around found the fireplace was the only opening into the home. This time he dropped the gold coins down the chimney! They were found in the girls stocking that was hanging next to the fireplace to dry. When the family found the coins they were shock and once again praised God for the blessing and for saving their daughter!

When the third daughter came of age the father was beyond determined to find out who had been so kind to his family if it happened again. He set traps and watched for his daughter’s benefactor. This time he caught Nicholas as he came to leave gold coins for the last of the girls. Nicholas swore the father to secrecy and he agreed and kept quiet for years. Nicholas told the father he was not giving the gifts but it was a gift from God. He gave gifts at Christmas time both publicly and in secret to remind people of the gift God gave mankind with the birth of Christ. He wanted people to remember the love of God.

When Nicholas died the father decided to keep up the tradition of leaving secret gifts for people. He would give the gifts in Nicholas’ name. Years later he told others and they also started leaving gifts in Nicholas’ name. Today we still give gifts in his name.

There is much more to learn about Bishop Nicholas and his long transformation into Santa Claus. We don’t need to know all that information. All we need to know is he was real and still lives in the love of people that give today.

Again why is that so important? I believe it is important to have faith, to be able to believe in things you cannot see. When you are facing your darkest hour how can you believe there is a God that can and will see you through if you can’t have faith? You can’t see God but is like the wind you can see what the wind does and feel it as it blows across your face. You can see the results of prayers answered and feel His love when you need it. You can also feel His joy when you open your heart and follow His will and show kindness to others.

Santa and Mickey Mouse both help the young learn to have faith. They can also remind those of us that are ‘older’ yet are willing to be young at heart to be open and let go of what we know as accepted reality and believe in miracles. If you can stop and suspend, for even a moment disbelief, your knowledge of what is ‘real’ you can believe and have faith enriching your life. That man in the red suit at the mall, that tall Mouse walking around the Disney parks are real! Set the reality for a moment and be a child again willing to believe.

It All Started With A Mouse

It All Started With A Mouse

We all have heard the story how Mickey Mouse jumped off the pages on a train ride back to California after a devastating business blow. Well there is more to the story. It is not exactly what everybody has been told. I had the pleasure of hearing this story while on the Disney Wonder, March 2011. Leslie Iwerks was on the ship and was speaking as part of the ‘edutainment’ on the ship.

The story has long been told that Walt and Lillian went to New York to talk to Charles Mintz about renewing the distribution contract for Oswald the Luck Rabbit. Oswald was a big hit at the time and Walt felt his studio deserved more for making these popular, whimsical cartoons. When he got to New York Mintz told Disney that not only was he refusing to pay more he was going to give even less to the studio! Walt declined the offer thinking he could continue to make and distribute them himself. Mintz told him that the contract he had signed give Mintz full rights to Oswald. Not only was Walt losing Oswald all of the animators at the Disney Studio were had agreed to go with Oswald to the new studio Mintz was starting!

Walt sent a telegram to his brother Roy and to his friend/partner Ub Iwerks. He told his brother they had lost Ozwald and not to worry. Ub he instructed to have several new characters designed for him to look at when he got back. Ub created several new characters there were frogs, dogs, cats, a female cow (later became Clarabelle Cow) and a male horse (later became Horace Horsecollar). Ub then saw a picture someone had drawn of Walt with some mice. That inspired Ub to draw a mouse! When Walt returned from New York he looked at all the pictures and chose the mouse. A simple character made of circles. Easy to draw making it simple to make a cartoon. Walt wanted to make the new character Mortimer but his wife, Lillian said the name was too stuffy for such a sweet little guy and suggested Mickey.

Ub did all the design work behind closed doors as the other animators at the studio finished up contracted work on Oswald and prepared to leave the studio. Only one apprentice animator/inker-painter, Les Clark stayed and worked with Ub, Ub, Ub’s wife (who was an ink-painter), Lillian Disney (ink-painter) and Walt Disney were the only people to work on the original two Mickey Mouse Cartoons, Plane Crazy (silent) and Steamboat Willie.

Ub reportedly drew 700 pictures a day for two weeks for Plane Crazy. Ub was knows as the fasts graphic artist in the world. The entire process took about six weeks to complete with inbetweening, ink-painting and finally filming.

Just as they were about to finish Plane Crazy the first Talkie film was released! Al Jolson’s the Jazz Singer came out! Walt decided that Plane Crazy was going to have to be scrapped and a new Talkie Mickey Mouse cartoon had to be made. The team, still consisting of the same five people, went onto create Steamboat Willie. Once again Ub did his amazing 700 drawings a day for two weeks and the film was complete in about six weeks.

At first Walt Disney gave Mickey his voice as well as his personality. In the 1946 Walt became too busy to devote time to doing the voice so he recruited Jimmie MacDonald, the head of the studio’s sound effects department to do Mickey’s voice. MacDonald did Mickey’s voice until he retired in 1977. That is when Wayne Allwine took over and did the voice until his death in 2009. (Allwine was married to Russi Taylor voice of Minnie Mouse since 1986.) After Alwine’s death Bret Iwan took over and is now doing Mickey’s voice.

Walt once said,

All we ever intended for him or expected of him was that he should continue to make people everywhere chuckle with him and at him. We didn’t burden him with any social symbolism, we made him no mouthpiece for frustrations or harsh satire. Mickey was simply a little personality assigned to the purposes of laughter.

He also said

The life and ventures of Mickey Mouse have been closely bound up with my own personal and professional life. It is understandable that I should have sentimental attachment for the little personage who played so big a part in the course of Disney Productions and has been so happily accepted as an amusing friend wherever films are shown around the world. He still speaks for me and I still speak for him.

I believe Mickey still speaks for Walt Disney keeping his optimistic view of life and America alive. Ub created the look of Mickey Mouse, Walt gave him his heart.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICKEY MOUSE!!

Yes Virginia, There IS a Santa Claus, and a Mickey Mouse Too!

Yes Virginia, There IS a Santa Claus, and a Mickey Mouse Too!

At this time of year there is a split among parents. One group wants to do all they can to keep the "fantasy" of Santa Claus alive. The other group believes in "telling the truth" and making sure there child knows there is no such fairytale person as Santa. What you do is up to you but I want to share my opinion. I am not forcing my opinion on anyone. (Stating that for the record J)

I believe in Santa. Yes, as an adult I still believe! I believe in the historical facts of the person of Saint Nickolas. I believe in his spirit of caring, compassionate heart that wishes to only share love and spread joy that is the heart of Santa Claus. But, it is more than that! Santa has many positive traits we need to teach our children.

Let's start out with the truth about Santa Claus. Around 300 AD a young man, named Nickolas lost his parents. His parents were rich merchants and he inherited their business and money. He was a faithful believer and went to church often. This is recorded fact. He became a priest and then a bishop.

Around 320 AD there was a Council called to codify the Christian faith. It was called the Council of Nicaea. At this Council the Divinity of Christ was called into question and discussed. Some of the Council wanted to call Christ a good man and teacher but deny His Divinity. Bishop Nickolas of Mira (now called Turkey) actually got in a fist fight with other bishops demanding they come to the understanding Christ was God come to earth, in other words divine. Bishop Nickolas was a defender of the Christian faith. This Bishop Nickolas is the same Nickolas as the young rich man that became a priest.

There are many other wonderful stories about Bishop Nickolas. He gave money to 3 young sisters, one at a time so they would not be sold into slavery for lack of a dowry. He slipped the money through open windows and tossed it down chimneys where it landed in stockings hung to dry. He gave each of them a dowry so they could marry. He gave gifts to the poor at Christmas so they would remember that Christ gave them Himself as the greatest gift of all, to all men. There are many more strange legends about the man behind the myth. But going back to the original story about the 3 girls. He gave the gifts in secrete but their father finally found him out. Nicolas made the father swear to tell no one the secret. The father kept the secret until Nicolas' death. When Nicolas died the father started giving gifts, to others in need in secret but gave them in Nicolas' name. That was the start of people "being" Saint Nicolas.

Over the years there have been many changes to the story of Saint Nicolas and even his name changed. The name changed because when his story came to a new country the people would change the name into their language. The Dutch call him Sinterklaas and when that came to the early colonies of America they said the name Santa Claus. So you can truly say to your child Santa Claus existed and tell them the story of the wonderful man who loved the Lord and people.

There are another reasons I believe that children should be encouraged to believe in Santa Claus and yes, even Mickey Mouse! Children need to have whimsy to deal with the struggles of life. Even a little believe in Santa and Mickey will encourage that. I believe that this ability to keep the childlike faith in Santa and Mickey will help encourage believe in God, an almighty power that can and will help each and every one of us if we believe and ask.

I believe if you can't hold onto the childlike whimsy you can't believe in a God that can and will do miracles for you every day. I know this is true because of amazing things that have happened in my life. I'll share with anyone that asks so feel free to ask me.

I'm sorry if this offends but at this time of year even more than others I share my faith. I'm not preaching or demanding you believe as I do, I'm just sharing what I believe. You can take it or leave it as you will. I will not be offended even if you tell me you do not believe and don't wish to.

If you wish to ask me any questions feel free to e-mail me at PrankingPixie@yahoo.com.

My Christmas book, An Angel Remembers 25 Voices of Christmas is out!!

You can find for all formats at

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94784

And for the Nook at

http://www.barnesandnoble.com

It is also available at the ITunes store for IPod, IPad and IPhone

It soon will be up at other sites such as Amazon