Mickey and Minnie Start December Off On The Right Foot

It's December so here comes Tulgey Wood's Christmas Extravaganza 2013! To start off, here's a charming Victorian-style scene from The Disney Catalog. This 1998 illustration by master Mouse maven John Loter combines old-fashioned charm with the vintage look of "antique" Mickey and Minnie. It moon-and candle-lit glow evokes a seasonal warmth and cheerfulness that's perfect for getting December off on the right foot. Check back here at Tulgey Wood all month and into January for more Yuletide treasure.

The Birthday Boy, Uh, Mouse

It's Mickey Mouse's birthday and to mark the occasion (as I did for Donald Duck's birthday) here is part of the profile I wrote for the Disney Standard Character Guidebook. It was a great honor to write this "bible" used by Disney Consumer Products and Disney Licensees throughout the world in creating just about any type of memorabilia involving these beloved characters. (How incredible that 85 years on, Mickey remains one of the most—many would say the most—well-known and well-loved characters. (Just look at that smiling face—irresitable.) Hopefully, I have done Mr. Mouse justice in writing this profile. Happy B-day, MM, and many more. 

Happy Birthday, Mr. Duck

Today is the official birthday of that wacky quack-up, Donald Duck. To celebrate, here's part of a profile of Donald I wrote for the Disney Standard Character Guidebook, which I had the honor of writing. It's used by Disney Consumer Products and Disney Licensees (Hallmark, Mattel, etc.) in creating art and stories and toys and just about anything involving Mickey and his pals—Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, let's not forget the all-too-often-forgetten Daisy, and of course the birthday boy himself—the most well-known and beloved collection of characters in the world.

I'm The Guy They Call Little Mickey Mouse

It's Mickey Mouse Month here in Tulgey Wood—and today's the big day. It's Mickey's birthday, or more accurately the anniversary of the debut of the Mouse's first cartoon release, Steamboat Willie, on November 1928.  To celebrate, here's the sheet music cover—complete with art of the birthday boy (and girl) drawn by Mickey's designer and first animator, Ub Iwerks—of Mickey's first theme song, "Minnie's Yoo Hoo," composed by Disney's then-music maven Carl Stalling (who went onto a brilliant career as composer of Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes cartoons). For the "Mickey Mouse Anniversary Show" TV show I mentioned in yesterday's post, producer Ward Kimball found, as he put it,  a “wild little tune in Mickey’s Follies, a 1929 short in which the principle action is a barnyard review. The song was great.  It had wonderful antiquey, tinny quality about it. Then I realized that it had been our official Mickey Mouse song in the early thirties.  These were clubs organized by theaters for special Saturday showings for the kids.  We had badges and membership cards, our own greetings and code of behavior, secret handshake and this tune was our club song." [Ward himself led a marching band of Mickey Mouse Club members on Saturdays at Santa Barbara's Fox Arlington Theatre before being hired at the Walt Disney Studios in 1934.] "But I couldn’t remember the [song's] title. With a little sleuthing, we learned that Carl Stalling had written it.  He had been a songwriter, gagman and musician in the early days.  He still lived near the studio so I called him.” [It's fascinating that in his account of this meeting with Stalling, Ward never mentions Carl's decades-long Warner Bros. career—although the fact that this was all reported via Disney studio publicity might have something to do with it.] “What do you want with that old thing,” Carl Stalling, then in his 70’s, replied, according to Kimball,  when Ward contacted him about the song. “It’s called ‘Minnie’s Yoo Hoo’ and was written for Mickey’s 10^th picture. I just made it up. Nothing special about it.” The song was of course special to the many children who belonged to the Club. When publicity on Mickey’s 40^th birthday began, Disney received hundreds of letters from people who were Mouse Club members during the Great Depression., and many of the letters mentioned “Minnie’s Yoo Hoo.”  One letter from Chalmer Wire, the Fire Dept. Chief of El Monte, California, listed all the lyrics accurately, writing that “the high point of our afternoon cartoon time was singing our Mickey Mouse song." Ward fell in love with the song (he had it on a tape recorder in his office during production of the "Anniversary Show," and played it for all visitors, according to Studio publicity), Ward included “Minnie’s Yoo Hoo” in the “Anniversary Show” for the sequence showcasing Mickey memorabilia. In 1972, as producer and director of the syndicated TV series The Mouse Factory (a sort of Disney Laugh-In, the show was created to capitalize on the nostalgia craze and on Mickey's "in" status), Ward used "Minnie's Yoo Hoo" as the show's theme song, bringing what is perhaps the first original Disney song to gain a mass popularity to a whole new audience. (And though the sheet music cover doesn't include credits, the song's lyrics were contributed by a little known lyricist named Walt Disney.)  Be sure and stop by Tulgey Wood all through November, there's more Mickey ahead. 

It's Mickey Mouse Month!

Happy November!  This year, the 11th month on the calendar brings us many special events such as a Presidential Election Day and (as usual) Thanksgiving Day. But as always November also brings us Mickey's birthday on November 18th. To start off Mickey Mouse Month right here's a charming book of paper dolls that includes Minnie Mouse. (Let's not forget that it's Minnie's birthday this month too.) Published by Whitman (an imprint of longtime Disney licensee Western Publishing), these "Steppin' Out" dolls were issued in 1977 (it has the "new" Mickey Mouse Club logo, in case you weren't sure) and were part of the 1970s nostalgia craze—a craze Mickey himself did much to start with the renewed popularity of the classic Mickey Mouse watch in 1968. These Mickey and Minnie dolls are 1920s stylish, an interesting theme this birthday boy and girl were born in the 1920s. Check back after Election Day for more Mickey merriment throughout November right here in Tulgey Wood.

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Poster

Each year there's an artful poster prepared to publicize the "Macy's Day Parade" (as some call it, no doubt to Macy's delight). Here is this year's poster promoting Macy's main event. As compared to the last ten years or so, this year's edition takes the emphasis off the licensed character balloons. As I've pointed out before, when so many properties are displayed, there must be a great many approvals...and maybe Macy's just grew weary of it. The giant balloon versions of the characters were in the parade though, and that's all that counts. Disney was certainly well represented, what with all the properties they now own: besides Mickey Mouse, there was Buzz Lightyear (Pixar), Spider-Man (Marvel) and Kermit the Frog (The Muppets), all owned by Disney. And Tim Burton had a ballon this year, and Tim of course came from/still occasionally makes films for Disney. Anyhow, this year's parade poster has quite a story behind it. It was painted by illustrator Melissa Sweet in the style of 1920s Macy's artist Tony Sarg. Melissa also wrote and illustrated a book Balloons Over Broadway, in the same style...for the book tells the story of Tony Sarg, “the puppeteer of Macy’s Parade.” You can read more about Melissa, her work and the book at the Macy's website and at MelissaSweet.net.

Let Us Give Thanks

Here's a heartwarming artwork created by Disney artist Russell Schroeder (author of Disney Lost Chords, which you can purchase here) that was published on the cover of the November 24, 1983 issue of Walt Disney World Eyes & Ears (the cast member newsletter). (Click on the image for a larger view.) Leave it to heartfelt Mickey Mouse—and of course Minnie—to so cozily, so simply, yet so profoundly remind us that Thanksgiving Day is all about counting our blessings. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Why? Because We "Like" You On Facebook

Today is the anniversary of Mickey Mouse's debut in Steamboat Willie (1928), Mickey's "birthday," so it seemed like a good opportunity to point out that the birthday boy is on Facebook. Yes, Disney has an official Facebook page for Disney characters, movies and parks, and it's a lot of fun. So many favorite characters are listed as having their own official pages, everyone from Mickey and Minnie (it's her birthday too!) to Edna Mode, from Dopey to Dr. Facilier, from Aurora to Tangled. Celebrate the Mouse who started it all and all that he started (Walter Elias Disney has a Facebook page too) by "Liking" the official Disney Facebook page. (Once there be sure and click on the tab that takes you to the individual Disney Pages.)

Parade Poster 2009

Here's the annual poster for the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and as always it's as spectacular as the parade itself. (Click the poster for a larger view.) You'll notice Mickey Mouse is a prominent part of the poster for the new 60-foot "Sailor Mickey" makes its debut at the parade tomorrow. Before or after the parade, be sure and stop by here at Tulgey Wood tomorrow, November 26, for a Thanksgiving Day treat that I think will enhance your enjoyment of this great American tradition.

Hey, Mickey, Come Over For A Party!

Today, November 18, is the date used as the anniversary of Mickey Mouse's introduction to the world, as it was on this day in 1928 Steamboat Willie premiered at the Colony Theatre in New York City. That's a mighty big place for such a little guy to make his debut but as we all know Mickey turned out to be a mighty big Mouse. In celebration of the day, here's a comic book (Mickey Mouse #188) from 1978 featuring a great and oft-reprinted cover (originally from #73, 1960) by Mouse comic-book master Paul Murry. Look closely (next to the unfortunate UPC code) and you'll see the fun "Happy Birthday, Mickey" logo that was created for Mickey's 50th that year. (Click on the comic cover for a larger view.) Happy Birthday to the Mouse who started it all.

Hey Kids! No School Tomorrow!

A little known footnote of the Disney theatrical roster, feature- or featurette-length compilations of cartoon shorts were a way to repackage the cartoons and satisfy the demand for Mickey and his pals. Thanksgiving weekend of course means four days of no school so it’s naturally prime time to pack movie theaters full of kiddies. In 1953, when this Thanksgiving cartoonarama were released, the Disney theatrical animated short was on its last legs and the following year Disney entered series television with a regular showcase for his animation. Cartoon compilations like this was another way to showcase classic cartoons while giving theatres the opportunity to tap into the matinee audience, which of course expanded past Saturday afternoon during the Thanksgiving school break. This particular poster offers its own pleasures with that wonderful art—definitely something to be thankful for.