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- “When people laugh at Mickey Mouse, it's because he's so human; and that is the secret of his popularity. I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing — that it was all started by a mouse.”
- ―Walt Disney
Mickey Mouse is an animated anthropomorphic mouse created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks in the year 1928. Mickey is, by far, The Walt Disney Company's most famous character and serves as the company's mascot.
Fancifully estimated as standing 2 ft. 3 in. (69 cm) and weighing
23 pounds (10 kg), Mickey rapidly rose to the pinnacle of American
culture, being more widely recognized overseas than any other American
icon but the U.S. flag.
For over 80 years, he has signified The Walt Disney Company, animation, goodwill, fun, laughter and most of all Walt Disney himself. It was said by Lillian Disney,
his wife, that over the years, Mickey and Walt grew together and were
mirrors of each other's personality. They both started off mischievous
and cheeky, but as they grew older preferred to step out of the
spotlight and observe others work their magic. President Jimmy Carter
once said; "Mickey Mouse is the symbol of goodwill, surpassing all
languages and cultures. When one sees Mickey Mouse, they see happiness".
Mickey's 3-circle silhouette serves as the logo for most of
Disney's subsidiaries, save for the ones that don't carry the 'Disney'
or 'Walt Disney' label. Andy Warhol's portrait The Art of Mickey Mouse
used Warhol's famous pop art techniques on the classic mouse. Mickey is
often cited as the world's most famous cartoon character of all time.
Personality
Mickey is easily recognized by his red shorts with white (sometimes
yellow or golden) buttons on it, white gloves and large yellow shoes as
well as his round mouse ears. He often gets himself into trouble that
varies in seriousness as a result of his mischief and the fact that he
can be forgetful, but extremely imaginative. Even so, he can often think
quickly enough to get himself out of a predicament before things get
too out of hand, mostly because of his incredible imagination.
Mickey sometimes chooses fun and adventure over working, a trait
disliked by Minnie Mouse. While usually always having the better amount
of luck, when teamed with his pals Donald and Goofy,
he and his friends often end their day in failure and all three are the
faults. Even so, Mickey has, on many occasions, proven to be the most
reliable of the three being that, he has far better control over his
temper than Donald, and more common sense than Goofy. Even so, Mickey
has a notable temper that, when necessary, can be unleashed. And like
Goofy, he can be clumsy every now and again. Still, these traits are
less powerful for Mickey than Donald and Goofy, making him the brains,
and leader, of the trio and proves that he is, overall, more reliable
and competent.
Mickey stands as a father figure for Pluto and has grounded him
on many occasions as if he is a young boy. He also counts Pluto as his
best pal and usually puts him before nearly everything else. Mickey
describes himself as a good sport but on occasion has lost his temper on
both enemies and friends. He is usually dumbstruck by the mere sight of
Minnie Mouse, giving her many titles such as "his best girl" and
constantly goes out of his way to impress her. Mickey loves her with all
his heart and Minnie loves him in return. From experience, Mickey
believes there is at least a small dose of kindness in everyone's heart,
resulting in him being quite forgiving. He is also understanding and
sympathetic.
Mickey is also incredibly brave, as showcased in just about all
of his many reincarnations. Many of the classic cartoons begins with
Mickey and Minnie enjoying each other's company until a villain (usually
his primary nemesis Pete)
kidnaps her and the takes her away to their villainous resulting in
Mickey battling the villain, rescuing Minnie, and proclaiming his love.
Mickey can also be very competitive, stubborn, and never backs down from
a challenge, even when his opponent is twice his size. In many
situations, Mickey has shown to be a trickster and enjoys pranking his
enemies to get the better of them. Despite being very heroic, Mickey
prefers to be laid back and enjoys the serene moments of life above all.
He is optimistic and hardworking during harsh times and often
encourages his friends to keep going, but on rare events has given up
hope and even doubted himself. Its times like these when Mickey's
friends, such as Donald and Goofy are optimistic and encourage him in
return. Mickey is incredibly noble and generally puts the people he
loves in front of his own well being. He has even been able to set aside
differences with his foes when necessary, usually when it'll benefit
the greater good.
In spite of being an anthropomorphic mouse, Mickey has the
tendencies to act with his animal nature, including the fact that, being
a mouse, he loves cheese. In the television series House of Mouse,
Mickey, being a mouse, is made fun of when he is shown to exercise on a
hamster wheel and drink from a rodent drinking bottle (like the ones
found in a hamster cage). These particular facts seem to only exist in
the House of Mouse and haven't been shown again, proving to have been used for brief gags only.
