The Mickey Mouse Carousel of Progress

For Mickey's 90th Birthday, I've decided to do something very different.  Based on the Walt Disney attraction, Carousel of Progress, we'll take a look at each decade starting with 1928 then every ten years, a different version of me (as if I was always cloned) talks about what Mickey is doing during that year, and also what events, competition, and other things as if it were written that year.  Perhaps that will give you a better understanding of what Mickey was like during each decade.  That being said, let's take you back into time when Mickey was just starting.  And I'll see you later, back here in the 2010's for his 90th.

1928

Well I must say, I just got back from the moving picture theater, and I must say, I am intrigued by this new character of Walt Disney's named Mickey Mouse.  I've seen many animated cartoons as of late.  I've seen Koko the Clown and really enjoyed Felix the Cat like most, and yes I remember liking Walt Disney's other character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.  Even though there was no sound, they were great fun whenever they played in the theater, though I wish they would be shown more often before the main feature.  I did remember hearing where Walt lost his best animators and Oswald to Universal, so when hearing about this new mouse character and test results from his first two cartoons, I wasn't sure if Walt would bounce back.  I was aware of those Ko Ko Song cartunes that have sound to them, but they weren't widespread, so I never got to see them.  As much as I like Paul Terry's Farmer Al Falfa, I saw that sound cartoon, but wasn't impressed.  Seeing this "Steamboat Willie" short is a vast improvement.  The sounds used to play Turkey in the Straw is amazing, and the new Mickey character is appealing.  Hopefully they will release the other two cartoons soon, regardless if they have sound or not.  Yes I like Mickey and his girlfriend mouse THAT MUCH.  In fact, I heard one of the shorts is animated by one guy at the studio, and I would love to see that.  I think this Mickey Mouse character has a future ahead of him, and despite characters like Felix, I think people are going to take these animated cartoons seriously from now on.

1938

Has Mickey Mouse been around ten years already?  Wow!  I remember first hearing about him in an all sound film, and I never thought he would last this long because of his previous cartoon competitions.  Well, Felix the Cat, who was dominating the industry, is dead.  Never saw that one coming.  Then again, EVERYONE was begging for Mickey Mouse earlier this decade, so I guess it was no surprise.  Every major studio in Hollywood begged for another "Mickey".  Some got former Disney staff members to work, but it was clear that a competition of Mickey is no Mickey Mouse at all.  The only one that came very close and even beat Mickey a few years was Popeye the Sailor.  I'm also really enjoying this pig named Porky on the big screen too.  Mickey's doing great though.  Unlike his competition, his cartoon series is now in full Technicolor.  He also just had a few great shorts this year I enjoyed.  The Little Brave Tailor for one.  They've also added a bunch of new characters over the years to co-star with Mickey such as Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto.  Walt Disney also recently released the first full length animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  Goodness, we all thought this was going to be suicide for his studio, but it really felt like an actual feature picture.  And it seems to have a major impact in Hollywood.  Many studios are coming out with fantasy pictures, and based on what I'm seeing with the release schedule for next year, I got a good feeling we're in for something big.  Even if Mickey Mouse eventually wains down, his and Walt's impact will be felt for years to come.  I think Disney is working on another feature, though it looks like Fleischer Studios, who produces Popeye, is up to something to match that for next Christmas.  Looks like animation is in for a wild ride.

1948

It's been 20 years since Mickey made the scene in his first cartoon, Steamboat Willie, and while Mickey is well remembered, it seemed as though time has finally taken a toll on him.  They had to update him slightly since cartoons are looking more lavish than in the early 30's by giving him pupils.  I think at one point, Mickey and Minnie had real looking mouse ears.  I know Walt Disney is trying to start Mickey back up again since last year, and yeah, shorts like Mickey and the Seal are good and all, but it feels like something that was done 10 years ago.  Everything today is all fast paced comedy.  Walt Disney is still a big name though.  Every once in a while I'll come across a reissue of Snow White now and then, so he isn't old hat just yet.  What has changed, however, is that Walt isn't winning Oscars like he used to.  Every year it was like he always won.  Now it seems like MGM struck gold with their cat and mouse Tom and Jerry cartoons as they seem to always win.  MGM has the Disney style animation going, but I think ever since that guy Tex Avery from Leon Schlesinger came in it was all very funny stuff from there.  Speaking of Schlesinger, his studio, which was recently bought by Warner Brothers, truly gave Disney a run for his money now.  Just this decade, they created Bugs Bunny, and oh my gosh his he ever funny.  During the most recent war he was THE character that got us through tough times just like Mickey did with the Great Depression 15 years ago or so.  So many other funny characters like Daffy Duck and Woody Woodpecker are also bringing home the bacon.  None of this stopped Walt though.  While his features are no where near what they were even compared to like six years ago (they're like a bunch of shorts combine to make it a feature), he managed to make his shorts still enjoyable.  To be honest, Mickey isn't even the star of the Disney Studio anymore; Donald Duck is.  Ever since he had his own series 11 years ago, he proved to be a much funnier character than Mickey.  So, I guess Walt has no worries about competing against the likes of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Popeye (who is still popular even though his cartoons are starting to go downhill somewhat).  Now recently television has become somewhat popular.  It's interesting seeing programs live here at home.  They're also in talks about making cartoons for television as well.  Based on what I'm reading, however, they won't be anywhere near the cartoons we see in theaters all the time, and we should be thanking Mickey Mouse for doing that 20 years ago today.  I do hope Walt has something good coming for Mickey though since I still see his likeness at department stores now and then.

1958

Oh my gosh, has it really been 30 years since Mickey debut.  I remember first seeing him as a kid in the movies.  I have seen the rise and fall of Mickey, and it looks like he is on the rise somewhat.  Walt Disney's company has grown A LOT since then.  He's now producing live action movies and television.  In fact, television seems to be Mickey's big thing now.  Just a few years ago, a new series just came out for kids called The Mickey Mouse Club.  It doesn't have Mickey Mouse as the star per say, but rather the MC of a bunch of kid stars called "Mousekateers".  I don't watch it too much since it's geared towards kids, but I do notice everyone talking about one of the so called Mousekateers named Annette.  Not to sure myself why that is, but I guess maybe she does have a charm I'm unaware of.  I usually watch for the new catchy theme song.  I still have it stuck in my head, "M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!".  I also stick around for the cartoon at the end since they are reruns of the old theatricals.  A lot of these I do remember so, but I really miss seeing them in color.  Oh well...NBC got on the color bandwagon, maybe ABC will too.  Then again...it's not the most popular channel despite to my amazing surprise, The Mickey Mouse Club actually beat the all color Howdy Doody Show forcing it to move to just once a week, Saturday mornings.  That's the power of Disney I guess.  There's also a weekly program hosted by Disney.  Sometimes it's cartoons, sometimes wildlife, sometimes a feature.  The big one is Davy Crockett though.  I can't tell you how many kids I see wearing a coonskin hat.  That Fes Parker is also a big name apparently.  That said, TV is giving cartoons in the theater a little run for their money, but not by much.  It's mostly reruns of the older ones like Bugs Bunny and Popeye (Popeye is HUGE again despite not in the theater anymore since last year).  There are some newer cartoons on the air though.  The Huckleberry Hound Show just premiered, and it is starting to be a hit for both kids and adults despite its limited animation quality.  However, many speculate TV cartoons will overtake the theatrical ones, but we will see.  MGM just closed up shop (Tom and Jerry, Droopy, etc.), so hopefully the other studios don't follow.  One major cartoon studio that is currently in big competition with Disney is UPA.  This company now defined a new modern art style of animation never seen before.  Even Disney had to adjust their characters to such a level.  Mickey looks a little flatter and articulated and nothing like the more rounder circular style I know as a kid.  While the more artistic style cartoons at UPA were winning the Academy Awards, their own Mickey Mouse, Mr. Magoo, was and is winning in the box office.  Walt hasn't shy away from feature films though.  Now a mix of live action films and animated, this decade we saw films that became incredibly popular such as Cinderella, Peter Pan, and Lady and the Tramp, and just a few years back, he took a gamble at building a so called theme park.  Disneyland, according to Walt, brings together many lands ranging from adventure to space to Fantasyland.  Not bad for being just an animated studio years ago.  Mickey Mouse may no longer be in the box office with Bugs Bunny and Mr. Magoo, and even Disney's own Donald Duck is appearing in new films instead of Mickey, but the character now lives again thanks to the popularity of The Mickey Mouse Club.  Something old is brand new again.

1968

It's been 40 years since Mickey Mouse debuted in Steamboat Willie.  I've read up about Mickey over the years, seeing him in the theaters sometimes (but not as often as other characters like Donald and Goofy) and trying to catch his shorts on TV which is very hard to do or even finding the older films in 8mm (not very feasible).  But it is hard to appreciate Mickey Mouse sometimes especially in the times we are living in right now.  This year alone has been rough.  The Civil Rights movement is at its height, Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobbie Kennedy were both shot and killed, and what's more, the Vietnam War is turning into a war I wish we never got involved with.  As a matter of fact, Mickey Mouse was even a subject this year with the Vietnam War.  Though not officially, Mickey appeared in this anit-war fan film which shows in just a brief minute how horrible this war is.  The film didn't depict Mickey as a parody, but rather as a symbol of the American spirit, and how that spirit has been tricked into getting into, in my opinion, one of the worst wars we have ever seen.  On a positive note, it also shows that Mickey Mouse is important.  He had his own special on TV this year.  This is all good considering that it is just getting harder and harder to see some of his cartoons.  Oh sure, one could blame them running newer cartoons like Superman and Aquaman and that it is currently the superhero comic book craze, but even Bugs Bunny is still in reruns and even he isn't in the theater anymore.  Perhaps Disney films are slowly not becoming relevant since they haven't made any new series for television like Hanna-Barbera does, who seems to be the new Disney, or at least, the Disney for TV.  It has also been a rough couple of years for Disney.  To the dismay and sadness of everyone across the globe, Walt Disney passed away at the age of 66.  Before his passing, Disney was at the top of his game in movie theaters.  Mary Poppins is now one of the most popular films of all time, and his introduction to Winnie the Pooh to many of us is giving that character new popularity.  Great TV shows, now in living color, also made TV viewers glued to their sets every Sunday night even to this day.  Sadly, because of TV, theatrical cartoons are not what they used to be.  Disney is not making anymore shorts because of TV.  The other studios are trying to compete, but so many others have shut down.  MGM just shut down Tom and Jerry a second time.  WB cartoons are not what they used to be.  You're better off catching the best ones on TV.  They're trying to make new characters, but it's not the same people running the show anymore.  Strangely enough, Woody Woodpecker is still around, and a new theatrical series called the Pink Panther is actually doing really well with plans to continue for the next few years.  But, as they say, the times are a change'n.  Many parent groups want to control how kids watch TV nowadays.  This could mean more censorship in cartoons, and that can be damming in the future.  Here's hoping for a better outlook in the next 40 years for Mickey, the Disney Company, and animation overall.

 1978

It is a big year for Mickey Mouse.  He just turned 50.  Surprisingly, he is still an icon. He just got a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Now I say surprisingly because seeing an actual Mickey Mouse cartoon is very hard unlike his competition, Bugs Bunny, who is still on Saturday Morning reruns.  Perhaps it may be that Mickey help represents the Disney Company.  Seeing him at Disneyland and Walt Disney World is still a popular thing.  It's too bad the Disney stuff is not as new or relevant as it once was.  Since Disney still won't go into television animation, newer films in theaters are not making as much money anymore, and Disney is still sticking their own movies and shows to a more family friendly audience while other movie studios are getting edgier.  Some of the biggest recent hits like The Godfather, Jaws, and just this past year Star Wars are giving Disney a run for their money.  Doing a TV series would not ease well with Disney either since they don't want to make an under budget series which is what MOST of the cartoons airing on TV nowadays are.  Hanna-Barbera is pretty much king in this world of animation, but even I notice a difference between an older Flintstone and a newer Scooby-Doo.  It's getting pretty sad with cartoons nowadays.  Nearly all of it is now a babysitter for your kids.  Once in a while a new special will air that is good, but that's just it.....ONCE in a WHILE.  I don't know where this trend will lead Mickey.  Will Mickey still be remembered 50 years from now, probably, but will the Disney Company survive another 50, we shall see.

1988

Mickey Mouse is celebrating his 60th birthday this year.  I've always remembered Mickey from when I was a kid.  I can't say I saw a lot of cartoons back then, and The Mickey Mouse Club has been long off the air (save for that reboot 10 years or so ago), but I always enjoyed seeing him
at Disneyland then later Walt Disney World, which both parks are continuing to grow.  Especially in Orlando where they opened up new hotels and a new park, Epcot.  In recent years, however, Mickey Mouse cartoons are getting easier to access.  A new satellite channel, The Disney Channel, has been running many great products from the Disney Vault as well as newer shows like Mousercise.  A great new invention called the VHS has become popular.  Should I miss a Mickey Mouse cartoon that I want to see, I can just record it off of Disney Channel.  However, I shouldn't have to worry about doing that too much because Disney had also been releasing these cartoons in collectors' edition VHS tapes including his debut cartoon, Steamboat Willie.  It's really cool that the movie studios now acknowledge the coming of VHS.  Mickey also made a major comeback in the theaters with Mickey's Christmas Carol.  While Mickey isn't the star of the film (that role belonged to Scrooge McDuck), it showed that Mickey is
not done yet.  And if you think Mickey is getting all the attention, well then you are not up to the times.  Mickey's girlfriend, Minnie, who we haven't heard from in years save for cartoon reruns and theme park appearances, just made a HUGE comeback in recent years.  The new Totally Minnie promotion was done in music, theme parks, and even a TV special.  We even see her perform with Elton John.  How cool is that?  Well let me name you one better.  Recently, Disney had a change in movies.  The new Touchstone banner gives them the opportunity to make more edgy, more adult oriented contemporary films.  Who Framed Roger Rabbit is one of these films which brings together not just the classic Disney toons, nearly EVERY major cartoon character from the Golden Age of cartoons.  The mere fact that two of the biggest rivals, Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse, in the same scene, is priceless.  The same goes for both Donald and Daffy Duck.  In television, Disney finally put their hat into the ring by setting up their own TV animation department.  They just struck gold with Ducktales.  This most definitely makes something old brand new again.  This is great since there are some major key competitors this decade alone like The Smurfs, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Muppet Babies, and now even Garfield.  While some may argue that cartoons are still being aimed towards kids, first of all, a lot of cartoons nowadays are based off of toys like Transformers so yes the argument, for now, holds water.  However, I've got a feeling something good is coming.  There's some word on the street about Disney changing up their theatrical animation, so we'll see.  In the meantime, Mickey Mouse is still popular and considered one of the best in the world.

1998

Mickey Mouse just turned 70, and wow have things changed for the mouse house this passed 70 years.  From a cartoon studio to a mega multi-billion dollar company.  It wasn't easy, I remember as a kid as more of a nostalgic character as Disney was more of something from the past.  Now it's more than hip.  Although Mickey isn't doing too much cartoons, he is still a very busy mouse.  He is now a cooperate icon.  You know it's Mickey when you see the mouse ears.  Meanwhile, Disney just released a ton of hits.  The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast (nominated for Best Picture), Aladdin, and their most popular film yet, The Lion King.  Animation is back in business, and is felt everywhere.  Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Fox have also put on cartoons that can compete and also be something creative.  The Rugrats are the most popular new kids on the block for kids.  Meanwhile, The Simpsons have a more adult edge not seen in cartoons for a long time.  Of course the 90's are now a creative time and a thriving time.  New ideas, such as video games, bring Mickey Mouse into new ventures.  Disney has done more though than just animation.  They are buying up properties including their most recent purchase of ABC.  This made the network more synonymous with the Disney brand as does the inherited sports network, ESPN.  Both that and the acquisition of The Mighty Ducks put Disney into the sports market.  Disney hasn't forgotten about Mickey Mouse though; The New Mickey Mouse Club debuted on Disney Channel.  No where near as good as the original but maybe these kids will be going places in entertainment (I hear some may be).  A few more Mickey cartoons debuted in theaters, and Mickey is always center stage for Disney promotions.  But above all of this, Walt always reminded us that it was all started by a mouse, so Happy Birthday Mickey!

2008

Well, Mickey Mouse had just turned 80, and being a major birthday, you would think Disney would be all over it.  Sure Disney is promoting Mickey for his birthday, but not as big as I hoped.  Mickey Mouse is still popular.  He's in a new series called Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, but the show is now geared toward preschoolars to attract the Dora the Explorer audience.  Sadly, the Disney Company found a whole new way of entertainment.  It started with Hillary Duff and their Lizzie Miguire series, but that would be quickly overshadowed by High School Musical, which in turn would also be overshadowed by something, or someone bigger than that. Someone that starts with an M....that's right.....Miley Cirus (not Mickey Mouse) and her hit show Hannah Montana.  Ugh....why why why?!  Why is she getting more attention than the mouse we all know and love?  Thankfully, prior to her arrival (much to my dismay), Mickey Mouse was celebrated when he turned 75, and when Disneyland turned 50, he was celebrated again.  His original shorts have not aired on TV that much anymore though.  As a matter of fact, many cartoons haven't made their rounds much.  The success of Hannah Montana has brought new kinds of kids entertainment, the Kids Sitcom.  Nickelodeon is currently competing with Disney right now with iCarly.  Worse, Cartoon Network is abandoning the classic stuff with not just newer and crappier cartoons, but also LIVE ACTION programming.  Yeah....can't really call it a "Cartoon" network can you.  Of course Disney has since grown.  The Muppets joined the Disney family, though they seem to have already fit right in at home through previous home video distribution.  Pixar has become more popular, and they even begun distributing Studio Gibli films.   Even in television, more creative shows like Phineas and Ferb are trying to make the scene, but it has become clear that Miley Cirus and the Jonas Brothers are the big money makers (God help us).  Earlier in the decade wasn't too awful bad though.  Some rough patches here and there thanks to a new major competitor, Spongebob Squarepants, who now owns the world just like Mickey once did.  Struggling to counter that with Mickey, Kim Possible became the TV hit that they needed.  But it seems that time is slowly fading away on our older more beloved characters, and even though Mickey is still a big deal, it may be harder for him to compete if the trend continues.  I hope Disney remembers eventually that it was all started by a mouse.

2018

Wow, what a big birthday Mickey has had for his 90th.  For starters, Mickey's birthday has been celebrated every year for the past few years which makes up missing his 80th birthday (this must have George Carlin rolling over his grave).  This year we saw his girlfriend Minnie Mouse get her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  The merchandise for Mickey's birthday is unbelievable.  And for 90, Mickey is actually getting younger with age.  The rise of Internet streaming brought about brand new Mickey Mouse shorts with a totally new design for Mickey.  His look is more modern yet referring back to the classic days when Mickey was just young in the 30's.  Of course, it isn't his only design being used, he still has his classic handsome look he's had for many years.  His new shorts helped bring about a new generation of cartoons.  Cartoon Network's Adventure Time and Steven Universe, Hasbro's My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, WB's latest Looney Tunes series, the new rise of anime such as Attack on Titan, Sword Art Online, and My Hero Academia, Illumination's Minions, and even hits inside the mouse house: Gravity Falls became a cult hit for TV, Ducktales has returned, and movies include Tangled, Moana, Coco, and their biggest hit yet, Frozen.  Gone are the days of Jonas Brothers and Miley Cirus, back again is the Disney we all know and love.  Of course, it has its controversy of growing even more.  Marvel was bought by Disney bringing them into the superhero business with fan favorites like Spider-Man, Avengers, The Hulk, Black Panther, and the more adult oriented Deadpool.  Later, Lucasfilms, brought the universe of Star Wars to Disney.  It makes me wonder if Stars Wars is Disney's biggest hit now.  And just when things couldn't get any bigger, Disney will be adding 21st Century Fox to their lineup.  This brings about every major film, TV show, and cartoons Fox produced including The Simpsons and Family Guy (which is ironic because Family Guy made horrible anti-semetic jokes about Walt Disney).  Plans for a new streaming channel, Disney+, is in the works right now!  This growth also comes with the newly branded Disney Junior and includes shows like Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins, and The Lion Guard.  It was a good thing too, because Nickelodeon gave them competition again.  This time for pre-schoolars, Paw Patrol is now what Mickey was in the 30's.  To answer back, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse came to an end and was replaced with Mickey and the Roadsters.  Bringing Mickey to the racetrack, the writing on the show became better to maintain Mickey's charming side while Mickey Mouse shorts showcase his funnier more cartoony side not seen in nearly 80 years.  Will this excitement last, I'm not sure.  Sadly, Disney feels that now is the time to remake ALL the classics into live action, and other studios are following suit.  Sequals are being made left to right.  The latest Star Wars and Marvel movies are monsters in the box office.  Who knows what kind of future it brings for Mickey, but for now, Disney made absolutely clear that it was indeed all started by a mouse, and we celebrate him for that.

We hope you've enjoyed looking back these past 90 years.  While they may not reflect everyone's opinions on Mickey and the events going on, one thing's for sure, Mickey Mouse remained beloved even during his own rough times.  With a smile on his face, he helped America and the world through rough times, and has remained very appealing to this day, thus guaranteeing a great big beautiful tomorrow shinning at the end of every day.  Happy Birthday Mickey!