Mickey Mouse at 90

What a fascinating magazine. I love all things Disney and I learned so much. It was interesting to see how he got started and how all the different characters came to be. I also loved how some characters names got changed and are different now. It’s cool to see how many Mickey Mouse clubs there were. This magazine was expensive but worth it!

This magazine is broken down into several sections. Each part is more descriptive than the next one. First off the pictures that are throughout the magazine are beautiful. It makes you feel like you are right where they were photographed. The first part is called "Mickey’s Universe." It explains how far and wide Mickey Mouse reaches around the world. It also explains how many fans he has throughout the entire world. It even mentions the popular Mickey Mouse theme song.

Section two is called "A Mouse is Born." In this section, we learn just how Mickey Mouse came to be. We learn that the idea came to Walt Disney on a train while he was traveling across the country. We learn how Walt used to have pet mice and would always interact with them. However, before Mickey we learn about his original concept of Oswald. I felt bad for him because that character was ripped away from him. He had worked so hard and basically got the short end of the stick. He began to fool around with some characters but finally came upon the Mouse. He decided to make him look similar to Oswald at first but then changed his mind a bit. Fun fact the original name for Mickey was actually Mortimer, but his wife didn’t like that name so she said change it. That’s how it became Mickey.

Mickey was slowly introduced into the world and from the beginning was a hit. In fact Walt Disney even based some of the Mickey Mouse shirts on real life events. Mickey also had Minnie by his side from the beginning. Even the catch phrase “Hot Dog hot dog hit diggity dog” has been around since 1929. Mickey was a hit and even had some comics too. Towards the end of this part, we learn about some of how his pals came to be.

The next section is called "A Mouse takes Off." It basically explains a lot of the Mickey Mouse animated shorts. It even includes some cool pictures to go with the detailed descriptions. As a matter of fact “In recognition of the Mouse’s singular status in worldwide cinema, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded Walt Disney a special Oscar for his creation of Mickey Mouse." Walt Disney went on to win many awards because of Mickey. Walt and his brother worked hard on Mickey merchandise as well. Mickey was often spotted around the world. An interesting fact to me was when Mickey was first in the Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1934. Walt Disney has been on many magazines throughout his lifetime and sometimes even his characters appeared with him. As the section progressed, we start to learn about Donald and even hear a mention of Daisy. I know as a kid I had several Mickey Mouse watches and even a Minnie Mouse watch too. This magazine shows the original images and what they look like now. Another cool thing I learned was that Mickey had adventures based on what was occurring at the time. He also has a lot of propaganda. He poked fun at a lot but in a very loving way. Mickey even became “the most popular star of the small screen.” We also learn about The Mickey Mouse Club and how many varieties there were throughout the years. It explains how the original one came to be and how Walt used to visit the kids while they were working.

The next section of the magazine is called "Mickey and The Presidents." It focuses on how many presidents Mickey has met over the years. He sometimes went to the White House or they came to him in Disneyland or Disney World. The pictures displayed in this section really show how affectionate he is with the families but especially the children. It also shows the presidents in a different light. The next section of the magazine is entitled "The House that Built the Mouse." This is devoted to how Disneyland came to be. I found it interesting how many people were there for opening day—70 million. I also liked how they explained how they broadcast the opening of the park so that everyone could see it. Funny thing is Ronald Reagan was a reporter for it way before he was president.

We also see how the rest of Mickey’s life has evolved after Disneyland. Mickey made tons of money and sold a lot of books over the years. Walt Disney even had his own tv show so that he could make kids have something to look forward to every Sunday night. Unfortunately, he did not survive to see Walt Disney World open but his name became part of his legacy. As the section goes on we learn about how the next generation of Mouseketeers weren’t as successful as the first ones and had a very short life span. The section ends by telling us all the different franchises of where Disney is around the world which includes internationally. The next two sections basically speak about Mickey evolves over time and how he interacts with celebrities. It explains how many athletes go to Disney World after the Super Bowl, and it also shows how he reflects on whatever may be popular in the current moment whether it be political or celebrities. It even mentioned the two more modern Mickey Mouse Clubs as their successes. It goes on to explain how many people became famous because of that. The last section basically show a lot of art pictures and how Mickey has grown through the year. All in all, this is great magazine and I highly recommend it.