Works based on a copyright-free Mickey Mouse

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The following is a list of creative works starring Mickey Mouse announced after Steamboat Willie and The Gallopin' Gaucho , both released in 1928, entered the public domain in the United States on January 1, 2024. In January, multiple films and video games starring the character were announced immediately. [1] [2] This list only includes works that received substantial media attention.

Contents

List

NameType of workDescriptionRelease date
MSCHF X Famous Mouse CollectiblesArt collective MSCHF created a line of Public Domain Mickey-collectibles. The items could be pre-ordered from August 2021 and became available in 2024. [3] [4] [5] August, 2021 (pre-orders)
2024 (Available)
Inverse Ninjas VS. The Public DomainShooter gameVideo game where public domain-characters such as Sherlock Holmes, Alice, Winnie-the-Pooh and the Monkey King have to shoot an endless group of ninjas. [6] In January, Mickey Mouse was introduced through an update. [7] December 5, 2023 (original release)
January 1, 2024 (Mickey Mouse update)
The Vanishing of S.S. Willie Horror short filmHorror short film based on Steamboat Willie and, as so far known, the first film released using its public domain-status. [8] [9] January 1, 2024
Mousetrapped WebcomicsA daily webcomic-series created by R. K. Milholland, continuing the narrative of Mickey, after the events of Steamboat Willie. [10] [11] From January 1, 2024
Steamboat Willie (Brock's Dub)Redubbed original cartoonA redubbed version of Steamboat Willie posted on YouTube. The video received some media notoriety for being the first Steamboat Willie-video to receive and survive a copyright-claim from The Walt Disney Company. On January 6, YouTube revoked the copyright-claim from Disney. [12] [13] [14] January 4, 2024
Rubber Hose RampageShooter gameA Cuphead clone run and gun game based on Steamboat Willie. [15] It is often[ dubious ] noted for its poor quality and buggy nature, as well as illegal use of still-copyrighted characters such as Betty Boop, [16] and jellyfishes from SpongeBob SquarePants . [17] [ better source needed ]January 25, 2024
Mickey's Mouse Trap Slasher filmSlasher film where a mass murderer in a Mickey Mouse mask hunts down a group of teenagers inside an amusement arcade. [18] September 20, 2024
Infestation: Origins Horror gameHorror game starring Mickey Mouse as a possessed mouse. [19] TBA 2024
Screamboat [20] Comedy horror filmComedy horror film where Mickey Mouse turns into a mutated creature that starts a murderous rampage on a ferry. [18] TBA 2024
MouseShooter gameFirst-person shooter game loosely based on character designs from the early Mickey Mouse cartoons. [21] TBA 2025
The Return of Steamboat WillieHorror filmAn upcoming animated horror film [22] [23] [24] TBA
Savage Dragon #268 Comic BookA comic book issue [25] TBA
Mickey vs. WinnieHorror filmAn upcoming crossover horror film where murderous versions of Mickey Mouse and Winnie-the-Pooh come into conflict after both enter the public domain. It is not related to Mickey's Mouse Trap or Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey . [26] TBA

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey Mouse</span> Disney cartoon character and mascot

Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white gloves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ub Iwerks</span> American animator and special effects pioneer (1901–1971)

Ubbe Ert Iwerks, known as Ub Iwerks, was an American animator, cartoonist, character designer, inventor, and special effects technician, known for his work with Walt Disney Animation Studios in general, and for having worked on the development of the design of the character of Mickey Mouse, among others. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Iwerks grew up with a contentious relationship with his father, who abandoned him as a child. Iwerks met fellow artist Walt Disney while working at a Kansas City art studio in 1919.

<i>Plane Crazy</i> 1928 film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks

Plane Crazy is a 1928 American animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The cartoon, released by the Walt Disney Studios, was the first appearance of Mickey Mouse and his girlfriend Minnie Mouse, and was originally a silent film. It was given a test screening to a theater audience on May 15, 1928, and an executive from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer saw the film, but failed to pick up a distributor. Later that year, Disney released Mickey's first sound cartoon, Steamboat Willie, which was an enormous success; Plane Crazy was officially released as a sound cartoon on March 17, 1929. It was the fourth Mickey film to be given a wide release after Steamboat Willie, The Gallopin' Gaucho and The Barn Dance (1929).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnie Mouse</span> Disney cartoon character

Minerva "Minnie" Mouse is an American cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. As the longtime sweetheart of Mickey Mouse, she is an anthropomorphic mouse with white gloves, a red or pink bow, blue polka-dotted dress, white bloomers and low-heeled shoes occasionally with ribbons on them. The Mickey Mouse comic strip story "The Gleam" by Merrill De Maris and Floyd Gottfredson first gave her full name as Minerva Mouse, although this is seldom used.

<i>The Gallopin Gaucho</i> 1928 Mickey Mouse cartoon directed by Ub Iwerks

The Gallopin' Gaucho is a 1928 American animated short film and the second short film featuring Mickey Mouse to be produced, following Plane Crazy and preceding Steamboat Willie. The Disney studios completed the silent version in August 1928, but did not release it in order to work on Steamboat Willie. The Gallopin' Gaucho was released, with sound, after Steamboat Willie on December 30 of the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steamboat Bill</span> 1910 song by The Leighton Brothers

"Steamboat Bill" is a 1910 song with music by the vaudeville group The Leighton Brothers and lyrics by Ren Shields which became one of the first hit recordings in the United States through its 1911 recording by Arthur Collins, mostly known for the music in Disney's Steamboat Willie, the first released Mickey Mouse sound cartoon. Steamboat Bill also appeared in the 1928 Buster Keaton film Steamboat Bill, Jr.

<i>The Skeleton Dance</i> 1929 film

The Skeleton Dance is a 1929 Silly Symphony animated short subject produced and directed by Walt Disney and animated by Ub Iwerks. In the film, four human skeletons dance and make music around a spooky graveyard—a modern film example of medieval European "danse macabre" imagery. It is the first entry in the Silly Symphony series. In 1993, to coincide with the opening of Mickey's Toontown in Disneyland, a shortened cover of the cartoon's music was arranged to be featured in the land's background ambiance. The short's copyright was renewed in 1957, and as a published work from 1929 it will enter the US public domain on January 1, 2025.

<i>The Mad Doctor</i> (1933 film) 1933 Mickey Mouse cartoon

The Mad Doctor is a Mickey Mouse cartoon released in 1933. It is known as the first appearance of the title character "The Mad Doctor", or "Dr. XXX". It was the 52nd Mickey Mouse short film, and the second of that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public Domain Day</span> Observance of when copyrights expire and works enter into the public domain

Public Domain Day (PDD) is an observance of when copyrights expire and works enter into the public domain. This legal transition of copyright works into the public domain usually happens every year on January 1 based on the individual copyright laws of each country.

<i>The Barn Dance</i> 1929 Mickey Mouse cartoon

The Barn Dance is a Mickey Mouse short animated film first released on March 15, 1929, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series; it was the first of twelve shorts released during that year. It was directed by Walt Disney with Ub Iwerks as the head animator. The title is written as Barn Dance on the poster, while the full title is used on the title screen.

<i>The Opry House</i> 1929 Mickey Mouse cartoon

The Opry House is a 1929 Mickey Mouse short animated film released by Celebrity Pictures, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was the fifth Mickey Mouse short to be released, the second of that year. It cast Mickey as the owner of a small theater. Mickey performs a vaudeville show all by himself. Acts include his impersonation of a snake charmer, his dressing in drag and performing a belly dance, his caricature of a Hasidic Jew and, for the finale, a piano performance of Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Franz Liszt.

<i>Steamboat Willie</i> 1928 American animated short film

Steamboat Willie is a 1928 American animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. It was produced in black and white by Walt Disney Studio and was released by Pat Powers, under the name of Celebrity Productions. The cartoon is considered the debut of both Mickey and Minnie Mouse, although both characters appeared several months earlier in a test screening of Plane Crazy. Steamboat Willie was the third of Mickey's films to be produced, but it was the first to be distributed, because Disney, having seen The Jazz Singer, had committed himself to produce one of the first fully synchronized sound cartoons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winnie-the-Pooh</span> Fictional character created by A. A. Milne

Winnie-the-Pooh is a fictional anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard. Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared by name in a children's story commissioned by London's Evening News for Christmas Eve 1925. The character is inspired by a stuffed toy that Milne had bought for his son Christopher Robin in Harrods department store, and a bear they had viewed at London Zoo.

When a work's copyright expires, it enters the public domain. The following is a list of creators whose works enter the public domain in 2024. Since laws vary globally, the copyright status of some works are not uniform.

<i>Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey</i> 2023 British film by Rhys Frake-Waterfield

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey is a 2023 British independent slasher film produced, directed, written, and edited by Rhys Frake-Waterfield. The first installment of The Twisted Childhood Universe (TCU), it serves as a horror reimagining of A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard's Winnie-the-Pooh books and stars Craig David Dowsett as the titular character, and Chris Cordell as Piglet, with Amber Doig-Thorne, Nikolai Leon, Maria Taylor, Natasha Rose Mills, and Danielle Ronald in supporting roles. It follows Pooh and Piglet, who have become feral murderers, as they terrorise a group of young university women and Christopher Robin when he returns to the Hundred Acre Wood five years after leaving for college.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 in American public domain</span> 2024 additions to the public domain in the US

Under the Copyright Term Extension Act, books published in 1928, films released in 1928, and other works published in 1928, enter the public domain in 2024. Sound recordings that were published in 1923 enter the public domain.

<i>Infestation: Origins</i> 2024 video game

Infestation: Origins is an upcoming survival horror game developed and published by Nightmare Forge Games. The game is known for featuring Mickey Mouse as he appeared in the 1928 animated short film Steamboat Willie. It was announced on January 1, 2024, after the short entered the public domain in the United States, and is scheduled for release in 2024.

<i>Mickeys Mouse Trap</i> Upcoming film by Jamie Bailey

Mickey's Mouse Trap is an upcoming Canadian independent comedy slasher film directed by Jamie Bailey from a screenplay written by Simon Phillips. It is a horror reimagining of Walt Disney's 1928 animated short film Steamboat Willie and stars Sophie McIntosh, Nick Biskupek, James Laurin, Mireille Gagné, Damir Kovic, Callum Sywyk, Allegra Nocita, Jesse Nasmith, Mackenzie Mills, Madeline Kelman, and Ben Harris, with Phillips as the titular character. It follows a group of friends trapped inside in an amusement arcade after it closes as they are terrorized by a masked killer in a Mickey Mouse costume.

The Vanishing of S.S. Willie is a 2024 short horror film written and directed by Nick Lives. It uses the American public domain status of the short animated film Steamboat Willie, featuring the earliest version of Mickey Mouse.

References

  1. Loh, Lainey. "5 horror-fic things announced as Mickey Mouse's copyright ends". Tatler Asia. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  2. Cain, Sian (2 January 2024). "Mickey Mouse's first 24 hours in the public domain: slasher flicks, horror games and NFTs". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  3. Dafoe, Taylor (23 August 2021). "This Art Collective Is Taking Preorders on a 'Bootleg' Mickey Mouse Collectible Ahead of Disney's Copyright Expiration on the Character". Artnet News. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  4. "MSCHF X Famous Mouse". MSCHF X Famous Mouse. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  5. Hibberd, James (23 August 2021). "'Satan Shoes' Outfit Launches Mickey Mouse Art to Mock Disney's Expiring Copyright". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  6. "Inverse Ninjas VS. The Public Domain by Trainwreck Studios". itch.io. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  7. Anne-Marie Ostler (2 January 2024). "It took barely 12 hours for the first Mickey Mouse games to appear after the Disney mascot entered the public domain". gamesradar. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  8. Squires, John (2 January 2024). "'The Vanishing of S.S. Willie' – First Mickey Mouse Horror Project Is a 9-Minute Short You Can Watch Here". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
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  10. Morrison, Matt (3 January 2024). "Popeye Artist Releases New Mickey Mouse Web Comic Based on Steamboat Willie". Comic Book Movies and Superhero Movie News – SuperHeroHype. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  11. "Mousetrapped". Tumblr. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
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  13. Binder, Matt (4 January 2024). "YouTube demonetizes public domain 'Steamboat Willie' video after copyright claim". Mashable. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  14. James, Chloe (6 January 2024). "Disney Backs Down, Admits It No Longer Owns Mickey Mouse". Inside the Magic. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  15. Shirey, J. Brodie (2024-02-02). "New Steamboat Willie Game Surprise-Released". Game Rant. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  16. "This Cuphead Clone Uses Public Domain Mickey Mouse but Probably…".
  17. Rubber Hose Rampage | Official Trailer . Retrieved 2024-04-20 via www.youtube.com.
  18. 1 2 Maddaus, Gene (2 January 2024). "'Steamboat Willie' Horror Film Announced as Mickey Mouse Enters Public Domain". Variety. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  19. McCaffrey, Ryan (1 January 2024). "Mickey Mouse-Inspired Horror Game 'Infestation 88' Announced". IGN. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  20. "Untitled Steamboat Willie Horror Film – IMDb". IMDb . Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  21. Troughton, James (2 January 2024). "Forget Horror Steamboat Willie, There's A Mickey Mouse-like Boomer Shooter". TheGamer. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
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  24. "The Return of Steamboat Willie - Official Teaser Trailer - IGN". January 22, 2024 via www.ign.com.
  25. Rich Johnston (February 2024). "Image Comics Publishes Mickey Mouse In Savage Dragon". bleedingcool.
  26. Complex, Valerie (2024-05-01). "'Mickey Vs. Winnie': Glenn Douglas Packard To Direct Horror Slasher Based On Steam Boat Willie And Winnie The Pooh". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-05-04.