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Adult Swim Introduces Its Own "Steamboat Willie" Mickey Mouse (VIDEO)

With the character having now officially entered to public domain, Adult Swim introduced its very own "Steamboat Willie" Mickey Mouse.

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Article Summary

  • Adult Swim debuts its "Steamboat Willie" Mickey Mouse, now public domain.
  • Only the original 1928 Mickey version is free to use, not modern iterations.
  • "Steamboat Mickey" is set to appear in horror films/games and could end up in other projects.
  • Adult Swim's take on Mickey Mouse offers a wonderfully subversive take.

So here's the deal. Back in 1928, Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks directed the short film Steamboat Willie – and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the pop culture landscape was never the same again. Why? Because the black-and-white adventure officially introduced viewers to Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse – two characters we're pretty sure that you've heard of. Now, nearly 100 years later, those two characters have left Disney's copyright protection and entered… The Public Domain! Dun… Dun… DUUUUUUUN! Okay, one thing to get out of the way first? The Mickey and Minnie that are in the public domain are only the ones that resemble the versions from Steamboat Willie – not anything recent. So – for example – if you're thinking of having "Fantasia Mickey" star in your upcoming indie horror film, expect Disney to come swooping in with a platoon of attorneys to protect their copyrights.

But if you stick to the rules, then you, too, can have "Steamboat Willie" Mickey Mouse in your project – as we've already seen with the news that Mickey will be appearing in two different horror films and a horror-themed video game – and we're assuming that Mickey's not going to be the hero. Well, you can now add Adult Swim into the mix – with Cartoon Network's ever-expanding late-night programming block introducing us to their "Steamboat Willie" Mickey Mouse – with a not surprisingly not subtle way of letting everyone know that it's "Public Doman bitch." But as we see it, this is just the tip of the iceberg…

Adult Swim
Image: Adult Swim Screencap

Because why does Adult Swim's "Steamboat Willie" Mickey Mouse have to be something left to live only in bumpers? I know I wouldn't mind seeing the mouse show up in an episode of Rick and Morty – but as someone who teams with the dimension-hopping duo. And then there's Smiling Friends – though we picture a different scenario. Charlie and Pip find themselves competing against the mouse to bring smiles to their clients – with the mouse a natural when it comes to brining happiness. and yet, there's something not quite right about him…

Adult Swim Introduces Its Own "Steamboat Willie" Mickey Mouse (VIDEO)
Image: Adult Swim Screencap

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Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
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