Minnie Mouse

Minnie Mouse is a fictional character of the Mickey Mouse universe featured in animated cartoons, comic strips and comic book by The Walt Disney Company. The comic strip story "The Gleam" (published January 19-May 2, 1942) by Merrill De Maris and Floyd Gottfredson first gave her full name as Minerva Mouse. Minerva has since been a recurring alias for her.

Origins of the character

In 1928, Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks created Mickey Mouse to act as a replacement to their previous star Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. But Mickey could not fill the void alone. Among the few consistent character traits Oswald had developed before moving on to Universal Studios was his near-constant pursuit of potential sweethearts. So for Mickey to have a chance to emulate his predecessor at flirting, someone had to replace Oswald's many love interests. This replacement to Miss Rabbit, Miss Cottontail, Fanny and an uncertain number of unnamed nurses and dancers was to become Minnie Mouse.

Related Topics:
1928 - Walt Disney - Ub Iwerks - Mickey Mouse - Oswald the Lucky Rabbit - Universal Studios - Flirting - Nurse - Dance

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Minnie, who at the time was not yet named, was designed in the fashion of a "flapper" girl. She was so probably intended to follow the trends of then-modern youth culture in an effort to add to her audience appeal.

Related Topics:
Fashion - Flapper - Girl - Modern - Youth culture

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Mickey and Minnie debuted together in Plane Crazy, first released on May 15, 1928. Minnie is invited to join Mickey in the first flight of his aircraft. She accepts the invitation but not his chauvinistic and sexist commands for a kiss in mid-flight. Mickey eventually forces Minnie into a kiss but this only results in her parachuting out of the plane. This first film depicted Minnie as somewhat resistant to the demanding affection of her potential boyfriend and capable of escaping his grasp.

Related Topics:
Plane Crazy - May 15 - 1928 - Aircraft - Chauvinistic - Sexist - Kiss - Parachuting - Affection - Boyfriend

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Their debut however featured the couple already familiar to each other. The next film featuring them was The Gallopin' Gaucho.The film was the second of their series to be produced but only the third to be released on December 30, 1928. We find Minnie employed as the barmaid and dancer of Cantina Argentina, a bar and restaurant established in the Pampas of Argentina. She performs the Tango for Mickey the gaucho and Black Pete the outlaw. Both flirt with her but the latter intends to abduct her while the former obliges in saving the Damsel in Distress from the villain. All three characters acted as strangers first being introduced to each other.

Related Topics:
The Gallopin' Gaucho - December 30 - 1928 - Bar - Restaurant - Pampas - Argentina - Tango - Gaucho - Black Pete - Outlaw - Abduct - Damsel in Distress - Villain

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They appear together again in Steamboat Willie, the third short of the series to be produced but released second on November 18, 1928. Pete was featured as the Captain of the steamboat, Mickey as a crew of one and Minnie as their single passenger. The two anthropomorphic mice first star in a sound film and spend most of its duration playing music to the tune of "Turkey in the Straw".

Related Topics:
Steamboat Willie - November 18 - 1928 - Captain - Steamboat - Crew - Anthropomorphic - Mice - Sound film - Music - Turkey in the Straw

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