Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Top 10 Cartoon Mice of All Time

10. Fievel: The cute and cuddly star of 'An American Tail' truly only made this list because I couldn't think of an 11th mouse. Still, he charmed us with his immigrant journey in 'An American Tail.'
With a title like 'An American Tail' I am sure many a video store accidentally put this title in its ADULT SECTION. Hilarity must have ensued.


9. Danger Mouse: The eye patch wearing crime fighter was a staple on British television for almost a decade. He also wore a belt and no pants. The British are so weird.


8 and 7. Pixie and Dixie: As part of the 'Huckleberry Hound' program Pixie and Dixie struggled to outwit their nemesis, Mr. Jinks the cat. Jinks was always saying "I hate meices to pieces." Jinks did not know that plural of mouse is mice.
If he had, he would have been stuck saying something like "hating mice is nice" or "how would you like your sisters to marry mice?"


6. Stuart Little: What is there NOT to love about this mouse? He sounds like Marty McFly, he rides a skateboard and he has bizarre cross species love affair with a BIRD in the sequel.
You may be little, but you are BIG on this list. Har-dee-har-har.


5. Jerry: Always dueling with Tom, Jerry is a wiz at causing harm to his feline foe. Considered the model for The Simpson's 'Itchy and Scratchy', Tom and Jerry have feuding for over 40 years.
By the way, if you are wondering why Itchy isn't on this list: I am saving him for a new list in 2045.
Also, if you’re wondering why Pinky and The Brain aren't on this list: It's because I hate them.


4. Minute Mouse: Part of the series "Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse" created by Bob Kane. This series was a satire on the OTHER famous Kane creations Batman and Robin.


3. Speedy Gonzales: The "fastest mouse in all Mexico", Speedy made his debut back in 1953. He wore a large brimmed sombrero on his head and often feuded with another Warner Brothers star, Sylvester the Cat.
Speedy was often joined in his cartoon by Warner's other offensive stereotype mice: The Irish 'Drunky O'Malley' and the Dutch 'Wooden Shoey Agneese.'


2. Mighty Mouse: The mightiest of ALL mice. He first appeared way back in 1942, but did not get his own show until 13 years later.
Every episode followed a simple 3 act pattern:

ACT 1: Mice party in a mouse utopia
ACT 2: Mean cats arrive and chase the mice
ACT 3: Mighty Mouse arrive and punches the cats



1. Mickey Mouse: Of course he is number one. You didn't expect anyone else to top the list, did you? He debuted in 1928 in the film 'Steamboat Willie', a parody of Buster Keaton's Steamboat Bill. The cartoon was actually the THIRD Mickey Mouse cartoon made, but the first to be shown in theaters.

The origin of Mickey Mouse is very difficult to pin down, since Walt Disney was a master storyteller and would often spin the tale of Mickey's creation differently depending on what audience he was speaking to.
Some stories include:
Walt created the mouse because he once had a pet mouse in his apartment
Walt named the mouse Mickey after Mickey Rooney
Walt named the mouse Mortimer but changed the mouse's name after his wife suggested Mickey

The documentary film "Ub Iwerks: The Hand Behind The Mouse" tells what is likely the most accurate version of the mouse's creation.
Ub Iwerks was Walt's friend, co-worker and sometime business partner. After hearing that their main creation, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, was being sold to Universal Studios, the two set out to quickly make a new cartoon. After searching through magazines and trying out every animal Ub could draw, they settled on a mouse.
Today Mickey is a corporate logo and appears at the dozen or so Disney parks that may have never existed without him.
He is a superstar in every sense of the word and the number one mouse of all time.

So, that is my list. I was a bit surprised at the number of cartoon mice that exist! Who was your favorite?

14 comments:

  1. Anonymous1/10/2005

    Great list! I loved Danger Mouse. With all of the trash being released on DVD these days (and I would know best considering that I buy most of it) I can't believe that this show hasn't been issued yet. 

    Posted by NJCRC414

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  2. Anonymous1/10/2005

    I cannot belive you disrespect my show! I curse the name of Bunch O Junk! 

    Posted by The Brain

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  3. Anonymous1/10/2005

    I must say, I was a little confused by your reason for keeping Itchy off the list because he was relativly new.

    Why then did you include Fivel? 

    Posted by Sam the Butcher

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  4. Anonymous1/10/2005

    I am sorry, my list is flawed. Perhaps I should have made it a top 15 list. Then I could have added Ignatz Mouse (from Krazy Kat), Minnie Mouse, Pinky and the Brain and Itchy.

    Then it would have been called 'ALL of the cartoon mice I could think of'

    By the way, my personal favorite on the list is Mighty Mouse. 

    Posted by Sweetie Guy Hutchinson

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  5. Anonymous1/10/2005

    Sweetie Darling,

    You know all the little mice don't you???

    Love you very much 

    Posted by big mamma

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous1/10/2005

    Sweetie,

    I thought I knew all the mice but you know all the nicessss.

    love you very much 

    Posted by big mamma

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous1/10/2005

    Sweetie,

    I thought I knew all the mice but you know all the nicessss.

    love you, 

    Posted by big mamma

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous1/11/2005

    Ha Ha! My plans for world domination are working! Now I must enslave all the humans and start my own super race of mutant mice.

    The streets will run green with the blood of Shrek. 

    Posted by Mickey Mouse

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  9. Anonymous1/11/2005

    I see, just don't let it happen again. 

    Posted by Sam The Butcher

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  10. Anonymous1/11/2005

    Gene Hackman is so cool celebrity mice rank him! 

    Posted by Gene O Hack

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  11. Anonymous1/11/2005

    Sweetie,

    What happened to the three blind mice? The three blind mice? They chased after the farmer's wife. The three blind mice. The three blind mice. Seriously, how could you forget them? 

    Posted by Mr. Freeze

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  12. Anonymous1/11/2005

    I am somewhat partial to Maisy. Sorry she did not make the list. 

    Posted by T-_Bone

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  13. Anonymous1/11/2005

    What the Hell is this? No Minute Mouse....thats what my first wife use to call me when I had the old ball and chain!!! Now this site only resorts to dumb top ten list because the proprietor of this site is running out of idea's....whats next a top ten shoe lace list? How about a top ten Run DMC list....ohhh hold it Guy already did that!!! Sorry...somebody get me my wheatena!!! 

    Posted by ip yearly

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  14. Anonymous1/11/2005

    Dear IP Yearly,
    Thanks for stopping by. I am glad you have noticed that I have run out of ideas. Tune in tommorow for "The top 10 people named Gene."
    Thanks 

    Posted by Sweetie Guy Hutchinson

    ReplyDelete