The original version of Mickey Mouse has now entered the public domain, giving rise to knockoffs and parodies of the beloved mascot. As quickly as the cartoon mouse— which first appeared in Steamboat Willie in 1928 — became copyright-free, many video games and movies have been created in its likeness.
Most of the recreated Mickey Mouse toons have been horror-themed, which is not an uncommon idea for public domain characters; however, converting a kids’ classic into a murderer is being deemed rather distasteful. Several projects have been released to YouTube, with more in production.
‘Mickey Mouse Trap’
One of the newly released villain versions is Mickey Mouse Trap, which appears to have been made ahead of Mickey Mouse’s copyright expiration. The trailer has amassed nearly half a million views on YouTube to create anticipation for its release in March. “They had this written, casted, shot, edited, and finished, just waiting for the public domain to lift to reveal,” a comment reads. “These people are something else.”
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A survival-horror video game project named Infestation 88 was also made to pit players against a deformed version of Steamboat Willie’s Mickey Mouse, and its teaser is also up on YouTube. “Nightmare Forge games has announced Infestation 88, a new horror game that aims to blend terror with nostalgia (in the vein of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey) by twisting the now-in-the-public-domain Steamboat Willie into something much scarier,” the description stated.
Thoughts on the Mickey modifications
Steven LaMorte’s untitled horror film is set to portray a murderous Mickey on a steamboat with unsuspecting passengers, although a teaser is yet to be released. More productions are in the works and will be easily accessible for streaming online in the coming months.
While it is an avenue to bring low-budget creative work to life, many fans have expressed their displeasure at the tradition of visually maligning beloved characters. “I’m just gonna assume that everything that becomes public domain from now on is instantly gonna get a horror version of it just because it can,” someone complained. “Even if it’s terrible, I’m still glad that media like this is able to exist,” another added.
Check out some of the horror treatment Mickey Mouse has received below: