The Art of Mickey Mouse

The Art of Mickey Mouse, Artists Interpret the World's Favorite Mouseby Craig Yoe and Janet Morra-Yoe. 1991, 144 pp. (No pagination.)

For this review, I am discussing the 1991 edition. The 1995 edition seems to be more readily available on the second-hand market and is much less expensive.

Craig Yoe has been a toy designer, VP for the Jim Henson Studio, animator and studio owner. He was part of the creative team that created The Muppet-Vision 3D attraction. Janet Morra-Yoe is a photographer, sculptor and fashion designer. The book originated from the Yoes when they thought about Mickey's popularity in pop culture. They took their adoration of Walt's mouse and began asking world-famous artists to contribute unique interpretations of Mickey.

Author John Updike provides the seven-page introduction to the book. Mr. Updike discusses his love of Mickey and shares his thoughts on the Mouse's enduring popularity. The introduction provides the only academic reference in the text--the artwork is really what is important.

It is obvious to the casual observer that the first edition, published in 1991, is really centered on contemporary pop artists. A lot of the artwork contains colors that reflect the times; it is obvious that popular tastes change over the years, especially dealing with pop artists. Much of the artwork is representative of the artists during the late 1980's and early 1990's. What is obvious to me, is that the artists in question have a deep and abiding love for Mickey Mouse and his affect on culture. They have created some amazing pieces of art that showcase our favorite mouse. Yes, some of the art might seem dated, but they still honor Mickey.

Beyond discussing my favorite pieces, there isn't much else to say about the work. About 25% of the art is astounding and looks good over 15 years later. The rest are political, extremely 80's or just strange. Artistic expression abounds! A few of the artists included: Andy Warhol, William Steig, Charles Schultz, Maurice Sendak, R. Crumb (Rolly Crumb) and Peter Max. Over 100 pieces of art are presented.

In reviewing a work like this, the images can say far more than I can.

Untitled by Hajime Sorayama

Model Sheet by Ward Kimball


Mickey, the Dragon Slayer by Michael R. Hague

Mickey's Mission by John Ceballos

The First Temptation of Mickey by William Joyce



Untitled by Keith Haring

Bottom Line: This is a fun book, but offers little for the theme park or animation fan. If you are a hard-core Mickey fan, a fan of 1991 artwork or the artists featured, then you must have this book. If you can find a cheap copy of the book, I could almost see buying a few copies and framing some of the pieces. There are several editions available, make sure you order the large format one.

The Mickey Mouse Treasures

One of the more interesting and noticeable trends of late in book publishing has been what could be best described as “enhanced books.” The contents of these tomes extend beyond just printed text and pictures to include interactive elements and actual reproductions of materials relevant to the subject matter contained therein.

Disney has produced two notable entries in this genre, The Disney Treasures and The Disney Keepsakes, both written by Walt Disney Archives Manager Robert Tieman and produced by becker & mayer, the leading creator and manufacturer of what they themselves call the “book-plus” format. Tieman and company have returned with a third edition in the series, The Mickey Mouse Treasures, which showcases the company’s most prominent star and longtime icon.

Like its predecessors, The Mickey Mouse Treasures is a lavishly produced collection of history and information, embellished with extensive illustrations and beautifully recreated facsimiles of items from the company’s now famous archives. What especially distinguishes the content of these volumes is that much of the material presented has been rarely if ever seen in other Disney-related books and publications.

Among the diverse selection of reproductions:

• A program from the November 13, 1940 world premiere of Fantasia at the Broadway Theatre in New York City.

• A promotional giveaway entitled What Causes Motor Knocks from the Sunoco Oil Company that featured Mickey and his nephews .

• A vintage postcard from the Art Corner, the now famous spot in Disneyland that sold actual production cels for just a few dollars a pop back in the day.

• A terrific fold-out map/brochure of Disneyland from its inaugural year.

• And my personal favorite--a hinged album featuring all of Mickey’s official birthday portraits, done over the years by famed Disney artist and Imagineer John Hench.

This is not to say that The Mickey Mouse Treasures is all fluff and pretty pictures. The subjects presented are quite often unique and new to even the relatively seasoned Disney historian. Tieman’s text is detailed and extensive. I was totally unfamiliar with the 1931 traveling road show Mickey Mouse Idea, staged by well-know vaudeville producers Fanchon and Marco; a detailed description of the then extremely popular production is provided as well as a half a dozen photos and a facsimile of an original theater program.

Likewise, it was a joy to read of the abandoned concepts for Mickey Mouse cartoons that were featured in the section entitled “The Mouse That Might Have Been.” Intriguing ideas such as "The Janitors" and "Mickey’s Sea Serpent" are highlighted, but of particular interest is a 1934 letter from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt suggesting a story idea for a Mickey Mouse cartoon. A copy of Walt’s reply is also presented.