# Mortimer Mouse based on Disney himself? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 17, 2001, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortimer-mouse-based-on-disney-himself/82065 "2001-09-17T02:42:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mercutio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Mercutio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercutio)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortimer-mouse-based-on-disney-himself/82065/1 "2001-09-17T02:42:00Z")
I’m watching the rerun of **The Century** and I can’t help but notice how much young Disney resembles the arch rival of Mickey, Mortimer. Tall, big ears, big nose and the mustache. Any truth to this or am I just seeing things? Euty, where are ya? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortimer-mouse-based-on-disney-himself/82065/2 "2001-09-17T03:29:52Z")
Where’s Euty? He’s in Cafe Society, just where this thread will be in a minute. 😉 bibliophage moderator, GQ ---
**Author:** ![Mercutio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Mercutio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercutio)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortimer-mouse-based-on-disney-himself/82065/3 "2001-09-17T03:41:55Z")
I could easily see Cecil answering this but, what they hay. So long as I get an answer. And it’s **The Wonderful World of Disney** that it was on, not The Century. Whoops. ---
**Author:** ![AM\_PM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@AM\_PM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AM_PM)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortimer-mouse-based-on-disney-himself/82065/4 "2001-09-17T05:02:25Z")
Yes. His bio was on ABC tonight, and he did the voices and the key artwork and the direction and the producer credits for the mouse until he became too ill. ---
**Author:** ![AM\_PM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@AM\_PM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AM_PM)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortimer-mouse-based-on-disney-himself/82065/5 "2001-09-17T05:04:23Z")
That is, Mortimer based Mickey on Disney. (Hope that’s clearer) ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortimer-mouse-based-on-disney-himself/82065/6 "2001-09-17T08:25:49Z")
I couldn’t find anyhtring “official” in any of the literature I have that mentions that this is a caricature of Walt, but it wouldn’t surprise me. If you have a copy, compare the facial features of Mortimer with those of another admitted Disney caraicature, the matador in Ferdinand the Bull. There’s a definate resemblance. Another Walt caricature which is never mentioned in any literature is King Midas in The Golden Touch; not so much in the physical features, but in the way he cocks a single eyebrow when he’s questioning something. This was a definite Disney trait. So, I’d have to say yes, one of the artists was apparently sucessful in sneaking something past Walt. And **AM/PM** you’re wrong. Disney stopped doing any artwork altogether on _any_ shorts or features back in the mid-20’s, _before_ Mickey Mouse was even developed. And he only stopped doing Mickey’s voice when he got too busy, not too ill. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortimer-mouse-based-on-disney-himself/82065/7 "2001-09-17T12:30:37Z")
There’s an episode of “Fractured Fables” from \_The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show" which is a parody of Sleeping Beauty. Instead of kissing Sleeping Beauty and waking her up, Prince Charming decides to open a theme park called Sleeping Beauty Land around her. He’s clearly been drawn to look like Walt Disney. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortimer-mouse-based-on-disney-himself/82065/8 "2001-09-17T23:27:20Z")
Jay Ward cartoons often made fun of Disney, since Disney’s show aired immediately after _Bullwinkle_. ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortimer-mouse-based-on-disney-himself/82065/9 "2001-09-17T23:55:17Z")
I’d read one time that Walt stopped doing Mickey’s voice because his voice had changed from all his smoking. [hijack] In last night’s show, they interviewed an artist who helped organize the 1941 strike. He was wearing a Warner Brothers cap; either no one at Disney noticed or they didn’t mind. Both possibilities are difficult to accept. [/hijack]