CHATTER AWAY: Overnight Open Thread

NPR reports:

An early Walt Disney movie featuring the first appearance of Mickey Mouse is among the copyrighted works from 1928 moving into the public domain on Jan. 1, 2024. That means people can creatively reuse only the Mickey Mouse from Steamboat Willie.

But the cartoon creature who stars in the animated short Steamboat Willie isn’t a lot like the Mickey we know today. He’s more rascally and rough. His roots in the blackface minstrel shows of the time are more apparent.

And he’s not exactly cuddly. For much of the movie, Mickey amuses himself by forcing barnyard animals into being unwilling musical instruments. New versions of Mickey Mouse remain under copyright.

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