DVDizzy Forum

Looks like Mickey has a cameo in a Fleischer short (without pants): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gua71Ia7rAU&t=0m34s

Makes me wonder if there are other old material out there with cameos from other studios.

Wow, you are right. That clearly is Mickey in that short. Interesting.

Don't know what the law in those days said about using characters from other studios, even if it was just as a cameo for a couple of seconds. But then again, Mickey and others have appeared in both Family Guy and South Park (TV, unlike the older shorts which were theatrical).

^ those examples are perfectly legal as they fall under parody, you can do that even without permission. Not sure about the Fleischer short but this sort of thing was pretty common back then.

If it was common, some animation historian should publish a list of all the titles with cameos from other studios.

Rumpelstiltskin wrote:Don't know what the law in those days said about using characters from other studios, even if it was just as a cameo for a couple of seconds. But then again, Mickey and others have appeared in both Family Guy and South Park (TV, unlike the older shorts which were theatrical).

It was common at that time. And while Mickey would have been a protected IP in the 1920's and 1930's, copyright law was also less restrictive then it is now. For further reading, look up the 1909 US Copyright Law and compare it to the 1978 law that replaced it.

It was common to have Mickey Mouse clones appear in cartoons by other studios back then. Pete even appeared as a villian in a Bosko cartoon.

I knew exactly what short this was going to be when I clicked on this thread, it's one of my favorite Fleischer shorts! I think Leonard Maltin might have mentioned the "cameo" in his Cartoon Madness documentary from the early 90s.

Rumpelstiltskin wrote:If it was common, some animation historian should publish a list of all the titles with cameos from other studios.

Cartoon Network had a whole episode of "Toon Heads" about this in the 90s which is how I knew about it. Maybe its on youtube somewhere.

milojthatch: Yes, the rules are more strict the closer to modern times you come. Steamboat Willie was after all inspired by Steamboat Bill Jr.

Little Red Henski: As mentioned, a complete list would have been cool. Maybe some cartoon fanatics could make one some day.

Elladorine: I must confess it was the first time I saw it. Unfortunately very few classic cartoons in black and white were shown on TV when I was growing up. A couple of Popeye cartoons is all I can remember.

Kyle: Did a little search, and didn't find anything at the first attempt. But it is probably out there somewhere.