Mickey Mouse is the visible face of Disney and his image is historically associated with a myriad of products and businesses. However, its performance has also been a source of satire over the years. Perhaps the most striking and shocking corresponds to an animated short from the late 1960s in which the mouse is seen fighting – and dying – in the Vietnam War .
The cartoon in question is called Short Subject, although it is popularly known as Mickey Mouse in Vietnam. According to Boing Boing, the director of this independent production was Whitney Lee Savage , the father of TV host and special effects specialist Adam Savage (Mythbusters).
It is worth clarifying that it is not the first time that this animated short has been “rescued” on the web. For several years it has been available on various YouTube channels and in varying degrees of preservation. What is really peculiar is that does not lose its impact despite the fact that more than 50 years have passed since its creation . This happens, clearly, due to the growth of Disney to become one of the main multinationals of today; and for the relevance that his star character maintains regardless of the passage of time.
Short Subject was created in 1969 with Savage collaborating with Milton Glaser as producer and designer. The cartoon starring Mickey Mouse was one of the many samples of disagreement and protest against the Vietnam War ; especially due to the escalation of the conflict during the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson.
Mickey Mouse dies in combat in Vietnam
Short Subject is a black and white cartoon that barely exceeds a minute in length. But in its simplicity is its greatest virtue. The short shows Mickey Mouse walking happily until he comes across the sign that says “Join the Army and discover the world” . The protagonist disappears from the scene, and when he returns he is seen wearing a soldier's helmet and carrying a rifle with a bayonet.
Shortly after, Mickey Mouse embarks on a ship that takes him from the United States to Vietnam, without losing his expression of satisfaction. But upon setting foot in the war zone, he is shot that ends his life. The last scene shows the mouse lying on the ground with a bullet hole in its head.
Thus, Mickey Mouse, one of the symbols of innocence and capitalism in North America, found its end in a warlike conflict that continues to generate controversy to this day. As we said previously, Short Subject has managed to maintain its impact despite the passing of the years, and challenging Disney , a company that has never been slow in terms of Copyright.
