Summary
- Infestation: Origins, a new horror game, features a twisted version of Mickey Mouse, made possible by the character entering the public domain.
- Despite Disney's history of using public domain works, it has been fiercely protective of Mickey Mouse and kept him under copyright.
- Mickey Mouse has appeared in horror-themed works before, and now fanmade horror projects based on the character can potentially become premium projects as long as they adhere to Mickey's 1928 design.
A new Mickey Mouse game is on the horizon—but not one from Disney. Infestation: Origins is an upcoming horror game that will feature the iconic mouse warped into a twisted mascot visage that Disney would never dare invoke.
Nightmare Forge Games recently unveiled Infestation: Origins, a co-op horror shooter that will involve players exterminating nests that have led to vermin outbreaks. Players will need to manage power and camera systems to track activity and destroy nests. They'll also need to evade and eliminate the iconic characters and urban legends that these outbreaks have somehow manifested. The game's promotional material details not only Mickey Mouse (the mascot rendered as a gaunt, bloodied humanoid with a deadly maw) but a moth-adjacent creature that could represent the cryptid Mothman.
How Mickey Mouse Got Into A Horror Game
By far the main selling point of Infestation: Origins is the inclusion of Mickey Mouse in such a game—right after Disney's centennial, no less. This has been made possible via Mickey's debut short film, Steamboat Willie, entering the public domain—meaning that anyone can remake, remix, adapt, or use characters from the film. Steamboat Willie is a 1928 animated short film that debuted Mickey Mouse (though the character was originally planned to debut in Plane Crazy, the silent version of which has also entered the public domain). It's famous for not only introducing Mickey, but being among the first cartoons with synchronized sound.
However, this cartoon has also been at the forefront of Disney's war with the public domain. The short film has led to a butterfly effect wherein many works that would have entered the public domain remain behind copyright, leading to Mickey's entry into the public domain being considered a symbolic and material victory by many.
Disney Vs The Public Domain
Despite Disney's empire being built from public domain adaption, such as with Snow White, Pinocchio, The Little Mermaid, and many more, it's well known for being extremely protective of its own IPs. Mickey Mouse is inarguably the poster child for this; he almost entered the public domain on three separate occasions from 1955-2003, but Disney lobbying has kept the mouse well within its copyright. One particularly infamous example of a rollback was the Copyright Term Extension Act 1998, which was derisively nicknamed the 'Mickey Mouse Protection Act' due to Disney's intervention. This lobbying has had the knock-on effect of keeping many other works out of the public domain; many DC and Marvel characters would have been public property under older copyright legislation.
Even now, creators need to be wary of Disney's streak for litigation. Only Steamboat Willie and Plane Crazy versions of Mickey are permissible for public use. That means Fantasia Mickey, technicolor Mickey, and any videogame version of Mickey Mouse are all still under Disney's thumb. This is evident from Infestation: Origins already; its version of Mickey has black gloves, white skin, and gray shorts—as opposed to the white gloves, flesh-toned skin, red shorts, and yellow shoes most audiences are familiar with today. Despite this, Steamboat Willie Mickey has featured in the opening of Disney films since 2007, so it's likely that most audiences know classic Mickey when they see him.
This Isn't Mickey's First Time At The Horror Rodeo
Mickey Mouse isn't as alien to horror as many audiences might think. Many of his classic short films, such as 1933's The Mad Doctor and 1935's Pluto's Judgment Day, feature concepts of the paranormal, the gothic, and the demonic. More relevant to Infestation: Origins, however, would be the FNAF fangame Five Nights at Treasure Island, which was based on the creepypasta Abandoned by Disney. There's also the mouse.avi creepypasta, which is partially based on real urban legends surrounding a lost Mickey Mouse cartoon. These fanmade works of horror that revolve around the mouse could now evolve into greater, premium projects—so long as they stick to Mickey's 1928 design.
Disney is a conglomerate and media company that owns a variety of television stations like ABC, Disney Channel, and Disney XD. They are also owners of the Marvel and Star Wars franchises and own the ever-popular Disney theme parks found all around the world.
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