Disney Rewinds To Pre-Color Animation Days For 100th-Anniversary Memorabilia
The ghost of Disney’s past is here in time for the 100th birthday of the House of Mouse, sans the party-pooper that is Scrooge McDuck. Disney will kick off its centennial celebrations with a “roaring” introduction, it teases, alluding to the 1920s.
The Disney100 Decades Collection begins with monochromatic collectibles that call back to the days of Steamboat Willie, when Mickey Mouse made his first appearance.
After which, slowly but surely, Disney will introduce color to the range, honoring the 30s, 40s, and so on. The entertainment behemoth plans to pay homage to a different decade on the third Monday of every month, with its ‘The 30s’ selection already waiting in the wings.
But let’s not jump the gun yet. This first launch is all about the Roaring Twenties, which includes a Steamboat Willie spin on the iconic Mickey and Minnie Mouse ear headbands.
In a similar vein, there’s a retro-themed MagicBand+, for use at Disney theme parks for admission or to create interactions, that sports a similar look.
Both designs feature Mickey and Peg Leg Pete, and are adorned by nautical rope detailing and musical notes, a nod to the animation being among the first to be synced with audio.
Mickey and Minnie are decked out in grayscale as a plush duo, with an old-school design denoting the primitive days of cartoon animation à la Steamboat Willie, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and Paramount Pictures’ Felix the Cat.
Bound to make a splash is the black-and-white musical boat toy that carries figurine versions of Mickey, Minnie, a cow, and a goat. Wind the vessel up with the accompanying toy key, and it plays music.
Another notable tribute is the Loungefly mini-backpack fronted by a film reel of the animation—you could almost hear Mickey’s whistle.
Some of the pieces in the collection are branded with the label, ‘Series 1 of 10’, suggesting that Disney will explore every decade of its magic through the 2010s. The company has already previewed Conductor Mickey as one of its surprises for the 1930s series, though WDW News Today has also spotted a reference to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first-ever, full-length, traditionally-animated feature film and Disney’s first animated movie.
In the meantime, swipe below for more photos of Disney100’s ’The 20s’ Decades Collection, and shop it here.
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[via WDW News Today and Attractions Magazine, images via shopDisney]
