Third Quarter Sneak Peek: Runaway Brain

Mickey’s in a monstrous mess, thanks to the manic meddling of a mad scientist named Dr. Frankenollie.

While looking to earn money for a trip to Hawaii, Mickey takes a few hours of mindless work,’ never expecting to have his brain switched into the body of a destructive monster name Julius and vice versa.

How will Mickey escape this nightmare??? Mickey Mouse (as you’re not used to seeing him and) Dr. Frankenollie make their WDCC debut from Runaway Brain (1995).

Runaway Brain is an Academy Award nominated seven-minute short-subject animated primarily by Walt Disney Feature Animation Paris that was released on August 11, 1995 attached to the live-action feature A Kid in King Arthur's Court. It was the first time that Mickey Mouse was seen on the big theatrical screen since the 1990 featurette The Prince and the Pauper released five years earlier. The idea for creating a new Mickey Mouse short was to have it ready for Mickey's 65th birthday in 1992 but, obviously, that deadline came and went.

Several story ideas were being considered when animator Andreas Deja remembered that, "Someone at a meeting, and almost out of boredom, drew Mickey Mouse as a monster. Someone else saw it and said, 'That's hysterical!' All of a sudden, the idea came up to do a satire of Frankenstein."

There are multiple layers though out the entire film. While the cartoon does satirize the film version of Frankenstein, the mad doctor is named "Dr. Frankenollie," a tribute to the names of two of Disney's legendary animators, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. The design of the character is a spitting image of Professor Ecks, a mad scientist monkey Mickey tangled with in one of his classic 1930s comic strip adventures drawn by Floyd Gottfredson. Dr. Frankenollie's laboratory is located at 1313 Lobotomy Lane. Disneyland's street address is 1313 Harbor Boulevard.

Mickey Mouse, sculpted by Patrick Romandy-Simmons is an Open Edition release. Dr. Frankenollie, sculpted by Dusty Horner is a Numbered Limited Edition of 750.

For your viewing pleasure (courtesy of YouTube.com) is the animated short Runaway Brain (1995):

Runaway Brain ©Disney