Well, the mouse turns a ripe old 90 today. All those years of doing his own stunts, pratfalls, and ghost hunting have taken their toll on the germaphobe (he ALWAYS wears gloves, but refuses to wear shirts – weird). All of that actually made him retire about 25 years ago. Most people don’t realize that ever since, there have been a series of stand-ins for Mickey, while he just stays in his trailer signing 8x10s for anyone who will take one while wondering where his yellow dog has gone to. (Dog years were NOT kind to Pluto. The original Pluto died back in 1951.)
By the way, today also happens to be the big 9-0 for his gal pal Minnie, and his nemesis, Pete. Both co-starred with Mickey in that first cartoon to hit theaters.
So, happy birthday you ol’ long-in-the-ear one! Hope you enjoy gumming your cake today as you celebrate your birth in Steamboat Willie. It was an honor to be a small part of your legacy when I worked on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for a few years.