Mickey Mouse VS Quimby The Mouse
Mickey Mouse VS Quimby The Mouse
This exercise asks you to compare old Mickey Mouse cartoons to Chris Ware’s comic “Quimby The Mouse” and to think about the different worldview that each set of texts presents.
First, watch some old Mickey Mouse cartoons. I recommend the following two cartoons from the 1930s:
“Building a Building”
“Hawaiian Holiday”
Next, read through this series of “Quimby The Mouse” comics by artist Chris Ware. These were produced more recently, between the 1990s and the 2000s（the pdf file I uploaded）
Now please write a reflection responding to the following questions and submit it here:
1. First, focus on the Mickey Mouse cartoons. What kind of worldview do they seem to represent? Some things you might consider are as follows: Are they serious or silly? Do Mickey and his friends overcome the obstacles put before them or do they fail to do so? What kinds of activities do we see Mickey doing (IE, what seems to be “good” or prioritized in this world)? What kinds of relationships do we see and how are they conveyed to us? Please write at least 200 words on this question.
2. Now, turn to Quimby The Mouse. What kind of worldview do these comics present? How is Quimby different from Mickey, and how is Quimby’s world (and his experiences) different from what we see in the old Mickey cartoons? What is the effect of the choices the author made? You should choose specific choices to focus on and analyze, and do your best to analyze them in depth. You can think not only about events that happen in the comics, but also about what the author conveys through visuals, spatial logic (such as the amount and positioning and size of the comic panels), the narrative arcs the comics present… any choices you see! Think deeply and be creative in your response. Please write at least 400 words responding to this part of the assignment, for a total of at least 600 words.
