[Commlist] Call for Papers: 'Mickey and Minnie at 100'

Call for Papers: International Journal of Disney Studies

Special Issue: 'Mickey and Minnie at 100'

To view the full call click here>>

https://www.intellectbooks.com/ijds#call-for-papers 
<https://www.intellectbooks.com/ijds#call-for-papers>

Call for Papers - Special Issue for The International Journal of Disney 
Studies, which examines the Walt Disney Company, an international media 
conglomerate that impacts our global culture. This international, 
peer-reviewed journal draws from a variety of academic and industrial 
lenses, perspectives, methods and fields, while providing a space for 
scholars to present new research, review current research and comment on 
wider Disney commodities.

On 27 October 1954, Walt Disney opened the inaugural episode of 
Disneylandwith this iconic quote: 'I only hope we never lose sight of 
one thing: it all started with a mouse'. While the Disney Studio did not 
begin precisely with Mickey (the Alice Comedies and Oswald the Lucky 
Rabbit predate him), it was the mouse pair that reflected a crucial 
starting point for the Disney brand; Mickey and Minnie debuted together 
in 1928, co-starring in the landmark shorts Steamboat Willieand Plane 
Crazyand coincided with the arrival of sound and color in films, the 
rise of comic books in print media, and all manner of merchandising that 
kept the studio afloat during the worst of the Depression and war years. 
Together they became the most enduring and widely recognised animated 
characters in global popular culture.

On the other hand, Mickey Mouse has often been used derisively. For 
some, the character is safe, dull, even boring - emblematic of Disney 
playing it safe. Though mischievous in the early shorts (particularly in 
one his most famous roles as the 'Sorcerer's Apprentice'), Mickey’s 
ascendance as the corporate mascot of the Walt Disney Company 
(particularly after Walt’s death in 1966) has lent him both an instant 
recognizability but also a vested interest in keeping his image 'clean'. 
Mickey has also been invoked pejoratively in the phrase 'Mickey Mouse 
degrees', demeaning the importance of degrees in fields such as media 
studies, despite the ongoing importance of the humanities writ large.

This special issue–which will be released in 2028, marking the centenary 
of Mickey and Minnie Mouse’s official debut–invites scholarly work on 
Mickey and Minnie Mouse across Disney texts, visual arts, and theme-park 
environments—canonical or lesser-known, produced by Disney Studios, its 
subsidiaries, or fans and artists wholly unconnected to the company. 
Primary sources may include an array of mediums, including comics, 
television, radio, animation, theme parks, video games and other forms 
of media. We encourage contributors to critically engage with Mickey and 
Minnie as cultural icons, commercial phenomena, artistic achievements 
and symbols of Disney’s evolving brand from interdisciplinary 
perspectives, including (but not limited to):

  *

    Historical and archival approaches to their creation, design
    evolution and early reception;

  *

    Transnational and transcultural perspectives on the figures of
    Mickey and Minnie (local adaptations, international reception and
    non-Western reinterpretations);

  *

    Gender, race, class and identity (and their intersection) in the
    representation and merchandising of Mickey and Minnie across decades;

  *

    Animation techniques, performance and character animation (from
    rubber-hose to digital eras);

  *

    Copyright, public domain and the legal and economic life of the
    characters;

  *

    Fan cultures, nostalgia, cosplay and participatory practices;

  *

    Mickey and Minnie as political and ideological symbols (propaganda,
    diplomacy, consumerism or resistance);

  *

    The evolution of Mickey and Minnie from role models of romantic
    courtship to companion-like partnership;

  *

    Mickey’s and Minnie’s relationship(s) and/or in comparison to other
    Disney characters;

  *

    The characters’ role in Disney corporate history and branding
    strategies;

  *

    Artistic legacies and appropriations by contemporary artists and
    designers.

We especially encourage submissions that move beyond canonical US 
American/Global North perspectives and explore Mickey and Minnie in 
global, comparative, or marginalised contexts.

Submission Guidelines

Full paper submissions will be expected by 1 May 2027and should be 
submitted to the IJDSwebsite’s Pubkit system 
<https://submission.pubkit.co/publisher/29/journal/1055/login>. When you 
submit, you will have the opportunity to specify that your piece is for 
the special issue 'Mickey and Minnie at 100'. Please note that we are 
open to accepting Articles (6,000-8,000 words), Fresh Perspectives 
(1,000-3,000 words) and Reviews (1,000 words). The journal uses Harvard 
referencing and all images should follow copyright and/or fair use laws 
(as explained in the journal’s Notes for Contributors 
<https://www.intellectbooks.com/asset/104526/1/IJDS_NFC_May_26.pdf>),

For queries or to discuss potential topics, please contact:

● Joel Gray - (joel.gray /at/ shu.ac.uk) <mailto:(joel.gray /at/ shu.ac.uk)>

● Dr. Peter Cullen Bryan - (petercullenbryan /at/ gmail.com) 
<mailto:(petercullenbryan /at/ gmail.com)>

● Dr. Eva Van de Wiele - (Eva.VandeWiele /at/ ugent.be) 
<mailto:(Eva.VandeWiele /at/ ugent.be)>
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