And I probably would not be either. That is an evil pair of mice. Cohn probably considered himself lucky not to have been eaten.
blfsays
Whilst it’s not impossible the child is Roy Cohn — he was born in 1927, so in that (allegedly) 1939 picture, he’d be c.12 (fuller versions show the child is on his knees) — just a caution that that claim (presuming it’s not a joke) has not been sourced in the OP.
nomdeplumesays
The child almost looks as if he is wearing a hominid version of the mouse masks! But oh, what stuff of nightmares those two are (three if that is Cohn)!
From what little I could learn online (none of it from an authoritative source) these were homemade fan costumes from some time in the thirties. I found no explanation for the kneeling child apparently being held hostage by the two.
Steven J. Gould wrote an essay, illustrated with Mickeys from various decades, tracing the role of neoteny in the “evolution” of Mickey Mouse’s appearence. Obviously not juvenile but adult rats/mice.
hemidactylussays
Terrifying Minnie and Mickey would fit right into the cast of the recent Banana Splits movie. I really didn’t see that one coming. Gratuitous gore.
diannesays
Look at those eyes. They’re forward facing for stereoscopic vision. Predator eyes. They’ve just caught lunch.
hemidactylussays
You know the thing about a rat? He’s got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll’s eye. Don’t seem to be livin’ at all when it come at ya.
I thought we were told it was LIZARD people. Including the kid.
wzrd1says
After due consideration, I’d probably want Godzilla to radiation breath me a few hundred times than to see that as a child.
But then, I was born in the early 1960’s, Obama is only slightly older than me.
I have seen this photo before and have heard, though it’s probably untrue, that these were costumes created for Disney but when Walt Disney saw this photo he said it liked like one that would be sent along with a ransom note and ordered the costumes redesigned.
Correction: looked like one that would be sent along with a ransom note.
steve1says
I like Minnie’s hat.
woozysays
You know….. I am becoming convinced every three years are so someone comes in and replaces all the old photographs and video footage with different images just to make them look weirder.
Snidely Wsays
My first thought was about that Mad Magazine parody from 1955: Mickey Rodent.
jrkrideau says
He was never the same afterwards.
And I probably would not be either. That is an evil pair of mice. Cohn probably considered himself lucky not to have been eaten.
blf says
Whilst it’s not impossible the child is Roy Cohn — he was born in 1927, so in that (allegedly) 1939 picture, he’d be c.12 (fuller versions show the child is on his knees) — just a caution that that claim (presuming it’s not a joke) has not been sourced in the OP.
nomdeplume says
The child almost looks as if he is wearing a hominid version of the mouse masks! But oh, what stuff of nightmares those two are (three if that is Cohn)!
WMDKitty -- Survivor says
Oh well, not like I was planning on sleeping or anything…
PZ Myers says
It’s a joke. That’s not Cohn. Probably.
chigau (違う) says
On his knees?
OMFG
Larry says
I’m 65 and those things terrify me! They’re straight out of a Stephen King nightmare.
sbh says
From what little I could learn online (none of it from an authoritative source) these were homemade fan costumes from some time in the thirties. I found no explanation for the kneeling child apparently being held hostage by the two.
Maxwell D'Mon says
Steven J. Gould wrote an essay, illustrated with Mickeys from various decades, tracing the role of neoteny in the “evolution” of Mickey Mouse’s appearence. Obviously not juvenile but adult rats/mice.
hemidactylus says
Terrifying Minnie and Mickey would fit right into the cast of the recent Banana Splits movie. I really didn’t see that one coming. Gratuitous gore.
dianne says
Look at those eyes. They’re forward facing for stereoscopic vision. Predator eyes. They’ve just caught lunch.
hemidactylus says
You know the thing about a rat? He’s got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll’s eye. Don’t seem to be livin’ at all when it come at ya.
https://youtu.be/hLG4hXxR_UQ
robertbaden says
I thought we were told it was LIZARD people. Including the kid.
wzrd1 says
After due consideration, I’d probably want Godzilla to radiation breath me a few hundred times than to see that as a child.
But then, I was born in the early 1960’s, Obama is only slightly older than me.
tedw says
@9 Is this the SJG essay you were thinking of; pretty interesting (like all of his writing): https://faculty.uca.edu/benw/biol4415/papers/Mickey.pdf
Mark McGlone says
I have seen this photo before and have heard, though it’s probably untrue, that these were costumes created for Disney but when Walt Disney saw this photo he said it liked like one that would be sent along with a ransom note and ordered the costumes redesigned.
Mark McGlone says
Correction: looked like one that would be sent along with a ransom note.
steve1 says
I like Minnie’s hat.
woozy says
You know….. I am becoming convinced every three years are so someone comes in and replaces all the old photographs and video footage with different images just to make them look weirder.
Snidely W says
My first thought was about that Mad Magazine parody from 1955:
Mickey Rodent.
Maxwell D'Mon says
tedw
Yes, this was the essay I had in mind, read it in a collection of SJG’s essays, no idea it was available online as a PDF!
Thank you
Maxwell