Before me is a wood carving of Mickey Mouse made by the noted carver, John Cerisoli. It is one of my prized possessions. It shows the little human mouse as he is to each of us the world over. There "Mickey" stands, with chesty pose and arms akimbo, with a so-wise eight year old grin. He is exuding the spirit of a pert youth who has just done something or other.
There he stands beckoning me to chase him, or re-do with him some of the things I did long ago. Walt Disney has made him the personification of all that is young in us.
On the screen he takes us through all his troubles and victories. He is so human that it is difficult to realize that he is only a drawing photographed on motion picture film.
To make a cartoon move; to animate Mickey Mouse is not a mysterious thing. It is a process that anyone can understand. A cartoon studio in many respects is like a real-life studio. In both studios there are four general departments or elements. First, a story or scenario, characters or stars to enact the story, a director, and a setting to serve as a background for the story.
Those very few and fortunate persons who visit Mickey's studio look about for him or a model of him; but in vain. It is hard to "act your age" as you would say, and refrain from getting down and looking under the tables for at least some vestige of "our mouse."
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