MSCHF Puts a Mickey Mouse Spin on an Ancient Greek Sculpture
Turning Greek tragedy into playful commentary of copyright legacy.
In 2021, MSCHF began taking orders for an artwork that featured a “Famous Mouse” from a “Famous Animation Company.” Priced at $100 USD, buyers could purchase one of 1,000 redeemable tokens, but there was a catch: the piece could not be legally reproduced until 2024, so it remained entirely conceptual – until now.
With the entrance of the 1928 design of Mickey Mouse (aka Steamboat Willie) in the public domain, MSCHF has lifted the veil on “Walt Disney and His Sons,” the highly-anticipated physical realization of “Famous Mouse.” A playful riff on “Laocöon and His Sons,” a cast vinyl version of Walt takes the place of the ill-fated priest of Troy, clashing with the coiling black limbs of his most infamous character. “Now escaped from his control, the creation turned against the creator,” the brand wrote. Amidst the scuffle are additional figures bear resemblance to two more of Walt’s “sons,” foreshadowing the upcoming copyright expiration of a Famous Dog and Famous Duck.
From the Satan Air Max 97’s to the wildly-viral, Astro Boy-esque Big Red Boots, the Brooklyn-based collectives continue to show their grit, remaining steadfast in their tongue-in-cheek parodies. “MSCHF X Famous Mouse exults in the process by which works enter the cultural consciousness, and eventually become owned by the people at large.”
Missed the token drop in 2021? You can still catch a glimpse of “Walt Disney and His Sons” in MSCHF’s upcoming monograph, now available for preorder on the Phaidon Press website.
