The story behind 100 Mickeys...
By Eric Robison

When I received the proposal to paint 100 Mickeys, I was excited and anxious to begin. I packed up my paints and brushes and flew to a little island in the Caribbean to commence this ambitious undertaking.

The inspiration of Nature's colors there and the occasional plunge into the river was enough to initiate a great start. I returned two weeks later with the first 21 Mice in my suitcase. That was easy. The next 79 were a bit more challenging and took 16 months to finish. The challenge was trying to make each one different in pose, style, or medium. As well as paying homage to the history of Mickey.

It is a collection of paintings that I'll never forget achieving and a dream project for any artist to take on. I am honored that I was asked to perform such a feat. I want to thank the Disney Company for allowing me to express myself in so many ways and I am honored to represent Walt's wonderful creation - Mickey Mouse...An American Icon.

MM 026 - Baby Mickey

"Baby Mickey…painted when my son Charlie was born."

MM 027 - Pie-Eyed Mickey

"There are various Mickey's throughout the Company's history…they call this look Pie-Eyed."

MM 028 - A La Mode Mouse
"I was thinking about Ice Cream, a multi-flavored collage."

MM 029 - Mouse on the Move

"I was trying to emphasize movement with this finger painted scribble technique. Can you see any finger
prints."

MM 030 - Vintage Series 1

"Vintage. I tried to make it look antiqued."

MM 031- Vintage Series 2

"The smallest of the 100."

MM 032 - Vintage Series 3

"I saw some old tin toys from the 50's. I liked the colors and tried to emulate them."

MM 033 - Vintage Series 4

"Mickey with teeth??? Why not."

MM034 - In the Game

"Painted during the final four basketball playoffs."

MM 035 - Run Around Mouse

""Run Around" refers to the paint strokes around Mickey…like colored ants."

MM 036 - On the Edge

"Done with oil sticks."

MM 037 - In the Dark

"I scratched this with a paper clip on black scratch paper."

MM 038 - Bamboo

"I painted this with a bamboo brush while waiting for a sushi lunch."

MM 039 - Noel

"I was out of the country when I did this, I missed the Christmas season back home."

MM 040 - Tambour

"I had just witnessed a tribal drum ritual in the West Indies and felt compelled to pay my own tribute…Mickey style."

MM 041- First Class Traveler

"I was wishing that I was in First Class on a 13 hour flight to Paris… when I sketched this one."

MM 042 - Celebration

"I had ripped up a sketch that I had done of Mickey…upon throwing it away… the pieces landed in a funny composition…so I pulled them out of the trash and pasted them down; then painted over them."

MM 043 - King of the Forest

"I am always trying to change the colors of Mickey's clothes… perhaps those red slippers are the new mode."

MM044 - Thinker Mouse

"Here's Mickey thinking about his next idea for a theme park."

MM 045 - Scribble Mouse

"I scratched the wet paint with sushi sticks."

MM 046 - Pockets

"Does this pose look familiar…see "Off Model"."

MM 047 - Carnival Mouse

"I finger painted this in the Caribbean during the "Carnaval" [Mardi Gras] celebration."

MM 048 - Mickey the Giant

"The oxymoron of a mouse being a giant; I thought was interesting."

MM 049 - Look Left - Look Right

"Two directions in one pose."

MM 050 - Steamboat Willie

"-"Steamboat Willie" a Disney classic…this scene.…"