Talking Mickey Mouse



The Talking Mickey Mouse is an animated character toy created by Worlds of Wonder in 1986, and based on the Disney character Mickey Mouse. Worlds of Wonder was also responsible for Teddy Ruxpin as well.

How Mickey Mouse worked
Mickey Mouse was animated by a cassette deck in his back. Mickey moved his eyes, nose, and jaw to a pre-recorded cassette tape, specially coded with animation signals. Mickey told stories of his travels to foreign countries with his pal, Goofy. The cassettes included a book to follow along.

The stories
Often, Mickey and Goofy are put into the mode of being detectives, when they start out just being normal tourists. The stories always make the two Disney characters more believable, giving them insight to a cartoony, but realistic setting. Many of the things that happen are impossible, but by the end of the story, the two characters give a "thought" that can give inspiration.

Available cassettes and books
Worlds of Wonder made 13 stories to animate Mickey. They were:


 * The Impossible Journey - takes place somewhere in Africa.  When Mickey and Goofy receive some magic berries in the mail from famous explorer Dr. Stan Livingstone, they travel to Africa to save him.
 * The Magic Boomerang - takes place in Australia - Mickey gets a mysterious letter from his Uncle Digger asking for help, so Mickey & Goofy come to the rescue.
 * The Little Lost Elephant - takes place in India - Mickey's friend, Rasheed, invites Mickey & Goofy to come visit him. While there, Mickey & Goofy solve the mystery of why the family's baby elephant is so sad.
 * The Missing Meatball - takes place in Italy - Goofy's cousin, Tony, invites Mickey & Goofy to Rome, for the opening of his eatery. Sophia, his boss, decides to create a giant meatball to celebrate. When the meatball goes missing, the pair must search for clues to solve its disappearance.
 * The Littlest Viking - takes place in Norway - While on vacation, Mickey & Goofy hear about a mysterious 'phantom of the fiord' and with the help of an over-excited museum tour guide, Eric, they discover the truth behind this tall tale.
 * Goofy's Last Waltz - takes place in Austria - Goofy accidentally gets hurt dancing, and in a comic twist, now believes he is Johann Strauss.
 * Secret of the Silver Mine - takes place in Mexico - Donald gets a letter and a map from Uncle Scrooge, wanting Donald, Mickey and Goofy to discover a mine for him before someone else can. The trio discover that the mine is something a little different.
 * A Mystery in Paris - takes place in France - Mickey & Goofy help crack down on a man who is pretending to be the owner of the Eiffel Tower and swindling people out of their money.
 * A Moose on the Loose - takes place in Canada - Mickey & Goofy help a stressed lodge owner solve the mysterious reason that a moose is hanging around the lodge.
 * The City Beneath the Sand - takes place in Egypt (or somewhere in the Middle East) - Mickey & Goofy are invited to find relics for a museum, while a disgruntled employee tries to foil their chances.
 * Follow that Ghost! - takes place in the UK (Scotland region) - Goofy inherits his cousin's castle, but the pair also discover the resident 'Knight Rader' and unravel the mystery behind him.
 * The Secret Island - takes place in the UK (one of its islands) - Mickey, Goofy and a stranger learn the value of life when their boat goes down and they are left on a deserted Island. The Professor tells them about pirate treasure, and they join him in the search for it.
 * The Great Kite Caper - takes place in Japan - When Mickey, Goofy, and Donald enter a kite-flying contest, Donald tries to fly the kite and is launched in the air, riding it. Mickey & Goofy chase the kite, leading to comical accidents as they try to help Donald down from the kite.

Available Extra Outfits
World of Wonder made at least three extra outfits for Mickey. These were sold separately under the WOW label named "Mickey's Costume Closet"


 * The Sorcerer/Apprentice outfit from Fantasia - Consists of a sorcerer conical hat, sorcerer robe and pointy reddish brown shoes.
 * The Slumber/Sleeper outfit - Consists of a bathrobe, slippers, nightshirt and night cap.
 * The Bandleader outfit The unverified contents looks to be bandleader Jacket, bandleader hat, blue pants, and brown shoes.

Goofy
Shortly after Mickey, Worlds of Wonder created an animated Goofy to sit aside Mickey. Goofy used the same cassettes, but also the use of a double-ended audio patch cord and 4 "C" Batteries to function with Mickey. Goofy was not made to function alone.