He don’t get a chair….so just- imagine he’s sitting in a chair.

Frankenstein and the Monster Themselves Or A Parody Of Them: An anthropomorphic chimp named Dr. Frankenollie, referencing not only Shelley’s novel but two of Disney’s most famous animators, and his Monster.

Is the Monster Called Frankenstein: Frankenollie’s Monster is named Julius.

Is there an Igor/Fritz: No.

Premise: After accidentally promising Minnie an expensive cruise to Hawaii, a desperate Mickey Mouse volunteers for the twisted Dr. Frankenollie’s experiments, which involve switching his brain with that of the vicious monster Julius.

Connections to the Frankenstein Novel And/Or Adaptations: Julius resembles a larger, more beastly version of Karloff’s Monster, being gigantic like Shelley’s Monster had to be in order for Victor to more easily assemble him. Like Shelley’s Monster wanted a female companion, Julius falls in love with Minnie.

Other Notes: Yet another Frankenstein-related cartoon where the Victor analogue captures the hero for use of their brain. However, unlike most examples of this liberty, Frankenollie succeeds in placing Mickey’s brain into a monstrous body, even though he dies in the process. This leads to the creation of the short’s most iconic element: the perverted parody of Mickey’s design, back when there was still a novelty to making children’s characters look like frightening beasts. Indeed, this warped rodent is more eye-catching and eerie than most of the Steamboat Willy-inspired horror movies released in recent years.

Throwback Video

Welcome to a spooookyyyyy edition of Mickey Mondays, pals! We’re here to grab a Mickey and Friends plush and watch some Mickey Mouse and Friends animation, and this week we’re going with something suitable for Halloween. And this is easily in my top 3 favorite Mickey shorts of all time!

The Animation: Runaway Brain should be up there with the greatest Disney shorts of all time! However, this 1995 Oscar-nominated short was rarely shown, and it’s hard to find a really nice copy to watch online. That’s a shame because I think this is one of Mickey’s very best as both a hero and somewhat-hapless victim of circumstance. Meeting a mad scientist played with villainous glee by Kelsey Grammer, poor Mickey soon finds his brain swapped out with a massive Frankenstein’s Monster-style beast (who looks an awful lot like Pete). It becomes a race from there to save Minnie, and I especially get a kick out of Mickey forgetting Minnie’s birthday at the start. Seeing Mickey switch back and forth between a monster and himself is a highlight for fans of this Mickey in particular.

With incredible animation during Mickey and Minnie’s escape from the monster, and a thrilling conclusion with Mickey rescuing Minnie atop a skyscraper, Runaway Brain wins on every front for me. It’s one of Mickey’s best action shorts, proving he can still be the anchor for an exciting, well-made piece of storytelling and animation. I love the way Pete looks as a monster. I just love, love, love this short, perfect for Halloween!

You can watch this short free on YouTube in a pretty rough version. You can also click here to see the short in several different languages.

The Plush: Can you believe they actually made a plush for this short?? I love Mickey in his monster form in the Runaway Brain, so I’ve always wanted this Rare Disney Mickey Mouse 1995 Runaway Brain Plush. The crazed eyes are adorable to be honest. Unfortunately, he’s about as rare as Disney plushes can get, so he’s going to remain on my grail list for a while.