Mickey Mouse x Keith Haring

Artist Keith Haring(1958-1990) was inspired by the art of Walt Disney from an early age, learning to draw Disney’s Mickey Mouse from a Disney “how-to-draw” book he found at his grandmother’s house. Well into his teenage years, Haring wanted to be a cartoonist, thinking he could work for Disney, though he ultimately went on to study fine art. Eventually, Haring’s passion for both cartooning and the visual arts combined in what became his unique and widely recognized style. Mickey Mouse is a recurring figure in Haring’s art, when asked why he said Mickey is “ultimately a symbol of America more than anything else.”