An AI Image Generator Unleashes Eldritch Horrors from Disney’s 1928 Mickey Mouse Cartoons
Following the entry of three early Mickey Mouse cartoons into the public domain in the US on January 1, AI experimenters have wasted no time in exploring the possibilities. Pierre-Carl Langlais, a digital humanities researcher, recently uploaded an AI model to Hugging Face. This model has been trained on the public domain cartoons and allows anyone to create new still images based on a written prompt. While the results are not always perfect, they represent an early experimentation with integrating public domain Mickey into the realm of AI.
The new AI model can generate images of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Peg Leg Pete. Langlais explains that the aim is to adhere to the 1928 design in order to keep Mickey, Minnie, and Pete in the public domain. However, he also notes that the model is a work in progress and generated images should be checked to ensure they truly follow the public domain design.
To create the model, Langlais fine-tuned a version of Stable Diffusion XL using 34 cartoon image stills from Steamboat Willie, 22 stills from Plane Crazy, and 40 stills from The Gallopin’ Gaucho, all released in 1928 and now in the public domain. While more stills could have potentially improved the quality, cost and training time were taken into consideration. Langlais also acknowledges that the training stills are not of the highest quality, but hopes that higher-definition versions will become available now that the cartoons are part of the public domain.
Recently, a thread on Bluesky, initiated by Techdirt editor Mike Masnick, gained attention as people used the new AI image generator to create humorous and unconventional images of Mickey Mouse. Some of these images feature Mickey smoking crack, attacking the US Capitol, nailed to a crucifix, and turning into an eldritch horror. Concepts not present in the original works have been derived from the Stable Diffusion XL base model.
Although this kind of parody involving Mickey Mouse has existed even before AI, it’s worth mentioning that many of these images would likely still fall under fair use provisions for parody, even if Mickey had not entered the public domain. Previously, AI-generated images of Mickey were possible with unfiltered AI image generators. However, the recent availability of legally using 1928 Mickey Mouse imagery as training data for AI has opened up new possibilities, albeit with some legal complexities surrounding copyrighted training data in the US.
It’s important to note that the use of Stable Diffusion XL does not guarantee that these images are 100 percent legal since the base model still incorporates copyrighted works in its training data. However, the legality of such images is currently unresolved. Moreover, AI-generated images fall into the public domain in the US and cannot be copyrighted. However, some images may not be fully in the public domain if they include copyright-protected designs or characters used without permission.
The entry of the three 1928 Mickey Mouse cartoons into the public domain was initially set for January 1, 1999. However, the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, passed in 1998, extended the copyright term by 25 years. It’s important to clarify that this public domain admission only covers the earlier versions of Mickey, and using the Mickey Mouse name for commercial purposes still carries trademark implications. Over time, these legal issues are likely to be thoroughly examined now that the American public has access to an early version of Mickey.
In conclusion, the AI Image Generator trained on Disney’s 1928 cartoons has opened up opportunities for creating new still images of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Peg Leg Pete. While the generated images may not always be perfect, they showcase early experiments with integrating public domain Mickey into the world of AI. The legal implications of these images remain nuanced, and it will be interesting to see how these new possibilities are tested and explored in the future.
