A Caravan of Whatnots
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Steamboat Willie in court; Watership Down in France; Patron the Dog out in Ukraine; and a brand new “Cartoonist” fragrance joins Journalist and Editor-in-Chief.
Law Firm Takes Disney to Court over PD Steamboat Willie Use
Mickey’s century-old steamboat finds itself in hot water, as Orlando-based law firm Morgan & Morgan has filed a lawsuit (published online by Reuters) against Disney, asking a judge to confirm that it can use imagery from Steamboat Willie in its advertising without facing legal backlash from the media giant.
At the heart of the dispute is the 1928 short that marked the public debut of Mickey and Minnie Mouse. The film entered the U.S. public domain at the start of 2024, opening the door for artists, companies, fans, and animation websites to reuse the black-and-white classic without Disney’s permission. Morgan & Morgan wants to do just that in a tongue-in-cheek commercial where Mickey crashes a boat into Minnie’s car, prompting her to call the law firm.
Jamie Lang at Cartoon Brew tells how the law firm is covering its bases against the litigious Disney.
Morgan & Morgan says it reached out to Disney in July to avoid conflict, sharing a preview of its planned ad and pointing out the clear disclaimers distancing the firm from Disney. Disney replied, but stopped short of assuring the firm it wouldn’t take action. That uncertainty, paired with Disney’s recent enforcement efforts, inspired the M&M lawsuit.
Sturm & Sutphin’s WATERSHIP DOWN wins Prix Comics award
James Sturm and Joe Sutphin’s adaptation of Richard Adams’ 1972 novel Watership Down was announced as the seventh recipient of the Association of French Comics Critics and Journalists’ (ACBD) annual Prix Comics award for English-originated material. Translated into French by Pierre Clinquart and Hélène Charrier, it was published by Monsieur Toussaint Louverture in April this year. Watership Down’s French publisher will receive the prize at a ceremony in late October, during the weekend of St Malo’s Quai des bulles festival.
Dean Simons at The Beat reports the Watership Down graphic novel winning a prestigious French award.
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Le Prix Comics de la Critique ACBD 2025 décerné à Watership Down from ActuaLitte.
Esquire and Michael Malul Expand Fragrance Collection with… Cartoonist
Esquire, the men’s magazine brand, in partnership with Michael Malul London, announces the latest additions to the Esquire Fragrance Collection [link added]: Cartoonist and Composer. Building on the success of the first four signature scents released in July 2024—New Journalist, Modern Poet, American Novelist, and Editor in Chief—these new fragrances continue to explore masculinity through the lens of creativity, individuality, and cultural storytelling. The collaboration was facilitated by Esquire’s licensing agency, IMG Licensing.
Revecca Ash at Total Licensing reports on a new fragrance for men: Cartoonist.
The Feeling: It’s Sunday morning and the sunlight pours into your studio, hitting a shelf of vintage bobbleheads and rainbow-hued vinyl. The air smells faintly of something unexpected—like fruity cereal. Stretching in your worn-in denim, putting on your thick-rimmed glasses, you start flipping through your sketchpad. With every stroke of your pen, the world becomes a little more amusing, a little more alive. You’re someone who sees the world in color while others see grayscale, who wears humor like cologne and irony like a badge.
The Fragrance: A fresh, lively opening of bright aldehydes, juicy pineapple, and cool mint leaf opens this fragrance. As it settles, zesty ginger, crisp geranium, and the soft, floral elegance of Portlandia bloom into something wonderfully unexpected. Anchored by a grounded base of warm cedarwood, resinous elemi, and earthy patchouli, this scent is bold and balanced.
Size: 3.4 fl oz
Trump USAID cuts doom Ukrainian dog cartoon
A Ukrainian cartoon series called ‘Patron the Dog’ has been canceled following US President Donald Trump’s decision to shut down the Agency for International Development (USAID) grant programs, according to scriptwriter Sasha Ruban.
The series, created to teach children about land mines, follows bomb-sniffing dog Patron – Ukrainian for “bullet cartridge” – as he rescues forest animals. The character is based on a real Jack Russell Terrier from Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, who is now a mascot and social media star. The show airs on YouTube, where it has 223,000 subscribers.
Big News Network (via RT, so take that for what it is worth) reports on the end of a child’s safety program.
The show, which had been sponsored using funds earmarked as aid to Kiev, was discontinued in the middle of the second season.
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