At the time of its release in 1995, Runaway Brain was the first Mickey Mouse short to be released in a whopping 42 years. Featuring a radical departure from the classic Mickey tone, this short featured feral brain swapping, sexy Minnie jokes, a hefty dose of violence, and a creepy-sleazy chimp mad scientist named Dr. Frankenollie (whose demise may be the most spectacular out of any Disney short ever):

The short didn’t sit well with Disney fans who pined for the syrupy sweet mascot Mickey of yore (leading to the studio generally brushing it under the rug), but it is remembered with great relish by those of us who like our Mickey with a heavy dose of spunk and fire. And besides, if you look back far enough in history, you very quickly realize that Runaway Brain actually wasn’t so much of a departure after all… One needs look no further than 1933’s The Mad Doctor for all the evidence you need:

Happy Halloween!