Mickey Mouse has gone ghetto chic.
Graffiti-style paintings of the Walt Disney Co. icon are on display at the company’s Vault 28 boutique in Downtown Disney. The out-of-character effort is part of Disney’s bid to appeal to young, trendy people.
The paintings, by graffiti-style artists Slick, David Flores, Mear One, Steven Daily and Greg Simkins, aren’t for sale. Disney is selling shirts and hats with images of the paintings on them.
The paintings are a far cry from the Mickey Mouse of movies, books and Disney’s theme parks. But they’re still tame and inoffensive.
In Slick’s “Tres Mickey,” three droopy-eyed Mickey Mouse faces drip on a paint-splattered canvas.
Mear One’s “Mickey da Vinci” is more edgy. It shows a rebellious Mickey Mouse painting his portrait on a fence.
A serpent-like Mickey with narrowed eyes clenches onto a rat in Greg Simkins’ “Visitation.”
“People will be surprised,” said Becky Lopez, manager of creative business and specialized development for the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, which includes the company’s two theme parks, hotels and Downtown Disney. “This is a totally new concept for Disney.”
Vault 28, an upscale boutique that sells Disney designer clothes and accessories, underwent a makeover for the art exhibit, according to Lopez.
The frilly boutique, which sells everything from Disney Couture shirts to Chip and Pepper jeans, now has graffiti on its walls and windows. Neon lights make the store feel more like a gritty subway station than a Disney store.
“The graffiti and the neon lights help create an urban feel that compliments the art,” Lopez said.
It’s unclear how much Disney spent redecorating Vault 28. Its new look will stay intact during the month-long art exhibit and possibly after, Lopez said.
The graffiti inside Vault 28 is hardly the type you’d see along the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway. There are no bad words or obscene images, which helps Disney keep its wholesome image, according to Lopez.
The paintings are just edgy enough, she said, to help the boutique lure more of the Red Bull crowd,young guys.
The art isn’t for everyone, Lopez said.
“It’s got an edge to it,” she said. “Mickey Mouse fans might not like it.”
The paintings are tied to Disney’s consumer product line Bloc 28. The line meshes contemporary art with Disney characters.
The company’s working with artists and Los Angeles-based Span of Sunset Inc. on the line.
For years, amateur graffiti murals in New York and Los Angeles have used Disney characters as subjects, Lopez said. The Bloc 28 project takes inspiration from that, she said.
“Disney is really showing that it’s thinking outside the box,” Lopez said. “This is the first time that it has ever collaborated with known street artists. It’s clear that Disney’s been an inspiration for urban youth and that there is a following.”
T-shirts, baseball caps, pillows and a special edition vinyl toy are products in Disney’s Bloc 28 line. All have an urban, artistic look, Lopez said. They’ll be sold in limited numbers, though it’s undetermined how many actually will be made and sold, she said.
Disney could come out with reprints of the paintings to sell, Lopez said.
T-shirts go for $85. Baseball caps are $75. Pillows are $200. Prices for the vinyl toys haven’t been set yet, Lopez said. The items are being sold through pre-orders, she said.
Vault 28, a test bed for edgier products, is the first store to sell the Bloc 28 items. The company plans to expand them to other retailers, Lopez said.
“Vault 28 is becoming the OC hub for this movement,” she said. “This is something that we’ve always envisioned for the store.”
Lopez wouldn’t disclose how much Disney spent on creating the products or how much in sales it expects to generate from the Bloc 28 line.
Some may scoff at the bid to play up urban culture by Disney, which recently banned smoking in its movies and announced plans to pay $350 million for kiddie Web site Club Penguin.
The edgy paintings and products show “Disney isn’t stale,” Lopez said.
“We’re open to new ideas and moving ahead with the times,” she said.
