FAQ

Yes, although the character hadn't yet acquired his familiar moniker. In his first seven cartoons, he is called Super Mouse. He didn't have the name "Mighty Mouse" until The Wreck of the Hesperus (1944) (1944). The seven Super Mouse cartoons have been altered for TV, dubbing him Mighty Mouse prematurely.

Yes. Originally, Isadore Klein, from the Terrytoons story department, wanted to spoof Superman using a fly. Paul Terry changed the fly into a mouse.

Source: Leonard Maltin, Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, NY, 1987, p. 141

Paul Terry changed the character's name so he wouldn't be confused with another "Super Mouse" in a comic book (not, as some believe, because Superman's copyright owners threatened to sue Terry for infringement). That Super Mouse, a creation of the Fox Publishing House, is now in the public domain.

Source: Leonard Maltin, Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, NY, 1987, p. 142

The Mouse of Tomorrow (1942) (October 16, 1942), Frankenstein's Cat (1942) (November 27, 1942), He Dood It Again (1943) (February 5, 1943), Pandora's Box (1943) (June 11, 1943), Super Mouse Rides Again (1943) (August 6, 1943), Down with Cats (1943) (October 7, 1943) and The Lion and the Mouse (1943) (November 12, 1943).

Source: Leonard Maltin, Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, NY, 1987, p. 386

Watch The Mouse of Tomorrow (1942) on:

YouTube (posted by CaptainCartoon) here [references to Super Mouse are dubbed over]