Stanley Mouse

Visual artist who gained fame in the 1960's making psychedelic poster art. He has also done many album covers as well as photography, hot rod artwork, and fine art. "Mouse", a nickname from school days, learned his craft working with renowned hot-rod 'Rat Fink' graphics artist Ed Roth. Mouse founded Mouse Studios in 1959 as a mail-order business centered around auto-graphics. In 1965 Mouse moved to San Francisco, where he met up with Alton Kelley. They and other artists became The Family Dog, led by artistic entrepreneur Chet Helms, as event artists Family Dog Productions. Mouse and Alton Kelly worked together on promotion posters for these events and those of Bill Graham (2), later working together in Mouse Studios and 'The Monster Company' (Monster being Mouse's answer to 'Rat Fink'), the latter business producing hot-rod graphic material. Both Mouse & Kelley were also involved in the Berkeley Bonaparte Distribution Agency, a working collective with Victor Moscoso, Wes Wilson and Rick Griffin (2). When Graham closed the Fillmore and other artists began creating work Mouse's commissions reduced. He moved to Toronto, but later returned to California in 1971 and teamed up with Kelly again. They worked together on numerous Grateful Dead releases until 1980, when Mouse continued graphics works including the cover of The Grateful Dead Family Album reference work. After moving to New Mexico he had a liver transplant in 1993, funded by an appeal by The Grateful Dead. Mouse's 'Monster' characters, particularly the 'eyeball' monster, was the subject of an unsuccessful lawsuit he raised in 2002 against the producers of the movie "Monsters Inc". As of 2012, he now resides in Sonoma County, California.