Of Mice and Men in popular culture Of Mice and Men in popular culture Of Mice and Men is a novella by John Steinbeck, which tells the story of George and Lennie, two displaced migrant workers in California during the Great Depression (1929–1939). The story is set on a ranch a few miles from Soledad in the Salinas Valley. Since its initial publication in 1937, it has been frequently referenced in popular culture. Homages to the characters Lennie and George have been especially popular in American cartoons and animated films. The "New York Times" reviewed the 1939 film based on the novella thusly: Theatrical cartoon shorts of
Lenny and the Squigtones credited guitar work by future Spinal Tap member Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest). A photo on the inside cover also includes two band members, "Murph", the keyboard player from The Blues Brothers, and "Ming the Merciless", purported to be Kiss drummer Peter Criss without his famous "cat" costume and make-up, though Criss denies it was him. McKean has confirmed that the drummer in the photograph is actually Don Poncher. Lenny and the Squigtones Lenny and the Squigtones is a fictional musical group headed by Michael McKean and David Lander, the two actors who played the characters Lenny and Squiggy on the