Some have theorized that some of Mickey's charateristics, particularly the gloves, evolved from blackface caricatures used in minstrel shows. However according to Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston during the late 20s and early 30s, "The characters were in black and white with no shades of grey to soften the contrast or delineate a form. Mickey's body was black, his arms and his hands- all black. There was no way to stage an action epxcept in sihouette. How else could there be any clairty? A hand infront of a chest would simply dissappear." Therefore the white gloves were added to give the character's gestures more "readablity" - making and poses and body launguage more clear to the audience.