Beth Sanchez of Beth's Cakes - OKIE Magazine

“I only hope that
we never lose sight of
one thing – that it was
all stared by a mouse.”
Those words were
famously spoken by Walt
Disney at Disneyland in
Anaheim, CA on October
27, 1954. It may be true
that the Disney franchise
and its kingdoms wouldn’t
be where they are now
without the unfathomable
popularity of a little
mouse, but we can
thank Charles Mintz of
Universal Studios for that.
Let me explain.
In the spring of 1928,
the series Oswald the
Lucky Rabbit, an early creation
designed by Walt Disney for Mintz
was going strong when Disney
asked for an increase in budget.
Mintz instead told Disney that
he was cutting his budget by 20
percent and, thinking he had
Disney over a barrel, reminded
Disney that he owned the rights
to the character. To add insult
to injury, Mintz revealed that he
had signed a number of Disney’s
current employees to his new
contract. Angry, Disney refused the
cartoons that he contractually owed
Mintz.
After being betrayed by the
former employees, and having
to learn the lesson the hard way
about owning all rights to the
characters his company produced,
he was determined to develop a
new character that would be bigger
and better than Oswald the Lucky
Rabbit. Disney asked his lead
artist, Ub Iwerks, to start drawing
up new character ideas. Various
animals, such and dogs and cats,
were produced, but Disney didn’t
Finally, Disney found inspiration in
Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse by Jim Joplin
Walt and his many
Mickeys.
an old friend;
Disney used his
old pet mouse
from when he
was a child
on the farm.
Hugh Harmon
was asked to
draw some
sketches of a
mouse around
a photograph
be astounded.
So, why all of the “Mickey”
talk? Well, this month marks the
appearance, “Steamboat Willie.”
way: Disney utilized a new means
of soundtracking by using clicks
that allowed the background
music, the whistling, and the voice
of Mickey to sync up correctly.
By the by, “Steamboat” was not
of Walt Disney
himself. These
sketches
were used
as inspiration
for Iwerks
to create a
new mouse
character for Disney. Walt and Roy Disney with Mickey Mouse and a
“Mortimer Mouse”
special Academy Award.
had been the name thought up
by Disney, but his wife, Lillian, seen in “Plane Crazy” on May 15,
convinced him to change it, and 1928 and his second short “The
ultimately Mickey Mouse was born.
Iwerks designed Mickey’s body was seen by the public because
using circles because it made
the character simple to animate. Disney, the man and the company,
Mickey’s circular design is most
noticeable in his ears, which in of Mickey on November 18, 1928
traditional animation, always as his birthday, even though it is
appear circular no matter which
way Mickey was facing. The appearance.
reasons were two-fold: This made I’ve done a little looking and
Mickey easily recognizable, and it doesn’t appear that there is
the two smaller circles on the anything special going on this year
for Mickey’s birthday, but there
personal trademark. Even now, the seems to be a little talk already
symbol is often used by the Disney going on for next year’s 85th
Company to represent Mickey. celebration. Keep your eyes peeled
When you have a few hours to and maybe you can get a head start
waste, I suggest searching “hidden on next year.
mickey” on Google and get ready to
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