Mickey Mouse is NOT Disney's First Character

Everywhere you go, there he is:

Mickey Sourdough Bread

Mickey Blanket

Mickey Lady Gaga wearing Mickey Glasses

Mickey-shaped Watermelon earning his ears

Someone on Pinterest was creative

Mickey Chairs

 

 This guy created Mickey-shaped Pumpkins

and apparently Mickey himself congratulated him on it

There really doesn't seem to be anything you can't mickey (verb)



And I think this lady will agree.

EVERYWHERE, FRICKIN EVERYTHING OMG :0

But, Mickey Mouse, though very much iconic and a big ol'star,

is...

now get ready...

this is big news...

NOT DISNEY'S FIRST CHARACTER!!!!

Yep, that's right, buddy. Mickey Mouse in all his fame, pssh! He ain't even the first character that Disney created.

But, then,

is it? You say.

Then you think, because I'm letting you guess. Three chances.

Hmmm

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm? I give you the sly look.

Pete?

I laugh and say NOPE!

Well, well then...uh, Minnie Mouse?

NOPE! I laugh again and tell you you only have one last chance.

Uh,uh,uh, idk! I give up. Goofy's old form in The Karnival Kid?

The Karnival Kid is just the first show that Mickey talks but NOPE! It is not Goofy either!


It is...

drumroll please...

BADABADABADABADA BUM! SMASH! CRASH! GONG! BANGGGG!!

...very nice.

And it is...

 

Did you guys know about this? Some of you might, some of you might kinda, and some of you might kinda not.

Oswald was born in 1927. Mickey Mouse was born in 1928. While Mickey began to take fame, Oswald also took fame but he was a little thrown around between studios a bit. But you can say he is Mickey's older brother. Without Oswald, Mickey might not look like what he does today.

Let me try telling you Oswald's story in story form to make it more interesting...because it is.

Chapter 1
Once upon a time, long time ago in 1927, there was Universal Studios. Universal wanted to create a character for their own--a cartoon character to be exact and at the same time Disney wanted to do it, too. A real cartoon character of their own. Well now, Universal went to Disney and said,

"Could you make a character for us? You're good at it and we don't have any experience in creating characters like you do."

"Sure, sure we'll do it," said Disney. "Let's sign a contract and we'll get it started."

"Great, great!" said Universal.

So Disney and Universal signed a contract and Disney went on to the creating of a new character.

Now what would this character look like? Well, Disney had a lot of cat characters already. Felix the Cat and Krazy Kat to name a few. They wanted something different, something not "cat". Out of whim or maybe it was destined to happen, they created a rabbit character.

"Hey, Universal," said Disney, "look at this guy, what do you think?"

"Good, good! Looking good. What are we gonna name it?"

Disney pondered for a moment and then rested its hand on Universal's shoulder. "I'll let you decide. It is going be yours' afterall. You should name it."

Universal then wrote up a bunch of names they wanted, put them in a hat, and pulled one out.

"Oswald. Oswald is what we're gonna name him."

Disney smiled. "Oswald it is."

And so, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was born.

But just because a character now has a name, doesn't mean he is "born" in the sense of feeling alive.

Disney had to animate him to make him come to life. They wanted a character with character. They wanted him not to just be a drawing but with personality, even human characteristics.They made a short called "Poor Papa".

"Hey, take a look, we made a short for him." Disney was all excited because finally Oswald had come to life. But in the end, Oswald was Universal's would-be character.

Universal watched the short with a frown. "Nope, nope, I don't like this character. I don't like his age, either. And the drawing is all messy. Sloppy! I'm disappointed, I thought you could do better even at your first try. But I will give you another chance. Try again."

Disney was let down but they tried again. This new short, they made Oswald younger, they cleaned him up and made sure the drawings weren't sloppy. Then, Disney took the short to Universal.

Universal looked up as Disney came in. "Do you have it?"

Disney nodded and silently handed the short film over to Universal to watch.

"Trolley Troubles" was the title and this became Oswald's break. It was Disney's major hit in 1927. Universal smiled and Disney smiled. Oswald was a success. They had done it!

But it wasn't over yet! Oswald gained traction. He became so popular now Disney could afford more staff. Oswald was a STAR! And oh how he enjoyed it. Comedy was his game and the public adored him!

Universal contractors started having a bit of trouble in 1928. Disney was afraid of what might happen to Oswald, their joint character. What would they do? Disney was enjoying all the fame from Oswald. Little by little Disney's animators began to leave. They were called in sneakily by a man who worked under the head guy (and Universal's Oswald contractor) to work for Universal and animate Oswald there.

Basically, Oswald was being taken away little by little behind Disney's back. And Universal kept reminding Disney that Oswald was THEIRS.

Disney was betrayed. They had trusted Universal to be faithful in this contractorship.

"I suppose there's no choice but to just give them Oswald and try to find a new character. I don't want to get too mixed up with all this mess. What would that do to the company?"

Disney decided to leave Oswald in the hands of Universal. Oswald watched his creator leave him with a sad look in his bunny eyes. Would he ever see Disney again?

Head guy and former Oswald contractor opens his own studio, Oswald's new home. In this new home, Oswald saw many of his former animators from Disney. They had left Disney with nothing! He was very sad but what could an animated bunny like himself do? All he could do was make more shorts and do more comedy and become more famous.

He starred in his first short with sound. This was new. He did not know there could be so much happening in a short when there was sound! 1929 he starred in "Hen Fruit". But he always thought about his father Disney.


Meanwhile, after being betrayed by its own staff, Disney found a replacement character. A mouse character, originally called Mortimer Mouse then Mickey Mouse. He looked exactly like Oswald only a mouse. Mickey Mouse took on the fame that Oswald should've had. 1928, he starred in "Steamboat Willie" and from there on, went on a crazy roll to stardom.

Oswald saw Mickey grow.

He couldn't return home now. Disney had a new character. Disney had replaced him.

Watch this.

(thank you to the person who made this very touching animation).

Chapter 2
From 1929 for a decade, Oswald starred in 142 short films. He was given dialog and by the 1940s, he was given color. But it wasn't the same.

It was in 1929 that Oswald's father, Disney, came to terms with Oswald's stepfather. Disney gave the stepfather his blessings to continue with Oswald. Oswald and Mickey might have been on iffy terms but the two head guys became great friends after that.

But still, Oswald was sad he couldn't go home with Disney because now Disney had a more successful character on his hands. Oswald just wasn't good enough anymore...

Years later we see Oswald making his comic-book debut in 1942. He was given brown fur and two sons. Then, the end came. His black, or gray animated body was retired in 1951. Never would Oswald speak out loud again.

Finally, Oswald was gone. He had nowhere to go and he had given up on ever going back home.

Days passed. Weeks, Months, Years, and Decades. There seemed to be no sign of Disney ever coming back to take him home. All Oswald could do was sit in the back rooms of Universal and wait while the world went on without him. Soon, he was forgotten. No one knew his name. No one.


Chapter 3
But on February in 2006, the Disney CEO came to visit the now NBC Universal. Disney CEO, Bob, became Oswald's savior. Long ago in 1927 and 1928, Disney had learned about rights. It had learned to keep them straight and if it wanted a character of its own, it should have kept the rights under its control.

Oswald and other assests were traded for a sportscaster, Al Michael who delightedly traded himself in for the little bunny who only wanted to be home. Al was Oswald's hero. He could not thank the man enough.

Oswald jumped into Disney's arms, tears of joy filled his eyes. His old father had long passed away but everything that made up Disney was still there and the new head guy was a really great guy.

Disney's daughter spoke about Oswald returning to the family.

"Walt Disney's daughter, Diane Disney Miller, issued the following statement after the deal was announced: When Bob [Iger] was named CEO, he told me he wanted to bring Oswald back to Disney, and I appreciate that he is a man of his word. Having Oswald around again is going to be a lot of fun" (Wiki: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit).

"I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing--
That it was all started by a Rabbit."

To celebrate, Oswald got his first merchandise--a T-shirt with his name in 2007. Then in December of that same year, he got his best Christmas present ever; a DVD series "The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit". Suddenly, he found miniature versions of himself in stores; little Oswald plushies. He also became the main character in the video game "Epic Mickey" in 2010.

This one, the sound and the lips moving is a little off...

but you can still watch it with ease.



 



Soon, Oswald was back in the line. He was flying. He got his own product line and people knew him!

His biggest break was on becoming incredibly popular in Japan and even appearing in Tokyo Disneyland as a float in 2010, thanks to Universal telling people overseas about this little black rabbit full of imagination and fun.

Oswald was on the road again. Maybe he couldn't become as popular as Mickey, but still, it was good that people were calling his name again. It was good that people were laughing at his jokes.

It was all very good.

The End

...And The Start of a Bright New Beginning.


Extra: Oswalds' Awards
"Oswald won Best New Character in both Readers' Choice and Editors' Choice in Nintendo Power's Best of 2010 awards" (Wiki: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit).

Now go watch some Oswald on YouTube.

See ya later, alligators :)


References:
Wikipedia: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
Wikipedia: Mickey Mouse

Note: Any conversation parts are my imagination. And anything else about who felt what, is also my imagination. But one fact is true, Disney was betrayed by his animators. It says so in Mickey's origin section on Wiki and in the second video.