Culture

How Mickey Mouse was Born

日本語

Walt Elias Disney was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1901. His earliest years in life were spent on a farm in Missouri. By the age of seven Walt was already drawing and selling his sketches to other people in his area. During high school Walt used his skills in drawing and photography to improve the school paper, while attending the Chicago Institute of Art at night.

In 1920, Disney began his career as an advertising cartoonist in Kansas City. Since cartoon films were new to the world, the production was of low quality. Disney wanted to improve production methods, so he read books to understand how New York's top animators did their work. Soon after, Disney quit his job, formed his own company called Laugh-O-Gram, and started producing his own short films of animated cartoons. Time passed by and eventually trouble arrived. Disney's main client declared bankruptcy, leaving Disney unable to pay his employees, or his rent. With barely enough to feed himself Disney was also forced to declare bankruptcy. Laugh-O-Gram was dead.

In 1923, Walt Disney took his sketchbook, and last remaining dollars, to Hollywood where he convinced his brother, Roy Disney, to form a partnership with him in a new business. Roy's job was to manage finances while Walt was to provide the creative talent. Disney Brother Studios was created and launched with $200 Roy had managed to save, $500 lent to them from an uncle, and $2500 contributed to them from their parents, which they had raised by mortgaging their home.

A New York film distributor by the name of M.J. Winkler bought Disney's earlier cartoons, the original version of the "Alice in Wonderland" series. When the popularity of the Alice series died down, Walt created a new character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. As Oswald's popularity grew, Walt decided to negotiate a higher price for the contract. Though, unknown to Walt, Charles Mintz, husband to M.J. Winkler, had already recruited the majority of Walt's staff, by offering them higher wages and creative freedom. It was at this time that Walt discovered that Universal Pictures owned the legal rights to Oswald the Rabbit. Mintz made the demands that Disney come to work for him and give up his own company, but Walt refused and lost his character and staff.

Again with close to nothing, Walt Disney boarded a train from New York City to Los Angeles, California. It was on this train that Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse. He knew that if he wanted to keep his business alive, he would need a new character. So, with the idea of a mouse in mind, the animator began his work. Initially, he wanted to name the character "Mortimer Mouse", but his wife, Lily, did not approve and instead suggested "Mickey Mouse".

Mickey Mouse made his official debut to the public on November 19, 1928 in a film called "Steamboat Willie". The film was also famous for the first appearance of Minnie Mouse, which later became Mickey's girlfriend, and the first ever production, and use, of synchronized sound and image in cartoons. "Steamboat Willie" and its stars were instant hits. Mickey Mouse became so popular that between 1929 and 1932 over a million children joined the original Mickey Mouse Club. The Mickey Mouse Club, in later years, between 1955 and 1959 became a popular children's television show aired by ABC. The show featured talented kids, called Mouseketeers, who sang and danced, performed short plays, and introduced guests and cartoons.

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