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Mickey Mouse, created by Walt Disney, first appeared in the 1928 animated short Steamboat Willie, the first cartoon with synchronized sound. Since then, Mickey has become a cultural icon, appearing in hundreds of cartoons and merchandise. Disney lost the rights to his previous character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, leading to the creation of Mickey. The character has gone through design changes but remains a beloved figure, with millions of fans visiting Disney theme parks to see him.
Of all the characters in the Disney family, no character is better known than Mickey Mouse. Mickey first appeared in an animated short called Steamboat Willie. The film premiered at the Colony Theater in New York on November 18, 1928.
Steamboat Willie was the first cartoon with synchronized sound. In this first Mickey Mouse cartoon, the little mouse plays the role of a sailor on a riverboat. He uses animals to play the song Turkey in the Straw. Minnie Mouse is the audience enthusiastic about him while he does it. Unfortunately, the riverboat captain named Captain Pete punishes the mischievous Mickey by sending him to peel potatoes in the ship’s galley.
This first cartoon paved the way for Mickey to become what he is today: a cultural icon. Since that debut, Mickey has appeared in hundreds of cartoons. In the 1950s, he also starred in The Mickey Mouse Club, a popular children’s television show. Today, Mickey’s image is pasted on T-shirts, watches, lunch boxes, and any other merchandise found in stores.
Mickey Mouse’s creator was Walt Disney. Walt was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois to an Irish-Canadian father and a German-American mother. He was one of his five children and from an early age the young Disney showed an interest in drawing. He spent most of his childhood in Marceline, Missouri. At the age of seven, he often drew pictures and sold them to his neighbors. This early penchant for sketching led him to a career in animation.
The Mickey Mouse character was born when Disney lost the rights to his character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. He collaborated with Ub Iwerks to design a mouse character. The original sketches for Mickey showed him with hoops for his head, body and ears.
In 1939, the movie titled The Pointers revealed a character with a more pear-shaped body. Pupils were drawn on his eyes to give him the ability to be more expressive. 1940s animators wanted to give his ears a three-dimensional look; however, today’s Mickey Mouse looks more like the early Mickey Mouse.
Walt Disney was the first person to give his mouse character a voice, but he later gave this job to a man named Jim MacDonald. The character with the distinctive shrill voice quickly became an audience favorite. After MacDonald, the Disney empire would have other voice actors.
The proliferation of Mickey Mouse continued to grow. The irrepressible mouse starred in his cartoon starting January 13, 1930. In 1932, Walt Disney won an Academy Award for his creation of Mickey Mouse.
In 1933, Ingersoll produced the first Mickey Mouse watch. It cost $3.25 US Dollars (USD), but was later discounted to $2.95 USD. Today, millions of Mickey Mouse lovers can see it for themselves if they visit a Disney theme park. In fact, Mickey Mouse holds the title of Chief Greeter at the world-famous theme parks. Mickey Mouse’s fascination has endured since his introduction in 1928. Children and adults all over the world associate magic and excitement with the character of Mickey Mouse.
