J On The Spectrum - Disney's 100th Anniversary - The Rabbit That Got Away

Disney's 100th anniversary is this year, and to celebrate, I'm going to tell the story of this legendary animation company over a yearlong period.

By 1927, the Alice shorts have run out of steam, so Walt Disney created his first cartoon character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and was commissioned to make 26 Oswald shorts for Universal. People were beginning to take notice because the Oswald shorts were a step up from the Alice shorts, and it became apparent to some critics at the time. Unfortunately, in a series of events, Walt eventually loses his first distributor and the rights to the rabbit that he created. On a long train ride from New York to Los Angeles, he would conceive plans for a substitute character to take Oswald's place.

Next week, Walt, in his hour of desperation, conceives and draws one of most beloved and recognized characters in the world.