Oswald Returns: A New Disney Short & The History of Mickey Mouse's Predecessor

New Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Short

• 🎬 A new 1 minute and 10 second short, "Oswald Returns," has been released to kick off Disney's 100th anniversary celebration.
• 🎨 Directed by Eric Goldberg and animated by Mark Henn and Randy Haycock, it features classic animation details like film grain and scratches.
• 🌟 The short is produced by Dorothy McKim, who also produced "Prep and Landing" and "Get a Horse."

The Genesis of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit

• 🐇 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was created in 1927 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks out of business necessity when their Alice Comedies series had run its course.
• 🤝 Charles Mintz, Walt's distributor, secured a 26-short contract with Universal Pictures for Oswald, forcing Disney to move to a new studio to meet the demand.
• 💔 In 1928, Mintz betrayed Disney, cutting the budget and hiring away all of Disney's animators except Iwerks, leaving Walt with no choice but to sign a new contract or lose the character.

The Birth of Mickey Mouse

• 🐭 After losing Oswald, Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks secretly developed a new character, Mickey Mouse, while still under contract to deliver the final Oswald shorts.
• 🤫 The first Mickey Mouse short, "Plane Crazy," was screened for an MGM executive in May 1928 but received little interest.
• 🔊 The second short, "The Gallopin' Gaucho," also failed to gain traction, leading Disney to experiment with synchronized sound for the third short, "Steamboat Willie."

The Disney-MGM Rights Exchange

• 🔄 In 2003, Disney regained the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit from Universal Pictures in exchange for sportscaster Al Michaels.
• 📚 Dave Boss's book details the search for missing Oswald shorts, some of which were reissued by Universal with added synchronized sound, creating complex copyright issues.
• 🏞️ Disney has since integrated Oswald into its parks, particularly in California Adventure, and explored other media like the "Epic Mickey" video game.

Other Animation News

• 🍄 The trailer for "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" has been released, featuring fun animation and numerous Easter eggs for fans, with a release date of March 10, 2023 (Mario Day).
• 🏛️ "Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again," an animated sequel, is set to debut on Disney Plus on December 9th, though its animation style and lack of original actors have drawn criticism.
• 🏆 The BAFTA Awards for Children and Young People recently awarded "Wolfwalkers" Best Animated Feature, marking their first ceremony since 2019.