Making Mickey + Minnie Mouse
Sound Disney Mouse > Silent Universal Rabbit
Even though I know a thing or two about the inner machinations and “mousetraps” of The Walt Disney Company, when I think of Disney, the “magic” of Mickey and Minnie Mouse is still the first thing that pops into my head.
Today marks the 96th anniversary of Mickey and Minnie’s debut in Steamboat Willie.
While 1928 was the best of times for Walt Disney and his team, it was also the worst of times as Walt lost the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
Long story short: Oswald was owned by Universal Pictures, not Walt Disney Studio.
Mickey and Minnie, on the other hand, were 100% Disney-owned (and operated).
Released on November 18, 1928, Steamboat Willie was the first animated film with synchronized sound. Mickey’s infectious energy and innovative sound design made him a massive hit, launching him into superstardom and helping the fledgling studio become an empire.
But it wasn’t just Mickey’s cute appearance or funny antics that people loved. They saw something more in him: resilience. Mickey, an underdog, mirrored Walt’s journey from a struggling animator to a trailblazing media mogul.
Note: While Steamboat Willie is technically in the public domain, Mickey Mouse is still protected under Disney’s control via various copyrights and trademarks.
So while artists like myself are free to remix the original version of the character, I highly recommend calling it anything but “Mickey.” Or you might end up in the legal crosshairs of The Walt Disney Company. And nobody wants that.
Walt Disney’s story embodies grit, reinvention, and the power of perseverance. Some of his lessons, both creatively and professionally, remain relevant to me today:
Chin up! Walt Disney didn’t let Oswald’s loss get him down. Instead, it made him even more creative. Setbacks in art, business, or life can be a chance to grow. Just like Mickey Mouse, our next big idea might come from a setback.
Keep innovating! Walt didn’t invent just for the sake of it. He stayed up-to-date with technology and cultural trends. The synchronized sound in Steamboat Willie wasn’t just a gimmick; it helped audiences enjoy the film more.
Make it personal! Disney’s legacy shows the power of storytelling. Mickey and Minnie aren’t just symbols; they’re real characters with personalities and lives that people can relate to.
Pursue perfection! Walt Disney’s success wasn’t about a single brilliant idea. It was about his relentless pursuit of perfection. From early animated shorts to feature films to theme parks to television, he paid close attention to every detail.
Walt Disney was a complex—and sometimes controversial—man. His legacy is a mix of good, bad, and not-so-great. But there’s no denying the media empire he and his team started building nearly 100 years ago continues to push boundaries and inspire a loyal fandom and following.
As I celebrate Mickey and Minnie Mouse’s birthday, I plan to reflect on the timeless creative lessons Walt Disney’s empire—built on failure, adaptation, and innovation—represents to me.
Don’t be afraid to build a better mousetrap.
You never know how it might change the world.
Thanks for reading!
Clint
NEWS + VIEWS
11-01-24 = Walt Disney forms business unit to coordinate use of AI, augmented reality (Reuters)
11-15-24 = Disney Pulls 2026 Star Wars Movie From Release Calendar (The Wrap)
11-15-24 = Disney Stock Hits 6-Month High On Streaming Progress, Upbeat Financial Guidance And Wall Street Analysts’ Cheers (Deadline)
ON THIS DAY = NOVEMBER 18
BIRTHDAYS
1787 = Louis Daguerre = French artist, photographer and inventor
1836 = W. S. Gilbert = English playwright, poet, and illustrator
1872 = Edward Marsh = British polymath, arts patron and civil servant 🌈
1906 = Klaus Mann = German writer and dissident 🌈
1944 = Jackie Goldberg = American politician and activist 🌈
1942 = Linda Evans = American actress
1944 = Wolfgang Joop = German fashion designer 🌈
1968 = Owen Wilson = American actor
1969 = Duncan Sheik = American singer-songwriter and composer
1970 = Mike Epps = American actor and comedian
1982 = Damon Wayans Jr. = American actor and comedian
1985 = Christian Siriano = American fashion designer 🌈
CELEBRATIONS
EVENTS
1928 = Steamboat Willie is released, the first Walt Disney sound cartoon.
1974 = The New Yorker publishes its first gay-themed short story, “Minor Heroism” by Allan Gurganus. 🌈
1978 = In Jonestown, Guyana, Jim Jones leads his Peoples Temple to a mass murder–suicide that claimed 918 lives in all.
1986 = Supermodel Gia Carangi dies in Philadelphia at the age of 26. 🌈
1996 = Psychologist Evelyn Hooker dies in Santa Monica at the age of 89. Her research provided some of the earliest evidence that homosexuality is not a psychological disease. 🌈
PHOTO + QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing: that it was all started by a mouse.”
Walt “The House Of Mouse” Disney
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Thanks for the article on Disney, Clint. Walt Disney truly was a genius. There are two (2) bits of trivia that come to mind for me when I think of his genius. The first goes back to when Disney World opened in Florida back in the 1960’s. I remember my mom telling me that when he bought the land in Florida where his theme park was going to stand he also bought all the land surrounding it. Very smart. This allowed him to do the expansion that he was unable to do with Disneyland in Anaheim. The second piece of trivia captures my interest because of me being a media buff and audiovideophile. In the early 1950’s Walt Disney knew that color television was coming down the pike. So at that time he started filming his television shows in color well before the first color TV’s came off the assembly line for consumers. Once color TVs were in peoples homes his TV show Wonderful World of Color debuted, and on that show he had the liberty of re-running his earlier shows now in color whereas when they debuted they were broadcast in black-and-white. Smart man. — Bruce