“We keep moving forward, opening new
doors and doing new things, because we’re curious, and curiosity keeps leading
us down new paths.” – Walt Disney
Before there was Bugs Bunny or any
other animated “rabbit” character, there was a 1926 rabbit named Oswald. Praised as “exceptionally clever,” Oswald was
hugely popular and had a high merchandise tie-in performance – always a plus in
the animation world.
As Oswald’s popularity soared, his
young creator, Walt Disney, who was born in December 1901, decided he’d like a
little larger slice of the profits. But
the powers that be in the New York advertising world proposed reducing his
amount instead, and Walt lost complete control of his creation. Fortunately, for the rest of the world and
for posterity, that loss led Disney to a new creation – a mouse named Mickey.
Mickey Mouse also talked, and from
1927, the year of Mickey’s arrival on the scene, until 1947, Disney also provided
Mickey’s voice –and personality. In the
words of one Disney employee, "Walt gave Mickey his body AND soul." 
Disney also was a terrific
writer and had an uncanny ability to recognize and adapt others’ writing into
the many movies his new studio produced.
By the time of his death in 1966, Disney had won 22 Academy Awards
(nominated an astounding 59 times), 4 honorary Academy Awards, and 7 Emmys for
his television productions.
Success, Disney said, follows a
simple formula: “First, think. Second,
dream. Third, believe. And finally, dare.”
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