While Mickey Mouse’s debut performance in Steamboat Willie is known the world over, before he ever appeared in the short, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit had his own cartoon short – Harem Scarem.
Now, an 85 year old cartoon featuring Oswald has been unearthed from the Disney Archives – the oldest known cartoon created by Walt Disney. Says Disney archives director Becky Cline:
This is a prime example of the kind of thing that we’re digging out of the vaults, going the extra mile to show the fans something new and unique. There’s no new Walt Disney history to share unless we dig it out and discover it.
In his early career working for Universal, Walt Disney created 26 Oswald cartoons in the 1920’s and 30’s. Despite his unique characteristics, it can be argued that Oswald was the inspiration for Disney’s Mickey Mouse character – by far the most iconic Disney character of all time.
To watch the Oswald short, click here.