ORIGINS OF MICKEY
Mickey Mouse is indubitably one of the most distinct caricatures of American culture, spirit, and goodwill. He has graced the screens of our televisions for years and tickled our children with laughter. His tale of origin, however, is hardly as auspicious.
In the late 1920s, Walt Disney worked for Universal Studios. At the time, the Mickey Mouse character served as a replacement for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit: a cartoon rabbit with big ears, and a large, expressive face. Seeing that the series was going strong, Disney inquired about a pay raise. In response, he received a pay cut. Universal had also signed most of the employees working in the Disney studio.
After this, Disney grew bitter. Universal had used him as a pawn, and he was determined to have the last laugh.
Ub Iwerks worked with Walt to direct and produce the first episode of Steamboat Willie. The show debuted on November 18th, 1928. The character grew in popularity, and the rest is history.
For most, that's where the story ended. That's what Disney will claim, and that's what the majority of society believes. This is not true.
Disney and Iwerks knew that if they wanted to make a name for themselves, they could not cut any corners. That's why they recruited a group of scientists.
For legal reasons, I must expunge the men's names from this report. They were hired by Iwerk, and even Disney himself was initially unsure of his colleague's intentions.
The group of men had allegedly made cutting-edge advances in the field of mice genealogy. They were taxingly familiar with the internal structure of mice, and the patterns of mice behavior. Iwerks' outré fixation on mice had brought the men into the project, and drove him to ensure the success of the character. Disney was just as enthusiastic about the project's success, but was faintly disturbed by the drastic measures taken by Iwerks.
A mouse had been brought in by one of the experts. The black mouse was bred in captivity under normal conditions, and its predecessors showed no history of abnormal illness. In testing, it was shown to run mazes with a typical amount of speed. Its mind and body functions were classified as normal.
Electrical cables were methodically hooked up to a motion picture projector. At the other end of the cables, the mouse was to be attached and have its genes electrically transmitted to the projector in hopes of making it the first organically conceived cartoon character.
When the electrical pulses were first administered, the mouse convulsed with each shock. As the pulses grew longer and eventually grew into a continuous surge of electricity, the creature stopped convulsing and laid limp. The experts, convinced the mouse was dead, checked its vital signs to find that its heart was still beating. The group of men were prepared to rule the attempt as inconclusive until Iwerks maddeningly ordered that the experiment go on. An excerpt of the recorded conversation is shown here:
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Dr. [NAME EXPUNGED]: Its heart is still beating, but there isn't that much more to prove. The genetic pattern of a mouse cannot be electronically transferred onto film.
Iwerks: No! You can't stop. The thing is still alive, therefore we can continue!
Disney: Ub, please calm down. We'll find another way, it just might take a little while.
Dr. [NAME EXPUNGED]: I'm afraid my colleague is correct. There is no scientific purpose to continue-
*crashing sounds*
