Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was an animated cartoon character starring in a series of cartoon motion pictures of 1920s and 1930s (and making occasional reapperances as a character in other cartoons as late as 1951).

Oswald was first introduced in a 1927 cartoon called "Trolley Troubles", written and drawn by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks for Charles Mintz of Universal Studios. The series was successful, but when Disney and Iwerks asked for a higher budget, Mintz fired them and hired Walter Lantz to produce new cartoons using the character. Disney and Iwerks went on to found the Disney Studios and create a new character originally similar to their version of Oswald, called Mickey Mouse.

See also: Animation Before Hollywood: The Silent Period

External links

• Oswald on Toonopedia.com (http://www.toonopedia.com/oswald.htm)
• More info on the Walter Lantz version:(1929-1951) (http://lantz.toonzone.net/stars/oswaldrabbit.html)