2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, the company that would eventually become the Walt Disney Company that we know today. The cartoon studio first made its name with a series of shorts called the Alice Comedies, which combined live-action and animation. In 1927 though, the Disney Bros. Studio scored its first big break with a series of cartoons featuring a character named Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
However, for nearly 80 years, this early work done by Walt Disney and his animators wasn’t actually owned by Disney, be it the man or the company. It wouldn’t be until 2006 that Oswald actually became Disney's property, so where did this character that predates Mickey Mouse come from, and why did it take so long for him to become a true Disney character?
