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'{{short description|Animated cartoon character who was Walt Disney's signature character before Mickey Mouse}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2016}} {{Infobox character | name = Oswald the Lucky Rabbit | image = Lantz Oswald.jpg | caption = A version of Oswald redesigned by [[Walter Lantz]] | first = ''[[Trolley Troubles]]''<br />(September 5, 1927) <!--Do not add Poor Papa, as that wasn't distributed until 1928, though it was the first made.!--> | creator = [[Walt Disney]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hh9kAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA15|title=The Calgary Daily Herald|publisher=The Calgary Daily Herald|via=Google Books|date=July 20, 1936|page=15}}</ref> | voice = [[Bill Nolan (animator)|Bill Nolan]] (1929-1930)<br />[[Pinto Colvig]] (1930–1931)<br />[[Mickey Rooney]] (1931-1932)<br />[[Bernice Hansen]] (1932–1938)<br />Various; including [[Tex Avery]]<ref>https://www.cartoonbrew.com/classic/1933-interview-with-tex-avery-5341.html</ref> (1932–1938)<br />[[Walter Lantz]] (1935)<br />[[June Foray]] (1943–1947)<br />[[Dick Beals]] (1952)<ref name="Lantz Oswald on DVD">[https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/lantz-oswald-on-dvd/ "Lantz Oswald on DVD"]. Retrieved 2017-09-30.</ref><br />[[Mel Blanc]] (1957)<ref name="Woody Woodpecker on Records">[https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/woody-woodpecker-on-records/ "Woody Woodpecker on Records"]. Retrieved 2017-09-30.</ref><br />[[Gloria Wood]] (1957)<ref name="Woody Woodpecker on Records" /><br />[[Frank Welker]] (2010–present) | alias = | relatives = [[Ortensia the Cat]]/Sadie (girlfriend; wife in some depictions)<br />Fanny (ex-girlfriend)<br />[[Mickey Mouse]] (same creator really related)<br /> [[Mickey Mouse family]] | gender = Male | species = Rabbit | noinfo = yes | designer = [[Walt Disney]]<br />[[Ub Iwerks]]<br />[[Charles Mintz]] }} '''Oswald the Lucky Rabbit''' (also known as Oswald the Rabbit or Oswald Rabbit) is a cartoon character created in 1927 by Walt Disney for [[Universal Pictures]]. He starred in several animated short films released to theaters from 1927 to 1938. 27 animated Oswald shorts were produced at the [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Walt Disney Studio]]. When the Disney studio was removed from the Oswald series and several of its animators departed to Winkler, Walt Disney and Iwerks created [[Mickey Mouse]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Of mice and magic: A history of American animated cartoons (Rev. ed.)|last=Maltin|first=Leonard|publisher=McGraw-Hill|year=1980|isbn=0-07-039835-6|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/ofmicemagic00leon}}</ref> In 2003, [[Buena Vista Games]] pitched a concept for an Oswald-themed video game to Disney President and COO [[Bob Iger]], who became committed to acquiring the rights to Oswald. In 2006, [[The Walt Disney Company]] acquired the trademark of Oswald in Japan (with [[NBCUniversal]] effectively [[trade (sports)|trading]] Oswald for the services of [[Al Michaels]] as play-by-play announcer on ''[[NBC Sunday Night Football]]''). Oswald returned in Disney's 2010 video game, ''[[Epic Mickey]]''. The game's [[metafiction]] plot parallels Oswald's real-world history, dealing with the character's feelings of abandonment by Disney, and envy towards Mickey Mouse. He has since appeared in [[Walt Disney Parks and Resorts|Disney theme parks]] and [[Disney comics|comic books]], as well as two follow-up games, ''[[Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two]]'' and ''[[Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion]]''. Oswald made his first appearance in an animated production in 85 years through his cameo appearance in the 2013 animated short ''[[Get a Horse!]]''. He was the subject of the 2015 feature film ''[[Walt Before Mickey]]''. Oswald also appears as a townsperson in ''[[Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes|Disney Infinity 2.0]]''. '''''Bold text'''''== Characteristics == While under Disney's creative control, Oswald was one of the first cartoon characters that had personality. As outlined by Walt himself: "Hereafter we will aim to [make] Oswald a younger character, peppy, alert, saucy and venturesome, keeping him also neat and trim."<ref name=bbc /> With Oswald, Disney began to explore the concept of "personality animation", in which cartoon characters were defined as individuals through their movements, mannerisms and acting, instead of simply through their design. Around this period, Disney had expressed, "I want the characters to be somebody. I don't want them just to be a drawing."<ref name="nytimes">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/10/books/life-before-mickey.html?pagewanted=all |title=Life Before Mickey |newspaper=The New York Times |date= July 10, 1994|access-date=December 20, 2015 |first=John |last=Canemaker}}</ref> Not only were gags used, but his humor differed in terms of what he used to make people laugh. He presented [[physical humor]], used situations to his advantage, presented situational humor in general and frustration comedy best shown in the cartoon ''[[The Mechanical Cow]]''. He would make use of animal limbs to solve problems and even use his own limbs as props and gags. He could be squished as if he was made of rubber and could turn anything into tools. His distinct personality was inspired by [[Douglas Fairbanks]] for his courageous and adventurous attitude as seen in the cartoon short ''[[Oh, What a Knight]]''.<ref name="PW" /> In regards to Oswald's personality, Disney historian [[David Gerstein]] describes the difference between Mickey and Oswald: "Imagine Mickey if he were a little more egotistical or fallible, or imagine Bugs Bunny if he talked the talk but wasn't as good at walking the walk."<ref name="rotoscopers">{{cite news|url=https://www.rotoscopers.com/2016/01/25/interview-historian-david-gerstein-talks-oswalds-rediscovered-short-relation-to-mickey-mouse/ |title=[INTERVIEW] Historian David Gerstein Talks Oswald's Rediscovered Short, Relation to Mickey Mouse |publisher=Rotoscopers |date= January 25, 2016|access-date=May 26, 2016 |first=Blake |last=Taylor}}</ref> In order to make his Oswald cartoons look "real", Disney turned away from the styles of [[Felix the Cat]], [[Koko the Clown]], [[Krazy Kat]] and [[Julius the Cat]] and began emulating the camera angles, effects and editing of live-action films. To learn how to base gags on personality and how to build comic routines, rather than heaping one gag after another, he studied [[Laurel and Hardy]], [[Harold Lloyd]], [[Charlie Chaplin]] and [[Buster Keaton]]. In order to stir emotion in an audience, Disney studied and scrutinized the shadow effects, cross-cutting and staging of action in films featuring Douglas Fairbanks and [[Lon Chaney]].<ref name="nytimes" /> Walt Disney did not want for Oswald to simply be "a rabbit character animated and shown in the same light as the commonly known cat characters", as well as merely just a peg for gags. Instead, his stated intention was "to make Oswald peculiarly and typically OSWALD."<ref>{{cite book|last=Gabler|first=Neal|title=Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination|date=October 9, 2007|publisher=Vintage Books|isbn=978-0-679-75747-4}}</ref> == History == === Creation === [[File:Trolley Troubles poster.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Poster of ''Trolley Troubles'', the second Oswald short film]] In 1927, because of cost and technical restrictions, Disney and his chief animator [[Ub Iwerks]] decided to end their work on the [[Alice Comedies]] And [[Julius the Cat]]. Around the same time, Charles Mintz got word that [[Universal Pictures]] wanted to get into the cartoon business, so he told Disney to create a new character he could sell to Universal. After Oswald was created, Winkler signed a contract with Universal on March 4, 1927 that would guarantee 27 ''Oswald the Lucky Rabbit'' cartoons.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/movingpicturewor85marm/page/n123|title=Universal Announces Release Of "Oscar, the Rabbit" Cartoons|publisher=[[Moving Picture World]]|date=1927-03-12|access-date=2020-04-27}}</ref><ref name=bbc>{{cite news|title=Could Oswald the Lucky Rabbit have been bigger than Mickey?|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19910825|access-date=April 4, 2013|newspaper=BBC|date=December 3, 2012}}</ref><ref name=PW>"Oswald Comes Home" (DVD). (2007). ''[[Walt Disney Treasures]]: The Adventures of Oswald The Lucky Rabbit'' (Disc 1). Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc.</ref> Work on both the character and series began soon after Disney moved his studio to Hyperion Avenue.<ref name="SusaninMiller2011" /> Disney chose to make the character a rabbit since there were already two popular animated cats at the time, [[Felix the Cat]] and [[Krazy Kat]]. The first Oswald cartoon, ''Poor Papa'', was rejected by the Universal studio heads for its poor production quality and the sloppiness and age of Oswald.<ref name=bcdb>"[https://www.bcdb.com/cartoon/5401-Poor_Papa.html Poor Papa]". [[Big Cartoon DataBase]], April 13, 2012</ref> Disney, together with Iwerks, decided to create a second cartoon titled ''[[Trolley Troubles]]'' featuring a much younger, neater Oswald. The short, released on September 5, 1927,<ref name="SusaninMiller2011">{{cite book|last1=Susanin|first1=Timothy S.|last2=Miller|first2=Diane Disney|title=Walt Before Mickey: Disney's Early Years, 1919–1928|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OgwbBwAAQBAJ|access-date=September 4, 2012|date=April 7, 2011|publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi|isbn=978-1-60473-960-2}}</ref> officially launched the series and proved to be Universal's greatest success to date. The storyline for ''Poor Papa'' was reused in a Mickey Mouse short five years later, in ''Mickey's Nightmare'', 1932.<ref name=bcdb /> Oswald the Lucky Rabbit became Universal's first major hit in 1927, rivaling other popular cartoon characters, such as Felix the Cat and [[Koko the Clown]].<ref name="PW" /><ref>{{cite journal|last=Rukstad|first=Michael|author2=David Collis|title=The Walt Disney Company: The Entertainment King|journal=Harvard Business School|date=January 5, 2009}}</ref> The success of the Oswald series allowed the Walt Disney Studio to grow to a staff of nearly twenty. Walt's weekly salary from the series was $100 while [[Roy O. Disney|Roy Disney]]'s was $65. The Disney brothers earned $500 per Oswald short and split the year-end profits, with Walt receiving 60% ($5,361), and Roy receiving 40% ($3,574).<ref name="SusaninMiller2011" /> With income gained from the Oswald series, Walt and Roy purchased ten acres of land in the desert. They also invested in an oil-drilling venture. Iwerks also invested his income in several stone mills to crush paint pigment he used to make paint formulas that were utilized by animators for decades.<ref name="SusaninMiller2011" /> Oswald's success also resulted in Universal and Winkler signing another contract in February 1928, guaranteeing three more years of Oswald cartoons.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/motionnew37moti#page/n579/|title=Universal Signs for 3 More Years of Oswald|publisher=[[Motion Picture News]]|date=1928-02-18|access-date=2020-04-27}}</ref> As time passed, Disney feared that Mintz would forgo renewal of the contract, partly due to Iwerks informing Disney that George Winkler, at the behest of Mintz, had been going behind Disney's back during pick-up runs for Oswald reels and hiring away his animators. Eventually, Walt traveled with his wife [[Lillian Disney|Lilly]] to New York to find other potential distributors for his studio's cartoons, including Fox and MGM, prior to meetings with Mintz. As Walt later recalled, he placed two Oswald prints under one arm and—feeling "like a hick"—marched "one half-block north" on Broadway to MGM to visit [[Fred Quimby]]. During this period, Walt and Lillian attended the premier of the Oswald short ''Rival Romeos'', which debuted at the Colony on 53rd and Broadway.<ref name="SusaninMiller2011" /> In the spring of 1928, Disney traveled to New York City in hopes of negotiating a more profitable contract with his producer Charles Mintz. But as economic problems were apparent at the time, Mintz figured Disney should settle for a 20% cut, although large turnarounds were promised if the studio's finances showed considerable growth. While most of his fellow animators left for Mintz's studio, Disney decided to quit working on the Oswald cartoons. On his long train ride home, he came up with an idea to create another character, and retain the rights to it. He and Iwerks would go on to develop a new cartoon in secret, starring a new character which would soon become the most successful cartoon character in film history and later became the foundation of a global entertainment empire. The first [[Mickey Mouse]] cartoon to be filmed was ''[[Plane Crazy]]'' in the summer of 1928, but it was produced as a silent and held back from release. The first Mickey Mouse film with a synchronized soundtrack, ''[[Steamboat Willie]]'', reached the screen that fall and became a major hit, eclipsing Oswald. ''Plane Crazy'' was later given its own synchronized soundtrack and released on March 17, 1929.<ref>{{cite web|title=Plane Crazy|url=https://www.bcdb.com/bcdb/cartoon.cgi?film=3821|website=The Big Cartoon Database|access-date=September 25, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://d23.com/a-to-z/plane-crazy-film/|title=Plane Crazy (film)|website=D23}}</ref> === Universal takes direct control === Mintz, meanwhile, opened his own studio (later known as [[Screen Gems]]) consisting primarily of former Disney employees, where he continued to produce Oswald cartoons, among them the first Oswald with sound, ''Hen Fruit'' (1929). Coincidentally, Disney and Mintz each produced nine cartoons the first year and 17 the next, before Oswald was taken over by others. Animators [[Harman and Ising|Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising]], unhappy with Mintz, asked Universal head [[Carl Laemmle]] to remove Mintz, suggesting they would be the ones to continue the Oswald series. Laemmle did terminate Mintz's contract, but instead of hiring Harman and Ising, he opted to have the Oswald cartoons produced right on the Universal lot.<ref name="latimes">{{cite news|title= Oswald the Rabbit returns: Walt Disney's lost bunny hops into 21st century |newspaper= [[The Los Angeles Times]]|url= http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2010/12/05/oswald-the-rabbit-returns-walt-disneys-lost-bunny-hops-into-21st-century/|access-date=December 18, 2011}}</ref> Laemmle selected [[Walter Lantz]] to produce the new series of Oswald shorts (the first of which was 1929's ''[[Race Riot (film)|Race Riot]]''). Over the next decade, Lantz produced 142 Oswald cartoons, for a total of 194 films featuring the character, spanning the work of all three producers. After Lantz took over production in 1929, the character's look was changed to some degree over the following years: Oswald got white gloves on his hands, shoes on his feet, a shirt, a "cuter" face with larger eyes, a bigger head, and shorter ears. With 1935's ''Case of the Lost Sheep'', an even more major makeover took place: the character was drawn more realistically now, with white fur rather than black, shoes are removed, plus wearing suspenders instead of a shirt and shorts. This new Oswald model was adapted directly from a non-Oswald character in another Lantz cartoon: the [[Cinecolor]] "Fox and the Rabbit" (1935), released some two months earlier as the last of the early Cartune Classics series. The redesign was done by Manuel Moreno.<ref>{{Google books|xt5k08yuAXIC|Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age|page=|manuel moreno oswald=|text=|plainurl=}}</ref> The cartoons containing the new, white-furred Oswald seemed to be different from their predecessors in more than one way, as the stories themselves became softer. Minor changes in the drawing style would continue, too. With ''Happy Scouts'' (1938), the second-to-last Oswald film produced, the rabbit's fur went from being all-white to a combination of white and gray. Unlike the Disney shorts, in which Oswald did not speak, Lantz's cartoons began to feature actual dialogue for Oswald, although most of the cartoons were still silent to begin with. Animator [[Bill Nolan (animator)|Bill Nolan]] performed the voice of Oswald in ''Cold Turkey'', the first Lantz cartoon with dialogue, and the following year [[Pinto Colvig]], who was working as an animator and gag man at the studio, started voicing Oswald. When Colvig left the studio in 1931, [[Mickey Rooney]] took over the voicing of Oswald until early in the following year. Starting in 1932, Lantz ceased to use a regular voice actor for Oswald, and many studio staff members (including Lantz himself) would take turns in voicing the character over the years. [[June Foray]] provided Oswald's voice in ''The Egg Cracker Suite'', which was the final theatrical short to feature the character. She later voiced him again for an unaired radio pilot, ''Sally in Hollywoodland'' (1947).<ref>[https://www.cartoonbrew.com/cartoon-culture/this-is-what-a-woody-woodpecker-radio-show-would-have-sounded-like-79839.html "This is What A Woody Woodpecker Show Would Have Sounded Like"]. Retrieved 2018-04-19.</ref> Oswald made a cameo appearance in the first animated sequence with both sound and color ([[two-strip Technicolor]]), a 2½-minute animated sequence of the live action movie ''[[The King of Jazz]]'' (1930), produced by Laemmle for Universal. However, it was not until 1934 that Oswald got his own color sound cartoons in two-strip Technicolor, ''Toyland Premiere'' and ''Springtime Serenade''. The Oswald cartoons then returned to black-and-white, except for the last one, ''The Egg Cracker Suite'' (1943), released as a part of the Swing Symphonies series. ''Egg Cracker'' was also the only Oswald cartoon to use [[three-strip Technicolor]]. Oswald's last cartoon appearance was a [[cameo role|cameo]] in ''[[The Woody Woodpecker Polka]]'' (1951), also in three-strip Technicolor, which by then had become the norm in the cartoon industry. He also appeared in a 1952 theatrical commercial for the Electric Autolite Company, with his voice being provided by [[Dick Beals]].<ref name="Lantz Oswald on DVD" /> === comic books === {{more citations needed section|date=September 2017}} [[File:Comic Oswald.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Oswald and his surrogate sons. After a few years on screen, Oswald settled to be featured in comic books. This version of the character is designed by Manuel Moreno.]] Oswald's first appearance in comics was in a series of comic strips titled ''Oswald the Rabbit'', which ran from February 1935 to January 1936. They were drawn by Al Stahl and published by [[National Allied Publications]]. The comics were serialized on one page of the entirety of ''New Fun'' and the first issue of ''[[More Fun Comics|More Fun]]''. Oswald's second run in comics began in [[Dell Comics]]' ''[[The Funnies|New Funnies]]'', which ran from 1942 to 1962. Following the typical development seen in most new comics, the New Funnies stories slowly morphed the character in their own direction. At the start of the ''New Funnies'' feature, Oswald existed in a milieu reminiscent of [[Winnie-the-Pooh]]: he was portrayed as a live [[stuffed animal]], living in a forest together with other anthropomorphized toys. These included Toby Bear, Maggie Lou the wooden doll, Hi-Yah Wahoo the turtle-faced Indian, and [[Woody Woodpecker]]—depicted as a mechanical doll filled with nuts and bolts (hence his "nutty" behavior). In 1944, with the addition of writer [[John Stanley (comics)|John Stanley]], the stuffed animal motif was dropped, as were Maggie Lou, Woody, and Wahoo. Oswald and Toby became flesh and blood characters living as roommates in "Lantzville". Initially drawn by Dan Gormley, the series was later drawn by the likes of Dan Noonan and Lloyd White. In 1948, Toby adopted two orphan rabbits for Oswald to raise. Floyd and Lloyd, "Poppa Oswald's" new sons, stuck around; Toby was relegated to the sidelines, disappearing for good in 1953. Later stories focused on Oswald adventuring with his sons, seeking odd jobs, or simply protecting the boys from the likes of rabbit-eating Reddy Fox and (from 1961) con man Gabby Gator—a character adapted from contemporary Woody Woodpecker cartoon shorts. This era of Oswald comics typically featured the art of [[Jack Bradbury]], known also for his Mickey Mouse work. Post-1960s, Oswald comics tended to be produced outside the United States, for example in [[Mexico]] and Italy. Through the end of the 20th century, the foreign comics carried on the look and story style of the Dell Oswald stories. In 2010, Oswald starred in the digi-comic series ''Epic Mickey: Tales of the Wasteland'', a prequel to the Epic Mickey video game, sharing what the Wasteland was like before Mickey arrived there. In 2011, Oswald starred in the Norwegian Disney comic story "En magisk jul!", written by [[David Gerstein]] and drawn by Mark Kausler. It is based on and takes place in the times of the classic Oswald shorts from 1927–28.<ref>[https://inducks.org/story.php?c=XN+HOJ+2010-001 En magisk jul!] at InDucks</ref> The story was later reprinted, as "Just Like Magic!", in the American Disney comic ''Walt Disney's Comics and Stories'' #726 (2015). === Disney acquires Japanese Oswald trademark === [[File:Al Michaels (37443740985).jpg|right|upright|thumb|[[Al Michaels]] acknowledged that his contract negotiations had effectively [[trade (sports)|traded]] him for Oswald, and spoke favorably of the deal.<ref name="Trivia" />]] In February 2006, Disney CEO [[Bob Iger]] initiated a trade with [[NBCUniversal|NBC Universal]] in which a number of minor assets, including the rights to Oswald, were acquired by [[The Walt Disney Company]] in exchange for sending sportscaster [[Al Michaels]] from Disney's [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and [[ESPN]] to [[NBC Sports]].<ref name=bbc /> At the time, ABC had lost its contract for [[National Football League|NFL]] broadcast rights, and despite recently signing a long-term contract with ESPN, Michaels was interested in rejoining broadcast partner [[John Madden]] at NBC for the Sunday night package. Universal transferred the trademark of the character to Disney, and in exchange, Disney released Michaels from his employment contract, allowing him to sign with [[NBC]]. The deal included the trademark rights to the character on Japan. Iger had been interested in the property because of an internal design document for a video game, which became ''[[Epic Mickey]]''.<ref>{{Cite podcast | url = http://podcast.idlethumbs.net/conf11/theidleconf_110310.mp3 | title = The Idle Thumbs Conf Grenade 2011: GDC 2011: Games Kasavin | website = [[Idle Thumbs]] | host = Chris Remo, [[Jake Rodkin]], Sean Vanaman | date = March 10, 2011 | time = 46:40–53:10 | access-date = January 9, 2012}}</ref> Walt Disney's daughter, [[Diane Disney Miller]], issued the following statement after the deal was announced: {{quote|When [[Bob Iger|Bob [Iger]]] was named CEO, he told me he wanted to bring Oswald back to Disney, and I appreciate that he is a man of his word. Having Oswald around again is going to be a lot of fun.<ref name=WD>[http://corporate.disney.go.com/news/corporate/2006/2006_0209_oswald.html Walt Disney's 1927 Animated Star Returns to Disney], a February 2006 press release</ref>}} Around the same time, the [[Kansas City Chiefs]] and [[New York Jets]] made a similar deal, the Chiefs giving the Jets a draft pick as compensation for releasing coach [[Herm Edwards]] from his contract. Referring to this trade, Michaels said: {{quote|Oswald is definitely worth more than a fourth-round draft choice. I'm going to be a [[trivia]] answer someday.<ref name="Trivia">{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2324417|title=Stay 'tooned: Disney gets 'Oswald' for Al Michaels|work=ESPN.com|date=February 9, 2006}}</ref>}} In January 2007, a [[T-shirt]] line from Comme des Garçons seems to have constituted the first new Disney Oswald merchandise. Following in December was a two-disc DVD set, ''The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit'', included in [[Walt Disney Treasures: Wave Seven|Wave Seven]] of the ''[[Walt Disney Treasures]]'' DVD series. Several Oswald collectors' figurines and a limited edition grayscale plush toy appeared shortly after the DVD set's release. [[The Disney Store]] also began to introduce Oswald into its merchandise lines, starting with a canvas print and Christmas ornament that became available Fall 2007. A standard-issue color plush toy matching Oswald's appearance in ''[[Epic Mickey]]'' appeared in late 2010. This was followed by an ongoing roll-out of clothing and other products at the Disney Store, various chain stores, and the [[Disney California Adventure]] theme park. In 2012, the newly-redesigned [[Buena Vista Street]] at Disney California Adventure included Oswald's Filling Station, a merchandise stand themed as a 1920s Gas Station.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Buhlman |first1=Jocelyn |title=Celebrate Oswald at Disney Parks |url=https://d23.com/celebrate-oswald-disney-parks/ |website=D23: The Official Disney Fan Club |access-date=8 September 2018|date=September 7, 2017 }}</ref> The shop sells "Oswald Ears" hats (a similar style to the popular [[Mickey Mouse Club]] caps), as well as shirts, plush toys and mugs.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Billinger |first1=Tara |title=Oswald's Service Station |url=http://oswaldtheluckyrabbitcollection.weebly.com/oswalds-service-station.html |website=Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Memorabilia Collection |access-date=8 September 2018}}</ref> In 2014, Oswald began making appearances in the area near the shop.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Castro |first1=Andy |title=Oswald the Lucky Rabbit arrives as Halloween Time returns to Disneyland |url=https://micechat.com/80152-disneyland-halloween-time-2/ |website=Micechat |access-date=8 September 2018|date=September 15, 2014 }}</ref> Using Ub Iwerks' sketchbook drawings in 2012, archivists recreated a scene from an Oswald cartoon, ''Harem Scarem''.<ref name=bbc /> === Video games === In 1995, Oswald briefly appeared in ''[[Férias Frustradas do Pica-Pau]]'', a [[Woody Woodpecker]] video game released for the [[Sega Master System]] and the [[Mega Drive]] in Brazil only.<ref>{{cite news |title=Disney Epic Mickey Primer |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/212109/Disney_Epic_Mickey_Primer.html |access-date=October 30, 2017 |work=PCWorld |date=December 1, 2010 |language=en}}</ref> Oswald is one of the main characters in the video game franchise ''[[Epic Mickey]]''. The world of ''Epic Mickey'' is called "Wasteland" and it is similar to [[Disneyland]] but for "forgotten" Disney characters, including Oswald,<ref name="Go">{{cite news |url=https://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=100611 |title=Game Informer reveals the first information on Epic Mickey |access-date=2011-05-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711110926/http://www.gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=100611 |work=GoNintendo |date=May 30, 2011 |archive-date=July 11, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> who rules the place.<ref name="Informer">{{cite web|last=Miller|first=Matt|website=Gameinformer|title=Epic Mickey keeps looking better|date=2010|access-date=May 30, 2011|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/06/18/epic-mickey-keeps-looking-better-and-better.aspx}}</ref> Actually, Oswald fashioned it after Disneyland, but he put images of himself in the place of Mickey in the statue with Walt Disney and other places throughout the town.<ref name="cut1">{{cite web|website=YouTube|title=Epic Mickey: All Cutscenes Part 1|access-date=May 30, 2011|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xzOlseu_yE}}</ref> Oswald was the first cartoon character to be "forgotten" and inhabit Wasteland.<ref name="cut1" /> Oswald dislikes Mickey for stealing his popularity that he felt he deserved.<ref name="cut2">{{cite web|website=YouTube|title=Epic Mickey: All Cutscenes Part 2|access-date=May 30, 2011|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TeZkFu7vd0}}</ref> Oswald tries to make Wasteland a better place for forgotten characters, especially his "bunny children" and his wife Ortensia.<ref name="cut2" /> ''[[Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two]]'' is a video game that was released on November 18, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|last=Stewart|first=John|title=Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two settles a release date|url=https://www.gamingexaminer.com/disney-epic-mickey-2-the-power-of-two-settles-a-release-date/16162/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615175340/http://www.gamingexaminer.com/disney-epic-mickey-2-the-power-of-two-settles-a-release-date/16162/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 15, 2012|publisher=Gaming Examiner|access-date=June 11, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Unlike the previous game, ''Epic Mickey 2'' features full voiced cut-scenes with [[Frank Welker]] (Welker had also provided Oswald's vocal effects in the previous game) as Oswald's first voice actor in a Disney's ''Oswald the Lucky Rabbit'' production ([[Bill Nolan (animator)|Bill Nolan]] was Oswald's first voice actor in 1929 when Walter Lantz produced the Oswald cartoons).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ibtimes.com/epic-mickey-2-release-date-2012-new-games-3ds-wii-xbox-ps3-video-trailer-431260|title='Epic Mickey 2' Release Date 2012: New Games For 3DS & Wii, XBox, PS3 [VIDEO TRAILER]|date=March 28, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://torontosun.com/2012/03/23/game-creator-dishes-on-epic-mickey-sequel|title=Game creator dishes on 'Epic Mickey' sequel|date=March 23, 2012}}</ref> [[Tetsuya Nomura]], creator and lead producer of the ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' franchise, had requested for Oswald's use in ''[[Kingdom Hearts III]]'', but the response from Disney was that the character would be "too difficult" to use, with no further clarification or details from Disney.<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gaming/features/kingdom-hearts-3-tetsuya-nomura-working-disney-catering-fans/ |title=Kingdom Hearts 3: Tetsuya Nomura on working with Disney and catering to fans both old and new |newspaper=The Telegraph |date= March 10, 2017|access-date=August 27, 2019 |first=Tom |last=Hoggins}}</ref> Nomura cites Oswald as one of his favorite Disney characters.<ref name=KHInsider /> === Disney projects === Oswald starred in ''Harem Scarem'', a 2012 cartoon created by archivist from Walt Disney's sketchbook taking dozens of drawings.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Soteriou. |first1=Helen |title=The rebirth of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19910825 |access-date=August 28, 2019 |work=BBC Magazne |date=December 3, 2012}}</ref> He made an appearance in a 2013 throwback style Mickey Mouse cartoon, ''[[Get a Horse!]]''<ref>{{cite news |last1=Morgan |first1=David |title=Obscure Disney characters |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/obscure-disney-characters/3/ |access-date=August 28, 2019 |work=CBS News |page=3 |language=en}}</ref> While only 19 of 26 cartoons were previously known to have survived, a couple of Oswald's lost cartoons were found in the 2010s.<ref name=tg>{{cite news |last1=Ryall |first1=Julian |title=Disney's 'lost' Oswald the Lucky Rabbit movie surfaces in Japan |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/15/disneys-lost-oswald-lucky-rabbit-movie-surfaces-japan/ |access-date=August 28, 2019 |work=The Telegraph |date=November 15, 2018}}</ref> In 2015, the [[British Film Institute]]'s National Archives were found to hold his ''Sleigh Bells'' (1927) footage. The BFI and [[Walt Disney Animation Studios]] worked to restore the short.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Galuppo |first1=Mia |title=Long Lost 'Oswald the Lucky Rabbit' Disney Animation Discovered in BFI Archives |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oswald-lucky-rabbit-disney-animation-836707 |access-date=August 28, 2019 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=November 3, 2015 |language=en}}</ref> Long-term Disney animator David Bossert wrote a book, ''Oswald the Lucky Rabbit: The Search for the Lost Disney Cartoons'' which was released in 2017. A Japanese man, Yasushi Watanabe, read the book and discovered that he had a missing 1928 Oswald cartoon, ''Neck & Neck'', since he was a teenager.<ref name=tg /> == Merchandise == Shortly after the rabbit starred in his black and white animated silent shorts between 1927 and 1928, he was successfully able to sell merchandise for Universal: a chocolate-covered marshmallow candy bar, a stencil set, and a pin-backed button.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thisdayindisneyhistory.com/OswaldRabbit.html|title=OSWALD LUCKY RABBIT Disney History|website=www.thisdayindisneyhistory.com}}</ref> In 2004 and 2005, Oswald products became popular in Japan and were primarily made available as prizes in UFO catchers<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.am-j.co.jp/column/aou2004/report03.html|title=AOU 2004 Report|publisher=AM-J}}</ref> and as official merchandise in [[Universal Studios Japan]], manufactured by [[Taito]] and/or Medicom, these products included puppets, inflatable dolls, keyrings, and watches<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cartoonresearch.com/lantz2.html|title=OSWALD RABBIT TOYS|website=www.cartoonresearch.com}}</ref> Oswald made his first Disneyland appearance at Tokyo Disneyland on March 31, 2010, as an Easter float.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}} At the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, a poster of Oswald can be seen at the Town Square Theater where Mickey Mouse is available for meet and greets. Also inside Mickey's meeting area, a doodle of Oswald and Mickey can be seen. Clothing products are also available at Disneyland Paris in Walt Disney Studios Park.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}} As of October 4, 2017, Oswald now has a Service Station at Disney California Adventure that sells Oswald merchandise including Oswald ears, shirts, coats, mugs and key-chains. == Theme park appearances == The Oswald character showed up at the parks in Florida and California on the day Disney reacquired Oswald, but made no further appearances at the time. In 2010, [[Tokyo Disneyland]] produced a float featuring Oswald for their first Easter holiday event.<ref name=OswaldFloat>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deviantart.com/dalia1784/art/Oswald-Float-160166894|title=Oswald Float by Dalia1784 on DeviantArt|website=www.deviantart.com}}</ref> In 2011, Oswald appeared with other old Disney characters on the Construction walls for [[Disney California Adventure|Disney California Adventure Park's]] new entrance.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://oswaldsbuddy.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=oswaldappearances&action=post&thread=35&quote=148&page=1|title=Home – Disney's OSWALD the Lucky Rabbit Fan-Site|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723082258/http://oswaldsbuddy.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=oswaldappearances|archive-date=July 23, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2011, Oswald appeared on a poster as a magician's rabbit in Town Square Theater in [[Magic Kingdom]] park.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_7kWyKfQoM |title=Mickey Mouse shows you around backstage at Town Square Theater at Disney's Magic Kingdom |publisher=YouTube |date=March 30, 2011 |access-date=February 23, 2012}}</ref> In 2011, Oswald appeared on various items of clothing available for purchase at [[Disneyland Paris]] in the shops on Main Street USA. In 2012, Disney California Adventure park at the [[Disneyland Resort]] reopened with a new entry area called [[Buena Vista Street]], themed to 1920s Los Angeles. Oswald's Service Station is a 1920s gas station (housing a gift shop) located at the north end of the street and features Oswald prominently in its logo. Disney California Adventure also sells Oswald merchandise, while next door [[Disneyland|Disneyland Park]] offers Mickey Mouse merchandise exclusively. In 2012, Oswald ear hats appeared at the Emporium at Walt Disney World in Florida. As of May 28, 2014 Oswald can be spotted on the exit of ''The Seven Dwarves'' ride at Magic Kingdom, Orlando. He is carved into a tree near the exit door. On April 1, 2014, a new Oswald costumed character began meet-and-greets at [[Tokyo DisneySea]]. On September 14, 2014, Oswald began making appearances on Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure. As of October 4, 2017, Oswald now has a Service Station at Disney California Adventure and has been spotted making appearances. On June 2, 2018 at the FanDaze event Oswald's spouse, Ortensia accompanied him as a VIP guest In Disneyland Paris. They also performed in the show, "Oh My, Ortensia".<ref>{{cite web|last=Slater|first=Shawn|title=Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Is on His Way to Disney California Adventure Park|url=https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/09/oswald-the-lucky-rabbit-is-on-his-way-to-disney-california-adventure-park/|publisher=Disney Parks Blog|access-date=September 9, 2014|date=September 2, 2014}}</ref> == Filmography == {{Main|Oswald the Lucky Rabbit filmography}} == Home media == * In the 1980s and 1990s, Oswald titles could still be found in 16 mm and 8 mm film catalogs. Titles included ''Lovesick'' (16 mm), ''The Mechanical Cow'' (16 mm), ''Egg Cracker Suite'' (8 mm/16 mm), and ''Great Guns'' (8 mm), to name a few.{{cn|date=March 2020}} * Some earlier Oswald shorts are in the public domain, and have thus been available for some years in various lower-quality video and DVD compilations. Some are lost. * A professional restoration of the then surviving Disney Oswald shorts, under the title ''The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit'', appeared as a two-disc volume in ''[[Walt Disney Treasures: Wave Seven#The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit|Walt Disney Treasures: Wave Seven]]'', released December 11, 2007. The cartoons included ''Ozzie of the Mounted'', ''Tall Timber'', and a much-extended version of ''Bright Lights'', all newly rediscovered at the time. * Six Walter Lantz Oswald cartoons, including ''Hells Heels'' and ''Toyland Premiere'', have been included in ''[[The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection]]'' DVD. * Five additional Lantz Oswald shorts, including ''Wax Works'' and ''Springtime Serenade'', are included in ''[[The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection: Volume 2]]'' DVD. * The full version of ''Oh, What a Knight'' is included as an unlockable cartoon in ''[[Epic Mickey]]'' by collecting various film reels in the game. * The restored version of ''[[Hungry Hoboes]]'' is included as part of the bonus features in the release of the Walt Disney Signature Collection edition of ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'' on Blu-ray. Although the short is not included on the disc itself, a digital code is included with the Blu-ray so the short can be "unlocked" for viewing.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.yahoo.com/movies/disney-gives-us-a-peek-1346821921529910.html| title=Disney Gives Us a Peek at Restored 1928 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Short 'The Hungry Hobos' (Exclusive)| date=January 19, 2016|access-date=January 23, 2016 }}</ref> * The shorts ''My Pal Paul'' and ''Africa'' are fully restored and included as extras in the Criterion release of ''[[King of Jazz]]''. == Reception == During the 1920s, the Oswald shorts, as well as Oswald himself, proved extremely popular and had received substantial critical acclaim. ''[[The Film Daily]]'' noted that the series was "one of the best sellers of the 'U[niversal]' short subject program." According to ''[[The Moving Picture World]]'', Oswald had "accomplished the astounding feat of jumping into the first-run favor overnight".<ref name="SusaninMiller2011" /> With the release of ''Trolley Troubles'', ''The Film Daily'' wrote, "As conductor on a 'Toonerville' trolley, Oswald is a riot. This ... you can book on pure faith, and our solemn word that they have the goods."<ref name="SusaninMiller2011" /> ''The Moving Picture World'' noted Oswald was "good for a lot of smiles and real laughs. 'Trolley Troubles' presents Oswald as the skipper of a dinky little trolley on a wild ride over mountains." According to ''The Moving Picture World'': {{quote|If the first of these new cartoon comedies for Universal release is an indication of what is to come, then this series is destined to win much popular favor. They are cleverly drawn, well executed, brimful of action and fairly abounding in humorous situations. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is all of that. Some of his experiences are hilarious and breath taking.}} With the release of ''Oh, Teacher'', ''Moving Picture World'' wrote that it "lives up to the promise of the first ... as a clever, peppy, and amusing series of cartoons that should prove popular in any type of house. This one deals with Oswald as a school kid and introduces a cat as his rival. It contains some of the best gags we have seen in cartoons." With the release of ''The Mechanical Cow'', ''Moving Picture World'' wrote that Oswald "has a wild and amusing time with his ingenuous milk producer". With the release of ''Great Guns'', ''Moving Picture World'' wrote that Oswald is a "hero in action in the trenches and [in] a situation where two planes fight each other like pugilists". They found that ''Great Guns'' was "chock full of humor" and wrote, "This series is bound to be popular in all types of houses if the present standard is maintained." ''Moving Picture World'' also wrote of the series: {{quote|In addition to striking a new note in cartoon characters by featuring a rabbit, these Disney creations are bright, speedy and genuinely amusing ... The animation is good and the clever way in which Disney makes his creations simulate the gestures and expressions of human beings adds to the enjoyment. They should provide worthwhile attractions in any type of house.}} In addition: {{quote|Oswald looks like a real contender. Walt Disney is doing this new series. Funny how the cartoon artists never hit on a rabbit before. Oswald with his long ears has a chance for a lot of new comedy gags and makes the most of them. Universal has been looking for a good animated subject for the last year. They've found it.}} In the modern era, animation historian David Gerstein notes: {{quote|Disney has done some new projects with Oswald since recovering him. He's co-starred with Mickey in a video game series [...] called Epic Mickey. Kids who have discovered those games have discovered the Oswald films, and it's fascinating to see that Oswald is a genuinely popular character with kids today. If you ask a high schooler if they know Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a surprising number will say yes. [There] is just something vital about these characters that, when presented the right way, [connects] with all ages.<ref name="hometheaterforum">{{cite news|url=https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/threads/exclusive-interview-with-david-gerstein-animation-historian.345630/ |title=Exclusive Interview with David Gerstein – Animation Historian |publisher=Home Theater Forum |date= January 25, 2016|access-date=January 28, 2016 |first=Blake |last=Taylor}}</ref>}} Oswald won Best New Character in both Readers' Choice and Editors' Choice in [[Nintendo Power]]'s Best of 2010 awards.<ref name=Nintendo>[https://nintendoeverything.com/61399/2010-nintendo-power-awards-results/ 2010 Nintendo Power Awards results]{{dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Nintendo Power</ref> [[Tetsuya Nomura]], creator and lead producer of the ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' franchise, lists Oswald as one of his favorite Disney characters.<ref name=KHInsider>[https://www.khinsider.com/news/Nomura-Shimomura-Joint-Interview-for-KH-Orchestra-8752 Nomura & Shimomura Joint Interview for KH Orchestra], Kingdom Hearts Insider</ref> == See also == * [[Animation in the United States during the silent era]] * [[Golden Age of American animation]] == References == {{Reflist|30em}} == External links == * {{Inducks character|Oswald+the+Lucky+Rabbit}} * [http://www.toonopedia.com/oswald.htm Oswald the Lukcy Rabbit] at [[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]]. [https://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160523191441/http://www.toonopedia.com/oswald.htm Archived] from the original on September 7, 2015. * [https://www.bcdb.com/cartoons/Other_Studios/W/M._J._Winkler_Productions/Oswald_the_Lucky_Rabbit/ Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Theatrical Series -M. J. Winkler Prods] at the [[The Big Cartoon DataBase|Big Cartoon DataBase]] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110607024308/http://www.cartoonresearch.com/winkler/index.html Of Rocks and Socks: The Winkler Oswalds (1928–29)] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060104171045/http://lantz.goldenagecartoons.com/profiles/oswald/index.html The Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia: Cartune Profiles: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20170424125055/http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0223694/ Oswald the Lucky Rabbit] on [[IMDb]] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20151104195435/http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/announcements/lost-disney-film-found-bfi-national-archive Lost Disney film found in the BFI National Archive] {{Disney Characters}} {{Epic Mickey series}} {{Woody Woodpecker}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Oswald The Lucky Rabbit}} [[Category:Oswald the Lucky Rabbit| ]] [[Category:Film characters introduced in 1927]] [[Category:Film series introduced in 1927]] [[Category:Male characters in animation]] [[Category:Disney core universe characters]] [[Category:Walt Disney Studios franchises]] [[Category:Animated film series]] [[Category:Fictional inventors]] [[Category:Fictional rabbits and hares]] [[Category:Fictional anthropomorphic characters]] [[Category:Universal Pictures cartoons and characters]] [[Category:Woody Woodpecker]] [[Category:Video game bosses]] [[Category:Disney short film series]] [[Category:Walter Lantz Productions cartoons and characters]] [[Category:Screen_Gems_film_series]]'