The Walt Disney Company has released the first animated short of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in nearly 95 years. Walt Disney Animation Studios created the new hand-drawn animated short as a part of the celebration of Disney 100 Years of Wonder! The short was created by Disney Animation’s hand-drawn animation team. It is titled Oswald The Lucky Rabbit and is directed by animator Eric Goldberg and produced by Dorothy McKim.
“On the eve of Disney’s 100th anniversary, it was such a joy to create the first new Oswald short from our studio since 1928,” says McKim. “Our hand-drawn animation team—including our hand-drawn legends Mark Henn, Randy Haycock, and Eric Goldberg, as well our wonderful team of 2D apprentices—had a ball animating in the style of Oswald’s era.”
Goldberg adds, “Oswald is such a plucky scamp. We wanted to bring Oswald back, and in the short, he literally returns to his original home: the movie screen. We wanted to have Oswald do all of the ‘squash-and-stretch,’ ‘rubber hose’-animation style, celebrating that first generation of Walt Disney’s artists.”
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was Walt Disney’s original breakout animated star. He was also considered one of the first characters in the history of animation to utilize a unique personality. He was introduced to moviegoers first in 1927 in Trolley Troubles. There were 26 Oswald short films created by Walt and his time. The final Disney shorts starring the characters were released in 1928. This would be the same year that Walt lost creative control of the now not-so-lucky rabbit.
Decades later, Disney CEO Bob Iger worked a deal with NBCUniversal that effectively traded sportscaster Al Michaels to NBC in exchange for Oswald. Since that trade, Oswald has appeared in Disney theme parks, video games, merchandise, and an animated short. He also can now be seen in a new Snapchat lens that Disney announced today that allows user to channel Oswald using AR technology.
What do you think of this new Oswald short? Are you glad Disney made another hand-drawn animated short for Oswald? Should they do more? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
