The Start of Mickey Mouse
After discovering the truth about the contract terms Walt Disney and M. J. Walker (Margaret Walker) parted ways. Walt opened up his own studio. The place was small, but it got the job done. Eventually his company grew, and he and his staff were able to move into a proper studio located on Hyperion Ave. in Hollywood. At this studio, Walt Disney, with the help of his chief animator and friend Ub Iwerks, created Mickey Mouse. The first few cartoons were silent films but they weren’t very successful because sound films were starting to premier. However once the film “Steamboat Willie” opened on November 18, 1928, it was a huge hit. Time passed and the more the public saw Mickey, the more they grew to love him. Cartoons were still expensive to make, so one day a man told Disney he would pay him $300 if he could put Mickey Mouse on pencil tablets. This launched Mickey Mouse merchandise.