Incredibly rare original vintage signed and inscribed pen and ink sketch of Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit on an off-white 7 x 9 sheet of parchment-type paper, presented to Universal Studios founder Carl Laemmle on the 20th anniversary of the building of Universal Studios. This drawing and signature, though not in Disney’s hand, was done under Disney’s direction by artist Hank Porter. Sketch shows Mickey walking towards Oswald waving his hand, with Oswald looking fairly unhappy at seeing Mickey as he has his hands on his hips. Inscribed underneath, “To Carl Laemmle—In memory of the days when I produced Oswald for Universal—Best wishes always, Sincerely, Walt Disney.” Sketch is dated in the lower left by the Laemmle family, “Oct 1, 1935.” In very fine condition.
Disney had created the Oswald character while working for Universal in 1927, and he quickly became a major hit, competing in popularity with the likes of Felix the Cat. Seeing this success, Disney tried to renegotiate his contract to no avail, and decided to sever ties with Universal set out on his own—this meant leaving behind his beloved creation, Oswald. In order to compete, he decided to come up with another character, and thus Mortimer Mouse—now Mickey—was born. When Steamboat Willie debuted in 1928, Mickey quickly surpassed Oswald in popularity and Disney didn’t look back. This sketch is especially interesting as it is probably the only one featuring both Mickey and Oswald, since the characters were owned by separate companies. The humor of Disney’s somewhat insincere sentiment directed at his former boss, as well as the image of an enthusiastic Mickey greeting the perturbed Oswald, make this a superb piece steeped in cartoon history. RR Auction COA.
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