| Oswald the Lucky Rabbit | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Oswald |
|
First Appearance |
Trolly Troubles (1927) |
|
Original Publisher |
Universal Pictures |
|
Created by |
Walt Disney |
Origin[]
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (also known as Oswald the Rabbit or Oswald Rabbit) is a cartoon character created in 1927 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks for Universal Pictures. He starred in several animated short films released to theaters from 1927 to 1938, and, subsequently, in numerous comics under the Walter Lantz umbrella, before the rights to his original cartoon run and trademark were eventually bought back by Disney, leading to his appearances in the Epic Mickey series of video games.
In Oswald's first official short Poor Papa, he was a considerably older rabbit with a far more aggressive attitude. While the short was poorly received, it was significant in introducing Oswald's children, who would later reappear in Trolley Troubles and Oh Teacher.
He was portrayed as a small, mischievous rabbit, often finding himself in trouble. He would always be saved, however, through his luck (hence the name). He was also shown to have the ability to disassemble his body parts at will, as seen when he literally detached his leg and kissed it for good luck.
Oswald's original love interest was named Fanny the rabbit. She would later be replaced by a cat named Sadie in The Banker's Daughter.
Before he was introduced to Mickey, the infamous Pete was an enemy of Oswald's. The two were bigger rivals, often at odds for varying reasons, though Oswald would always come out on top, due to the impressive strokes of luck.
Public Domain Appearances[]
Public Domain Films[]
Oswald as seen in Trolly Troubles.
Disney Era[]
- Trolly Troubles (1927)
- Oh Teacher (1927)
- The Mechanical Cow (1927)
- Great Guns (1927)
- All Wet (1927)
- The Ocean Hop (1927)
- Poor Papa (1927)
- The Banker's Daughter (1927) (lost film)
- Empty Socks (1927) (partially lost)
- Rickety Gin (1927) (lost film)
- Harem Scarem (1928) (lost film)
- Neck 'n' Neck (1928) (partially lost)
- The Ol' Swimmin' Hole (1928)
- Africa Before Dark (1928)
- Rival Romeos (1928)
- Bright Lights (1928)
- Sagebrush Sadie (1928) (lost film)
- Ride 'Em Plowboy (1928) (lost film)
- Ozzie of the Mounted (1928)
- Hungry Hobos (1928)
- Oh What a Knight (1928)
- The Fox Chase (1928)
- Tall Timber (1928)
- Sleigh Bells (1928) (partially lost)
- High Up (1928)
- Hot Dogs (1928) (lost film)
- The Sky Scrapper (1928)
Winkler Era[]
- Mississippi Mud (1928)
- Panicky Pancakes (1928) (lost film)
- Fiery Firemen (1928)
- Rocks and Socks (1928) (lost film)
- South Pole Flight (1928) (lost film)
- Bull-Oney (1928) (lost film)
- A Horse Tale (1928) (lost film)
- Farmyard Follies (1928) (partially lost)
Lantz Era[]
- The Bandmaster (1931)
- Mechanical Man (1932)
- Making Good (1932)
- The Plumber (1933)
- The Quail Hunt (1935)
- Beach Combers (1936)
Public Domain Comics[]
- New Fun #1-6
- More Fun #7
Notes[]
- "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit" has been held as a trademark by Walt Disney Productions since 2017. This means that although Oswald can legally be used within a work of fiction, he cannot be used for merchandising such as food; toys; and apparel, and the marketing for any stories featuring the character must be very careful to establish that it is not affiliated with Disney.
- There was no record of copyright renewals found for New Fun Comics or More Fun Comics issues #1-32 allowing those comics to fall into the public domain.