~The Growth Of OSwald Merchandise~
In 2006 Disney got the rights back to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit from Universal after losing him 79 years earlier. Charles Mintz took the character and most of Walt's animators out from under him in a bad business deal. The loss affected Walt Disney tremendously and he vowed that he would own the rights to all of his characters in the future. He never talked about Oswald with his family but instead focused on his new creation, Mickey Mouse. Sports commentator Al Michaels was traded from ABC Sports, which Disney owned, to Universal Sports which owned NBC. The trade was amicable on all sides. In the final days of negotiations Bob Iger, president at Disney, called Universal and asked if they could get the rights to Oswald back. Universal agreed and the missing piece in Disney's animation library was returned. The interesting part wasn't that Disney had gotten Oswald back but instead how the character had gone full circle after Walt lost him.
The First Official Disney Oswald Merch
There are three Oswald items, generally acknowledged to have been manufactured in Disney’s Oswald days. One is a candy bar wrapper, which is Oswald, in name only, as the art pictures a white bunny, a pin back button, Zzzzzz, and one other thing, a very decent Stencil Set.
Many of these objects are labeled “Universal Pictures”. That gives them some legitimacy as being closely related to Disney’s Oswald, but, whether or not, they were made during Disney’s stewardship, or immediately after, is impossible to say. In the very back of the case, on either side, are two large stuffed Oswalds. They are hidden, largely due to lack of space. These are not of the same quality as the doll in the middle. On either side of that doll, are two large and impressive windup toys. They were manufactured by “Irwin Toys”. On the opposite side, is a printed oilcloth Oswald doll. And in the middle, are three dolls made in England by Dean. The one in the center is made of wood. Dean’s rag Book Company, later, repeated this format with Mickey dolls, as well. And, of course, here is the Stencil Set. The bright pink stencils have faded over the years. From the ceiling hang several celluloid Oswald toys.
The "Missing" Years of Oswald
The president of Universal, Carl Laemmle, fired Charles Mintz and replaced him with Walter Lantz around 1929. Walter was an uncredited artist on some of the early Disney-produced shorts. He was always fond of the character and wanted to help build him into an animation superstar. Unfortunately, he didn't see a future for the character as long as Mintz was producing. When Lantz was placed in charge of Oswald he began helping shape the personality, look and even voice of Oswald along with fellow animator Bill Nolan. Of course most people know Lantz for being the creator of Woody Woodpecker but it would be Oswald that helped teach him the ins and outs of animation. Character design, timing, comedy, style and effects used in shorts featuring Andy Panda, Buzz Buzzard, Wally Walrus and Woody Woodpecker all stemmed from Oswald.
The most interesting thing that the Lantz / Nolan partnership had was in shaping the look and personality of Oswald. Some historians might argue that they were poaching the success of Mickey Mouse and tried to steer Oswald into similar adventures. At the very least the comparisons between the design of Mickey and the look of Oswald did have some merit. In the early '30s Oswald was given shoes and buttoned shorts that made him look very much like the classic mouse. To help make the character more distinct he was also given a shirt (hah!). Oswald was technically the first of the two to have the shorts, however he was also presented wearing overalls in some of his earliest appearances.
The most interesting thing that the Lantz / Nolan partnership had was in shaping the look and personality of Oswald. Some historians might argue that they were poaching the success of Mickey Mouse and tried to steer Oswald into similar adventures. At the very least the comparisons between the design of Mickey and the look of Oswald did have some merit. In the early '30s Oswald was given shoes and buttoned shorts that made him look very much like the classic mouse. To help make the character more distinct he was also given a shirt (hah!). Oswald was technically the first of the two to have the shorts, however he was also presented wearing overalls in some of his earliest appearances.
Walter Lantz had the freedom to keep redesigning Oswald as he saw fit. Shortly after he was put in charge of the new cartoons he actually won the rights for Oswald from Carl Laemmle in a poker game. Just imagine how disposable some of the properties seemed back then! Lantz would put Oswald in many adventures, including the first talkies and color works featuring the rabbit. In all he produced over 140 cartoons featuring the character. By comparison Disney had produced only 26 cartoons and almost half of those prints were lost in time. It would be fair to say that Lantz was as attached to the character as Disney was to Mickey Mouse. In fact the two directors became friends when Lantz approached Disney for advice on how to proceed with the character once Universal had taken over. Walt appreciated the gesture and gave Lantz his blessing to continue. The pressure was off of Disney as Mickey had saved his studio. Both men saw their characters as stars in the making and would enjoy the work produced by the other artist for decades.
What Disney didn't foresee was how Oswald would change over the years though. Mickey Mouse went from black and white to color. His "pie eyes" were changed to more expressive pupils instead. Even with those changes Mickey still looked familiar to audiences. Walt made sure that the artists and cartoonists working at his studio never lost focus of what made Mickey unique and why they should never make him look or act out of character. Less than a decade after Oswald was created he began to take on more realistic rodent traits. Oswald was given fur, color and proportions which were much more cartoon bunny-like. Like many of the biggest cartoon stars Oswald enjoyed success on merchandising as well as his own comic book series.
What Disney didn't foresee was how Oswald would change over the years though. Mickey Mouse went from black and white to color. His "pie eyes" were changed to more expressive pupils instead. Even with those changes Mickey still looked familiar to audiences. Walt made sure that the artists and cartoonists working at his studio never lost focus of what made Mickey unique and why they should never make him look or act out of character. Less than a decade after Oswald was created he began to take on more realistic rodent traits. Oswald was given fur, color and proportions which were much more cartoon bunny-like. Like many of the biggest cartoon stars Oswald enjoyed success on merchandising as well as his own comic book series.
Oswald also enjoyed cameos in other Lantz-produced shorts. Unfortunately, the rabbit appeared as and was treated more like a background character. There was nothing unique or striking about the rabbit. As his design was streamlined his personality had slowly been stripped away as well. The lessons that Walt had taught his staff were missed here. Andy Panda (created in 1939) and Woody Woodpecker (created in 1941) had eclipsed the status of the rabbit. By the end of the '50s there were not many that regarded Oswald as a cartoon superstar. Lantz maintained the rights to the rabbit and Universal had the deal for distribution through the life of the character. Unfortunately, there weren't many takers over the past few decades. Oswald had been forgotten like so many other classic characters in the span of time.
Something changed in the zeitgeist of animation fans. Past the year 2000 many had begun looking backward at the icons that once were. Some were trying to find ways to market them once more. Around 2004, before Disney had signed a bunch of fashionable companies to help bring back the rabbit, a South Korean children's clothing manufacturer put Oswald on their tees. The retro stylings featured on the shirts by Rocket Salad were reproduced from classic children's books. The character looked friendly and playful. He seemed to have much more personality than the generic rabbit that baby boomers recognized. Chances are those in South Korea or Japan, which imported the label, were not familiar with Oswald at all. Very soon they would be however.
Something changed in the zeitgeist of animation fans. Past the year 2000 many had begun looking backward at the icons that once were. Some were trying to find ways to market them once more. Around 2004, before Disney had signed a bunch of fashionable companies to help bring back the rabbit, a South Korean children's clothing manufacturer put Oswald on their tees. The retro stylings featured on the shirts by Rocket Salad were reproduced from classic children's books. The character looked friendly and playful. He seemed to have much more personality than the generic rabbit that baby boomers recognized. Chances are those in South Korea or Japan, which imported the label, were not familiar with Oswald at all. Very soon they would be however.
Taito wanted to work with a classic cartoon license for their prize machines. Rival company Sega already had the rights for Disney items in their arcades. Taito not only found a classic icon of their own, but one created by Walt Disney himself. Taito worked with Universal and the Lantz copyright holders to restore the look of Oswald back to his earliest incarnations. The studio settled on one which looked very classic but was actually quite unique. The character was presented in soft blue, almost turquoise in color with bright yellow shorts. He had previously never been rendered this way but the character was so rare that few people could argue with the authenticity. It certainly looked older than the art featured on the Rocket Salad shirts. Between 2004 and 2005 Taito had sparked a renewed interest in the character. The merchandise featuring the character included a tag which highlighted the origins of the character, the involvement of Walt Disney and what he stood for. The rest as the saying goes was history.
The Rabbit Takes Shape
The character underwent some subtle changes shortly after Disney had required the character. The early licensors, between 2006 and 2007 used designs that were very fluid and reminiscent of the Taito art. The character had a more oval or egg-shaped head, skinnier arms and legs and long rounded feet. By 2008 the character had been standardized for official art and merchandise.
The new Oswald had thicker arms and legs with squared off fingers and feet. He was not forced into the role of perpetually grinning mascot. The studio had official art featuring an angry or sassy rabbit. The style sheets had taken shape. Warren Spector and his team at Junction Point further refined the designs when they modeled the rabbit in 3D for Epic Mickey.
Disney was eager for fans to accept Oswald into their collections. In order to do so they got two of their best artists, Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily, to work on sculpts for the figure. Aside from the vinyl Cutie figure that I had blogged about previously the studio wanted to release a high-end plush figure. In 2006 Kevin and Jody covered a clay sculpture in suede and fabricated cord whiskers. Some of the first drawings of Oswald did in fact have whiskers on the rabbit. This small detail was eventually dropped as the studio began working on new style sheets for other artists and licensors to work from. The Kevin and Jody figure was taken to shows to get the public interested in Oswald again.
Disney was eager for fans to accept Oswald into their collections. In order to do so they got two of their best artists, Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily, to work on sculpts for the figure. Aside from the vinyl Cutie figure that I had blogged about previously the studio wanted to release a high-end plush figure. In 2006 Kevin and Jody covered a clay sculpture in suede and fabricated cord whiskers. Some of the first drawings of Oswald did in fact have whiskers on the rabbit. This small detail was eventually dropped as the studio began working on new style sheets for other artists and licensors to work from. The Kevin and Jody figure was taken to shows to get the public interested in Oswald again.
A year later a figure that looked very similar to the concept sculpt was released at Walt Disney World. The plush was large and pricey, at about $60, but included the history of the character on the packaging. It reminded audiences "Before there was Mickey… there was Oswald." Today the figure can fetch several hundred dollars on eBay and specially shops. As for the original sculpt the current whereabouts are unknown. There is a strong chance that Disney has it in their archives now if it did not go back with Kevin and Jody after the show circuit. The same thing could be said of the first "Big Fig" commissioned for the character as well.
Kevin and Jody once again went back in time to get the inspiration for a collectable statue. They returned with a very vintage design. The top had, egg shaped head and cane were elements pulled from some of the earliest Oswald appearances. Many collectors showed interest in the figure but apparently not enough for the studio to follow through with a release. Six years later an Oswald statue was released but in the smaller "Mid Fig" format. The new sculpt was closer to the style sheets but lacked the insight and details that Kevin and Jody had dug up.
Kevin and Jody once again went back in time to get the inspiration for a collectable statue. They returned with a very vintage design. The top had, egg shaped head and cane were elements pulled from some of the earliest Oswald appearances. Many collectors showed interest in the figure but apparently not enough for the studio to follow through with a release. Six years later an Oswald statue was released but in the smaller "Mid Fig" format. The new sculpt was closer to the style sheets but lacked the insight and details that Kevin and Jody had dug up.
Of course if anyone outside of the company could get their hands on either the original plush sculpture or the big fig then they would be considered the king of collectors.
Disney set out trying to reintroduce Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to audiences in 2006 after they had regained the rights to the character from Universal. The company did not want to suddenly start dropping a ton of Oswald merchandise at parks but instead wanted audiences to rediscover him little by little on the outside. They released an Oswald collector's edition of the Walt Disney Treasures DVD set featuring all the surviving shorts produced by Disney. To signify the importance of the silent movie star the collector tin was colored gold. It was the only gold set in the previously all-silver library.
To help build a strong following on the street Disney licensed Oswald to some of the trendier fashion labels. From 2006 through 2007 most of the companies made limited-edition tee shirt runs, for example like Stussy did in Japan. In fashion circles the type of fabric used, number of shirts produced and even artist designing the clothes all figured into the final cost. The early designer Oswald shirts started at $35 but by the time French fashion house Comme des Garcons worked with the character then $150+ tee shirts were not uncommon. In fact Comme des Garcons developed a $200 wallet and $175 dress shirt featuring Oswald.
Some of the more unique shirts were produced in the US by Lucky Brand. The jean company had the most diverse and creative designs featuring the rabbit. No other studio, not even Disney, had created as many personality-defining articles in such a short span of time. Any collector worth their salt had at least one Lucky Brand shirt to their name. Of course clothing was just one way that people were becoming familiar with the character. Toys, plush figures and other collectables were what fans were hoping to see. Some designs for the rabbit did not find a home right away and were put on the back burner.
In early 2006 Disney began showing the character at licensing shows to see what interest they could garner with him. The studio had a vinyl figure that they had developed but never released for the "Cuties" line. Even at that time Disney was aware that vinyl art was beginning to gain momentum in the US. The first Vinylmation figure would not be released for another two years. Unfortunately the interest for the character in the US and Europe was a little thin. As such fans never saw the first vinyl Oswald developed for the market. The art and design of that Cutie survived and in 2013 the same pose was featured on a pin.
The first vinyl art piece for the US featuring the rabbit was actually produced by The Span of Sunset. The collector boutique in Hollywood had worked on several Disney licenses including Alice in Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean and Runaway Brain. The shop was known for being on the cutting edge of comic and figure art. In 2008 they had released a brightly colored version of the character for the San Diego Comic Con.
The first vinyl art piece for the US featuring the rabbit was actually produced by The Span of Sunset. The collector boutique in Hollywood had worked on several Disney licenses including Alice in Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean and Runaway Brain. The shop was known for being on the cutting edge of comic and figure art. In 2008 they had released a brightly colored version of the character for the San Diego Comic Con.
Years later Oswald made an appearance as a Vinylmation figure. He was the Classic Collection chaser, the secret figure in each case. The figure was designed by Eric Caszatt and thankfully had the rabbit ears instead of mouse ears that all the other artists had to work with. The best, or at least most unique Oswald items seemed to come from overseas. In Japan audiences could not seem to get enough of the rabbit. Universal had actually reintroduced the character overseas between 2004 and 2005. They had licensed the character to Taito to develop a series of items for prize machines in their arcades. Plush figures, inflatable dolls, pillows and keychains were released. The company had even put out a "Mickey hand" watch before Hirob! A generation of fans was created overnight. All of the merchandise featuring the rabbit had been hot ever since in Japan.
Medicom Toy, also from Japan, had been working with the Disney license for years. They had produced a large number of vinyl collectables featuring Mickey, Minnie, Donald and all sorts of other icons. Just after Disney regain the rights they too had released one of the rarest and most sought after Oswald items ever. Medicom artists sculpted a 3D replica of the first and only time Walt Disney had ever drawn Mickey and Oswald together. Walt had sent a letter to Carl Laemmle on his retirement of Universal. Walt held no ill will for the studio head, as it was producer Charles Mintz that took Oswald and most of his animation staff from under him. Carl had actually fired Charles when he felt the Oswald animation wasn't up to par. The two vinyl figures were released as a set for around $75, today they could go for $400 or more. They were among the most expensive modern collectables featuring the rabbit. Warren Spector had the set and he shared it and many more rare pieces along with the Disney Archives at the 2012 E3.
Medicom also developed Kubrick and Bearbrick figures and it was only obvious that they would also release Mickey and Oswald in that format as well. What is most interesting about the character was the way he changed through the years, particularly before Disney got him back.
Now at the present day, Oswald is more familiar to guests at Disney's California Adventure with his very own gift shop themed gas station "Oswald's" Service with a smile. People are slowing warming up to him and he's progressing in merchandise in the US. Though, not as rapidly as Japan as they release a plethora of unique and fun items very frequently at Tokyo Disneyland. Most new merch that releases usually comes from Japan these days. But I'm not giving up hope on the States. They're taking baby steps but its eons better than it once was when they got the rights for him. I'm very excited to see what they have in store for him in the future.
Credit Sources for this Material goes to: Noe V. at 1up.com and Mel Birnkrant's Mouse Heaven Collection.