It was Mortimer Mouse. After Walt Disney lost the Sunflower Mickey Mouse Disney shirt rights to his original creation Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, he and Ub Iwerks were looking to create something that was closer to the optimism that Walt had. While designing the character, Walt’s wife Lillian admitted that she didn’t like the name Mortimer as it seemed too formal. Animators threw several suggestions, but Walt eventually heard and like the sound of Mickey (which was also a popular name during the 1920s). Mickey made his debut in Plane Crazy and his sound introduction (and true debut) Steamboat Willie. Sure, it didn’t look much like Mickey and didn’t bear Mickey’s image but that’s what it was called in an attempt to reassure children about wearing a respirator. In the event they were, thankfully, never needed
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